Willie Taggart Monday Quotes

WKU Head Coach Willie Taggart
(on Senior Day and the senior class)
“I am excited about this week. More than anything I’m excited to spend this last regular season week with this senior class. This senior group is special. They came here when we were going through the transition and things were bad. They persevered and saw it through and they are reaping the benefits. They are leaving WKU a better place than when they got here. We should appreciate all of these guys. It’s a very, very, very special group. They have done so much for our university and our football program.”
(on senior quarterback Kawan Jakes playing his final home game)
“There is no one that loves this place and plays there heart out for this place like Kawaun did over his four years here at WKU. For a player to start all of his games, to take all the hits he has taken, all the criticism he has taken, I remember people telling him he came here at the wrong time. A lot of kids would not have made it through that. He didn’t cringe one bit. He didn’t sweat, not one bit. He kept working and stayed motivated by everyone telling him what he can’t do. Each year he has gotten better. He plays his heart out every single time. He is having a phenomenal senior year. He has his name all over the record books. Who would have thought that? All I ask, this week everyone needs to appreciate what he has done for our university and our football program. He is a Hilltopper through and through. If it is in your DNA, you need to find it in your heart to appreciate what he has done for this program.”
(on running back Antonio Andrews and his performance against Louisiana-Lafayette)
“He has done a tremendous job. We talk about doing something. He did something this year. He is chasing greatness. He wants to be the best. He is one of those kids that is not going to settle. He knew that he was going to be competitive and when given a shot, he was going to show what he had. He has always been a winner. We saw that in him. We saw it when Bobby Rainey was here. We made a standard out of what we were going to have out of our running back group and he continued that.” 
(on what he saw when he went back and watched film from the Louisiana-Lafayette loss)
“We had 25 missed tackles. Out of those 25 tackles, they had 223 yards off of that. That was bad. Part of it is fundamentals. It is just breaking down and coming under control. Sometimes it is just really hard to make tackles in open spaces. A lot of times, you can help yourself when you have guys running to the ball.”
(on North Texas running a similar offense to WKU)
“You have seen it. You know what is good against it and know what is bad against it. But you have to play with great effort. Both teams will be well-prepared for what they are going to do.”
(on the seniors getting the chance to win a seventh game at home)
“It is huge. It is huge for our seniors. I love these guys. These kids are special. This senior class is special. We owe it to them to play our best ballgame so they can leave this stadium as a winner on that field. They came here and they probably lost their first game. They have a chance to leave here with a win.” 

(on the bowl chances still being very much alive for WKU)
“We just have to play ball. We have to get better at what we do and everything else will take care of itself. It is a goal that we still have and something we can accomplish. We still have a chance to do that. I know everyone is disappointed that we didn’t capitalize on some of the opportunities we had, but we still have a chance to do something and be a first for this program.”

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