Richard Mercier Live Chat Transcipt!

On Wednesday, November 3, Miami offensive lineman Richard Mercier stopped by ESPN’s moderated chat room to discuss the Hurricanes’ season thus far and the upcoming contests with BIG EAST rivals Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech. Following is the edited transcript from the chat:

Richard Mercier: I am here and ready for your questions. Let’s get started. What is on your minds?

Mike: Coming into this year, all expectations were high. After a 4-3 start, are they still that high?

Richard Mercier: Our goals have changed. We now just want to win the Big East and wind up in a major New Year’s Day bowl. Before the season we wanted to win the national championship, but things have changed.

Greg: How do you think the last 2 games are going to effect the team?

Richard Mercier: I think we have a sense of urgency. We haven’t been used to playing at noon so now we have to start fast and play 60 minutes. We have to realize that one game can mess up the rest of the season. Especially against Virginia Tech, we will have to play all 60 minutes.

Jamie: What do you think has been going on with you guys playing well in only one half?

Richard Mercier: If someone could tell us that, they would be a genius. But we played better against West Virginia in the first half then we did against BC. If we would have made a couple key plays we could have put some points up early. When we get the ball on the 20 yard line, you have to score points.

Michael: How frustrating has it been this season with projected starting running backs Davenport and Jackson coming down with an ACL injury and numerous injuries in Jackson’s case?

Richard Mercier: When a player goes down, someone has to step up. That is what happens with good teams. Someone has to come in and make plays.

Ninon: Hey Richard,

How do you feel by playing so good like that? Tell me where you are from, because you have a french name. Thanks so much Richard for responding to my question.

May God bless you.

Love Ninon Pierre

Richard Mercier: I am from Montreal, Quebec.

The thousand hours of work you put in for the minute of glory makes it all worthwhile.

TJ Cane: How is the team dealing with the death of Walter Payton, freshman Jarrett Payton’s father?

Richard Mercier: Jarrett is back with his family and the coaches have been in touch with him. There hasn’t been much contact with the team however. Our hearts are with him and we are anxious to get him back when he is ready to return.

Shari: Richard, what was it like in the lockeroom at half time of the WV game? Was it calm like the week before or did players get a little loud/rowdy due to the slow start? Thanks, and keep it up – your play has been awesome!!!!

Richard Mercier: Surprisingly the locker rooms have been calm. The players knew the situation and what we had to do. We made sure every one was ready to play some football when we went back on the field.

Hokie04: How do you feel about the Virginia Tech Hokies and the overall well-being of the Big East, which is being critiqued right now??

Richard Mercier: I think the well-being of the Big East is that we are in a good situation. Syracuse played Michigan tough. We played Penn State, should have won and lost in the last minute, and we also played Florida State up there very tough. So the teams in the Big East have competed well with some of the big schools out of conference.

It frustrates me that we don’t get more respect because of the way Big East teams have performed out of conference. We came up a little short, but we were right there.

Bill: How big is the Virginia Tech game and do you think VT is better than Penn State from what you have seen of both teams this year?

Richard Mercier: When you look at VT, they are a 60 minute football team. When we played Penn State, we came closed to playing all 60 minutes. But against VT, there is no question in my mind, we will have to play the best game of the year for the full 60 minutes to win.

Chuck: Is there any tips to give someone in the weight room to get as big as you need to be to compete?

Richard Mercier: Just go in day in and day out. Have a work ethic, eat well, get good sleep — but it takes time.

Joe: What do you think about your future as far as going Pro goes?

Richard Mercier: When I look at my future, I tend not to look to far ahead. In ’97 I torn my ACL and MCL in my knee. You can’t look at tomorrow, it is all about right here, right now. Hopefully it will all work out.

My goal is to make it to the NFL, but right now I am focusing on winning the Big East this year.

Rich: Who was the toughest lineman you’ve had to block year?

Richard Mercier: When you look at our games, the Florida State line was the most athletic — full of whistle to whistle players.

Although in practice, blocking our own defensive line is a challenge.

Man Cub:Richard, What are your thoughts on the new defensive coordinator?

Richard Mercier: I think he has added a lot of fire to the defense and we go after people. Our defensive linemen are attacking and getting penetration. We have a very solid defense.

Y2Cane: Man, I love seeing you pull on the trap plays and watching you crush some outside linebacker or strong safety. Can we expect to see a lot more of this play this year? Is it your favorite play to run?

Richard Mercier: That is definitely my favorite play. All the work I put in is all worth if just for that play. I hope we run it 10-15 times a game.

Jamie: What is the toughest part about being an offensive lineman?

Richard Mercier: It is the lack of recognition. The game is won in the trenches, but the wide receivers, quarterbacks and running backs get all the glory.

Chuck: How did you get noticed to play in Miami?

Richard Mercier: I was being recruited by Syracuse and Miami but my decision was easy. The way they found out about me was that my cousin who lives in Miami gave them my game tape.

In 1994 I went and watched Nebraska play Miami in the Orange Bowl. Seeing all the fans and that game in that stadium sealed my fate.

Canes are Back: Is the team looking ahead to Virginia Tech at all?

Richard Mercier: We can’t look ahead. The winner of the Big East will be undefeated, so you have to play one game at a time and Pittsburgh is next.

Steve: Richard, How important is a win at Pitt this week especially having VT the week after?

Richard Mercier: A win at Pitt is extremely important. We want to be undefeated in the Big East. Losing to Pitt and beating Virginia Tech might only give us a tie.

I think the Pitt game will be four quarters of football. We are tired of playing half a game. We want to go up there and play 60 minutes of football. They play really good defense, they are only allowing 366 total yards of offense and only 130 yards rushing. That can be deceiving because VT ran for 360 so that pushed their average up.

Jamie: How did you decide that you wanted to play football while growing up in Canada?

Richard Mercier: I was a big guy and wanted to play football. My father played and just like any other kid, I liked the physical contact.

Richard Mercier: That is all the time I have for now. Thanks for all the support and we won’t disappoint our fans. We plan to win the Big East title.

Take care everyone and thanks for the questions. Hi Mom.