Articles by Category
By: LARRY VAUGHT
During his recruiting pitch, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops says Bud Dupree’s recent first-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers is not the “first thing that comes out of your mouth.” However, he did say he comes up in conversations with recruits.
“It comes up with the success that we've had prior to us coming to Kentucky as well and the great string of defensive linemen that we had at Florida State. We are proud to continue that as we came to Kentucky with both Bud and Za'Darius (Smith) getting drafted,” said Stoops during a teleconference to talk about Dupree’s NFL future.
"I think it's important for our program. It does nothing but help. Getting the exposure, seeing him selected on TV on draft night was big for us and for our program. If anything it's helping prove the development phase of our program and what we're trying to do, so we're very proud of that."
While some speculated Dupree might leave UK after his junior season for the NFL, Stoops said that was never going to happen and that Dupree was not projected as a first-round pick then.
“We had a brief conversation. Obviously, I was concerned that he'd be anxious to get into the draft. We sat in my office and talked for a brief time, 10 or 15 minutes, and he said, 'Coach, I want to come back.' I said, 'Well that's great.' I said, 'Do you still want me to submit to the NFL where you'd be drafted,' and he did. We did that, and that was the end of it,” Stoops said.
Stoops called Dupree “an absolutely fantastic young man” who will fit in well with Pittsburgh’s team philosophy.
“Very unselfish. Very willing to take coaching. He really is very passionate about what he does and he's a guy that's extremely bright on the field. He's exceptional with the amount of defense that he can take in,” Stoops said.
“Obviously there will be some adjustment period with transitioning to an NFL team, but he was just exceptional with the way he had great instincts and also great intelligence with picking up schemes and making calls for us defensively and audibling to certain blitzes based on formations. So he was an extremely bright guy."
Here’s more of what Stoops had to say about Dupree:
Question: What will Dupree will bring to the Steelers' defense>
Stoops: "He's a very versatile guy. I think Bud's extremely explosive. He will be a great pass-rusher in the NFL and also a guy that has the versatility to do well in coverages as well. So he's your prototypical outside linebacker, and I'm excited to watch him play for such a great organization."
Question: What will Dupree will bring to Steelers' run defense?
Stoops: "Bud will bring an impact guy in the run defense. I think he's a guy that – the sky's the limit for Bud, really. I think he's a guy that in time will do a lot of things well in the NFL. I think he kind of fits what the Steelers are looking for as far as size goes as well. I think he's the type of guy that can really change his body to the point where he can carry the weight that they ask him to. I think he's the type of athlete that if we asked him to shed some pounds he could do that, if we asked him to gain some pounds he could do that as well. I think he's really a guy that is just getting better and better with every practice and with every game. He's not used to playing on his feet like we did with him the last couple years here. So I think he's a guy that's just getting more and more confidence playing on his feet."
Question: At what point did he see the potential in Dupree to be a first-round pick?
Stoops: "I think last year during his junior season was when you saw flashes of him and how exciting he was and the ability to be a first-round pick. I truly believe that. As scouts were coming through leading up into his senior year I really thought he had the potential to be a first-round pick. I'm not really sure how many people believed me at first, but as you get into watching him and seeing him play it was quite evident that he would be a high pick as the season went on his senior year."
Question: How much will Dupree improve now that he can focus on one position?
Stoops: "I don't think there's any doubt. I talked about it: he has been extremely unselfish and really did whatever we asked for the team. If we just left him in the 4-3 and let him rush the passer and be a 4-3 defensive end you'd see his numbers go through the roof with sacks. But he did a lot of things with us and he's very versatile, and we were transitioning. It was very nice for us to have such a versatile athlete playing that position, but it also will benefit him, honestly, with a position coach.
"When I took the job, I was 4-3 all the way, and we transitioned into a 3-4. So we had our D-line coach coaching the outside linebackers and the D-line for Bud's whole time here. This year, as I made some coaching changes, I obviously hired an outside linebackers (coach). So that can do nothing but help him as he moves forward and, again, going with such a great organization – going with the Steelers and the great success and the tradition that they've had defensively – it can only help him as he moves forward. That's why Bud's just getting better and better with every rep and every game."
Question: Was it a blessing in disguise for him to slide some in the first round but go to a great team?
Stoops: "Oh, I think it's great for Bud. Everybody wants to go as high as they can. Bud has no regrets. He's done everything right. He's worked extremely hard. He put himself in great position to get picked high and he's blessed to be with the Steelers."
Question: How often did Dupree rush the passer verus dropping in pass coverage last season?
Stoops: " I didn't really look at it, but it would probably be a little bit higher percentage of him rushing. I'd say probably 60/40, I'm guessing. I'm guessing somewhere in that ballpark."
Question: How well did he handle that transition to dropping in coverage?
Stoops: "It's very difficult for guys and especially the guys that played with their hand in the dirt their whole careers, as Bud did. But that's why I say it was amazing to see him make that transition – and especially with us being so new in our transition defensively as well. So obviously not having the experience of going through all the nuances, the teaching and coaching points, I thought he picked it up exceptionally well and that's why I just think he's going to make such drastic improvement as he moves forward as well."
KSR Twitter Feed
vBulletin Message