Mark Sanchez Interview

Posted Apr 3, 2009 by Luke Easterling

Updated Apr 3, 2009 at 10:44 PM

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to chat with USC QB Mark Sanchez.  Here is the full transcript of our conversation.

LE: How is your preparation for the draft going, both on and off the field?

MS: Everything’s going really good right now. I’m working out, throwing at least four days a week, and getting ready to work out for some teams here coming up. I have my Pro Day on April 1, and I’m still working on my conditioning, my power, agility, stuff like that, three to four days a week, as well. I’m working with a trainer nearby here. I’m still going to school, so that helps to take my mind off of things, working toward my degree. I graduate May 15 with a degree in Communications, so my family is obviously very excited about that. So I’m excited, and things are going well. I’m busy and just playing the waiting game.

LE: Have any teams, more than others, shown a particular interest in you at this point?

MS: No, not really. I think most teams aren’t trying to show their cards too early, you know. They don’t get overly excited about anybody. I think that’s part of the whole process. I’ve felt comfortable with everybody, and I enjoyed the Combine process, letting teams get a chance to meet “me”, not just the guy they see on film, but letting me take control of the room and talk a little bit and communicate with them and let them understand that I’m more than just a football player. I’m a good communicator, I’m a great leader, a cerebral quarterback, someone who likes to study and things like that. They get a chance to feel me and know that I fit their system.

LE: Top-rated QBs don’t usually participate in the throwing drills at the Combine. What was your reasoning for choosing to do that, and do you believe you accomplished what you set out to in doing that?

MS: To me it was no question. I mean, I’m a quarterback. That’s what I do: I throw the ball. I love throwing, I love competing, I love throwing against other guys, when it’s me and another quarterback in a workout I feel like I’m the best in those situations and I felt that I was the best at the Combine. So really, there was no doubt about me throwing. I didn’t even think twice. I think it’s everybody’s own decision to do it, a lot of guys are worried that you’re in a different atmosphere and things like that. But I felt like, “Here’s a chance for me to show how much I love to compete and my competitive attitude.” I think it definitely helped. The scouts were really surprised that I decided to do that. For me, it was a no-brainer, but for them, it was a big deal. They were happy that I would go out on any turf and spin it for them. I felt that was my best chance to be evaluated. I was excited about that, and they were all the more eager to make it out to my Pro Day.

LE: The most popular knock on you is your lack of starting experience. How do you feel about that and what’s your message to NFL teams regarding that concern?

MS: I think that more than anything that those 16 starts were very meaningful starts, in a pro system, with Coach (Steve) Sarkisian, with professional terminology, with reads and progressions, things like that. Identifying defenses. I’m well ahead of the average quarterback coming out of college, and I think the learning curve is going to be that much easier for me as I take this next step. I they’ve been meaningful games, like I said, like the Rose Bowl, on national stages against tough competition like Ohio State, both out of conference and in-conference. The Pac-10 was tougher than a lot of people thought. The decision-making skills that I acquired, especially over this past year, really showed on film. My TD-to-INT ratio, things like that, they kind of speak for themselves. Also, playing in a large media market, where there’s a lot of pressure put on a quarterback. Quarterbacks who were Heisman Trophy winners, Rose Bowl MVPs, All-Pac-10 honors, All-American honors, have all come through there. There are a lot of expectations just like there are at the next level, so I feel like I’m ready to tackle that challenge. And again, not only playing against the top competition in games, but also in practice. I mean, every practice it was starters against starters for half, if not the whole practice. That’s just the way Coach (Pete) Carroll is. So, I’m playing against the Lawrence Jacksons, the Sedrick Ellises, I mean you name it…Keith Rivers, Clay Matthews, Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga. All those guys have been or will be first or second round draft picks, and I played against them every day. So, against a pro-style defense that likes to throw a lot of different things at you…Coach Carroll’s defense, it came straight from the NFL. I think that with all those things taken into account, those were meaningful starts, and I have a lot more experience that a lot of people think.

LE: Is there a specific offense in which you feel you would fit best?

MS: Well, I know that coming out from under center has been very comfortable for me. A lot of quarterbacks come out of the gun predominantly, they don’t drop back as much, and it shows in the workouts, it’s very obvious. They don’t look comfortable, they look a little awkward and the ball just doesn’t come out as well as when they’re in the gun. We’ve been able to implement a little more of the shotgun in our offense at USC, and I’ve probably done it the most out of any of the guys who have come out of there, though I’m sure it’ll be more in the years to come. We’ve started to transfer some of our stuff over and run it out of the gun, as well. And not just that, my ball fakes, my play-action fakes are exceptional, and my ball-handling skills. I’m able to throw the ball on the run, especially as I get out of the pocket, and there’s that ability to make plays downfield when the play’s broken, that scrambling ability just to get away from someone and keep the play alive. And on top of that, having the decision-making ability to know when a play is over and get rid of it, or slide or get down. So, with an offense that really gets the ball in the hands of the playmakers and let’s the quarterback take command, I feel like I’m very comfortable.

LE:  We’ve seen some highly-rated QBs experience a free-fall on draft day over the past few years.  Is that something that might worry you?

MS:  No, I don’t think so.  It’s just something that happens, and when it happens, you just live with it.  You have to be prepared for anything.  I entered the draft knowing that there are no guarantees.  It’s all a crap-shoot.  All I can do is prepare like crazy, rely on what I’ve been taught, fine-tune my skills and be prepared for draft day, and that’s what I’ll be doing.  Whatever team gets me will be getting a great player and an even better person.  If you worry too much about where you’re going to go, then you’ll end up just driving yourself crazy because there are so many possibilities, so many variables, and you can never figure it out.

