Strong Addresses Media at Governor's Cup Luncheon
July 24, 2013 | Football
July 24, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The start of the University of Louisville football season is just around the corner, and Wednesday's Governor's Cup Luncheon at Hurstbourne Country Club signaled that the 2013 campaign is a little more than a month away.
With the beginning of practice in just 13 days, UofL head coach Charlie Strong, who begins his fourth season, addressed the gathered media about the upcoming football season. Since taking over the program in late 2009, Strong has gradually built the depth of his football team to where it has a solid foundation of seniors and leadership.
"When you look at the leadership of this football team, you like for your seniors to step up and become leaders," Strong said. "We have a good senior class. You look at Damian Copeland, Roy Philon, and Teddy Bridgewater, because he's the quarterback - you expect so much from him being a leader. But I look at the defense, and I always tell our middle linebacker, who is Preston Brown, that the leadership of this team is going to involve you because everything starts with defense. Teddy has done an outstanding job but he has to get help."
| Strong Press Conference Video | Strong Press Conference Audio |
The Cardinals, two-time defending BIG EAST champions, are coming off an 11-2 season and a victory of fourth-ranked Florida in the 2013 Allstate Sugar Bowl. However, the BIG EAST is a basketball only conference now, and the Cardinals are ready to turn the page from 2012 and set their attention on playing in the American Athletic Conference.
 Louisville and Kentucky will be playing for the Governor's Cup on Sept. 14.  | |
With 19 starters back, expectations are at an all-time high, but Strong knows his team still has a lot it needs to prove.
"We have to improve and get to that next level," Strong said. "They understand the work ethic and how they have to improve. We have to take the program to the next level and the players are buying into it now."
Strong is a master of new ways of motivating his team and making sure they don't rest on their laurels. He will have a difficult job this season because the Cardinals are working on a trio of league championships and their fourth-straight bowl appearance.
"What you have to do is keep this team in perspective," said Strong. "I tell them all the time it doesn't matter where people say you're going to start. It's where you finish. Either we're going to grow and continue to improve or we're going to remain the same team and become full of ourselves. That cannot happen with this team. We have to grow and continue to get better. There's a lot of room for improvement."
Strong understands that he has a good football team returning this year and he is ready to embrace the expectations. When he first took the job, his team was viewed as one that would be lucky to win any game, so he wants his team to deal with the hype and come to work every day to get better.
"When you have a football team like we do, you welcome it [expectations]," Strong said. "You'd rather have it this way than the other way. Our players have to understand if they want to move this program forward the expectations are expected. If you want to be a top program this is what you expect."
