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One-on-One with the
Pirates
Sunday,
August 19, 2010
By Ron Cherubini |
By
Ron Cherubini
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
When Dayon Arrington came into the program, it was much heralded. He was a
recruit that East Carolina was very high on with a big body and a reputation
for making the tough catch. However, it was making the routine catch that
seemed to elude him. He showed real flashes of brilliance early on in his
career, but then fell off the depth chart and saw only limited action.
Where some guys heading into their final year might mail it in and succumb
to the situation, by all accounts, Arrington has instead embraced his own
accountability and has put himself into the mix to be a big part of the
offense on the outside.
So noticeable has been his improvement and ability to contribute, that
coaches and teammates alike have pointed to Arrington as a guy that the team
expects to contribute heavily in 2012.
Dayon was kind enough to sit down for a chat with Bonesville to share his
insights on the upcoming season.
Dayon Arrington in action
(ECU SID photo)
One-on-One with Dayon Arrington
Q: So, sophomore year,
you have a nice season and it looks like you are
going to breakout big-time. Didn’t happen. Now,
though, you have teammates referring to you as one
of the Big Three with Reese Wiggins and
Justin Hardy
in terms of playmaking and downfield threats. Talk
about what you have done to put yourself in the mix
in your senior season?
A: Hard work and,
really, growing up. I have been working so hard this
summer for the opportunity to show the coaches what
I can do. Coach (Jeff) Connors has us working hard
every day, and what I do is that I don’t just do the
workout, I try to go beyond and push myself harder.
I really stepped up my work ethic. I want to play
and I want to be a leader out here.
Q: How do you see your
role this season?
A: Right now, we rotate
and all of us are expected to be able to go deep,
play in the intermediate zones and be part of the
quick game. I feel comfortable in the position and I
am feeling pretty consistent right now. Like I said,
I want to be a leader. I want my teammates to see
how I work and play and respect that.
Q: What did you learn
last year about the position, about yourself, having
such limited playing time?
A: Last year, I would
have liked to play more, but one thing was that I
had the chance to play behind Lance Lewis, who was a
great receiver. He would give me tips and we would
talk. I learned a lot from him about route
strategies which I have taken onto the field this
season. Also, I have put much more into film study
and understanding how to study an opponent on film
to learn tendencies and what I need to do against
certain guys. This season, I feel good and don’t
want to feel comfortable. I don’t want to let my
coaches down.
Q: We have a QB battle
raging. Can you give me a little on each of them?
Rio, Shane, Brad?
A: OK. [Rio Johnson:]
Rio is a good, good quarterback with a strong arm.
He has the system down pat right now. It is just a
matter of him making the routine plays consistently.
[Shane Carden:] Shane is real good back there. He is
consistent, good in the pocket and can run the ball.
He has a nice touch on his passes, too. He also
makes plays when things break down. [Brad Wornick:]
Brad is the most experienced and he throws a nice
pass. I think the best description is clutch. He is
a clutch guy. I think whoever wins the job will
definitely have the leadership ability with all of
us. We have confidence in each of them.
Q: What player on this
team do you most respect and why?
A: Ummm…
Jacobi Jenkins.
He’s been here four years and nothing has been given
to him. He has earned every opportunity he has
gotten and now that he finally has the job, he works
so hard, even through injuries, to keep what he has
worked so hard for. I really respect Jacobi.
Q: Looking across the
ball, what are you seeing from our secondary?
A: The defense is great…
seriously. I think the (secondary) is going to
surprise people. We work against them and they are
very athletic guys over there.
Q: How eager are you and
the team to get this season rolling?
A: I am always excited
for the season, but right now, mainly, I am focused
on continuing to do what I have been doing. I want
to keep this going and learn to be a good leader. I
know what it has taken for me to get here and I
don’t want to lose the opportunity.
E-mail
Ron Cherubini
PAGE UPDATED
08/18/12 10:26 PM.
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