LE:  What’s more important to you: being drafted higher, or being drafted by a playoff contender?

MS:  Being picked high is just an honor, and that would be great for a team to think that much of me, to try and grab me so early.  But if you get a chance to go to a team that just missed out on the playoffs, or they feel like you could be their missing link and really take the team to the next level, where they already have a good defense, a solid running game, good receivers, things like that…those are all bonuses.  Like I said, though, you can never fall in love with one situation or another because you’ll end up getting your heart broken on draft day.  So, I’ve tried not to play the “What If?” game, just relax and be me, and get ready to play.

LE:  Your decision to leave school early was met with some criticism.  What made this the right time for you?

MS:  More than anything, this has been my lifelong dream, since I was a little kid.  To play in the NFL, on the biggest stage for football that you can possibly have, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.  That’s just me.  It’s been a goal forever.  Then, when I got to college, I had two main goals: to earn my degree, and I’m going to do that in May, and then to play in the National Football League, to position myself to do that…start at SC and then get a chance to play.  I feel like that window was so big now, and I just couldn’t miss it.  I couldn’t say no and I had to do it.  I’m going to graduate, I’ve been in school for four years, and I’m ready to make the next step.

LE:  You mentioned earlier that you’ve been working on your mobility and your speed.  How much did the dislocated kneecap that you suffered in August of 2008 hamper your mobility and how does it feel now?

MS:  It’s been 100% for months now.  No more than a month after the injury, I was ready to play, and a couple weeks after that I was feeling 100%, the same as I always have.  I made plays on the run, I threw the ball very well on the run, and I got out of some jams in the pocket.  That’s just having quick feet and using that five-yard burst that I have, so it didn’t hinder me at all.  I think it was a good test of what I’m all about, of my drive and my ability to bounce back and persevere through injuries and staying tough about it, because it didn’t feel great the first time I stepped on the field.  But I knew it would be better, and now that it’s 100%, I’m happy I went through it and persevered like I did.  I didn’t miss any time; I didn’t miss a single game, just a few practices.  I felt like I could’ve come back even earlier.  I’m happy to have made it through it unscathed, and I’m stronger for it.

LE:  As a third-generation, full-blooded Mexican-American, how important is your heritage to you?

MS:  It means the world to me.  It’s something so unique and special in my situation.  There’s not many, if any, that I can think of, full-Hispanic quarterbacks in the National Football League and when I get a chance to start, that’ll be something special for the Hispanic community.  They’ve always been very supportive even though it’s not the traditional Hispanic sport, but they’ve really reached out to me and explained that I’m an inspiration to a lot of young Hispanics, and if I’m helping somebody along the way, while I’m having as much fun as I am and doing something I love to do, then I’m obviously doing my job.  So, I feel great about their support and my heritage.  I think, more than anything, though, I’m proud to be an American, where you can celebrate your heritage.  That’s what this country is all about.  That means the world to me. 

LE:  You’ve done a lot of charity work, especially within the Hispanic community in California, and you obviously embrace being a role model for that community.  What are some responsibilities that come along with that for you?

MS:  The biggest one has been getting my degree, receiving my education, and that’s a message I impress upon the youngsters.  That is true knowledge, true power.  It’s more than football.  Your education transcends football.  Football, one day, is going to end for me, just like it does for everyone.  Hopefully, later, a long time down the road, but you never know.  To have that degree, that piece of paper that affirms you basically into society, that means you’re ready to go work and earn a living.  You just can’t do it without going to school and working hard, and doing something you love on the side, whether it’s music or sports or anything like that, that’s what I try to tell the kids.  So, that’s the main message and that’s what I’m living up to.  I promised my parents and myself that I would graduate before I went to the NFL, no matter what.  So, I’m excited that I get a chance to do that and it’s important for me to be a role model.

LE:  I heard you worked as a sous-chef at Phil Trani’s on Long Beach.  Is that true?

MS:  (laughs) I sure did.

LE:  What is your absolute favorite dish to create in the kitchen?

MS:  In the kitchen, at Phil’s…let’s see here.  This might sound weird, but he makes a Pot Roast Salad, and it’s so good.

LE:  Really?

MS:  Everybody says the same thing, “Really?  Pot Roast Salad?”  But it’s phenomenal.  I always get it, and inevitably, I end up eating way too much of that, and can’t even finish my meal.  But, we made everything in there.  He taught me how to make sandap, Alfredo sauce, chicken picatta, chicken Marsala.  Then, towards the end of my time there, he taught me how to make the Alfredo sauce with a little blush in it, where you add the marinara sauce in there, too.  Anything from fried cheese to fried zucchini, and just little things that he had me help with like caprese salad…it’s all good, though.  He’s the best.  He’s been very supportive, opening his doors to me and my family, and he’s been a great, great friend of ours. 

LE:  Is that something you’d be interested in pursuing after you hang up your cleats?

MS:  I don’t know, maybe.  I know when I was doing that as my summer job, my parents were just absolutely terrified that I was going to burn my hands or cut my finger or something like that, so it was something that I did very carefully and cautiously, as you can imagine.  But, maybe one of these days I’ll get back there.  I know I’ll get back to eat, that’s for sure.  But, I don’t know about putting that apron back on.  We’ll see.