EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

CNNSI.com GROUP
 Sports Illustrated
 Life of Reilly
 Television
 SI Women
 SI for Kids
 Press Room
 TBS/TNT Sports
 CNN Languages

COMMERCE
 SI Customer Service
 SI Media Kits
 Get into College
 Sports Memorabilia
 TeamStore

Chat Reel: Paul Mandina

Expect improvement from D-line under coordinator Bell

DT Paul Mandina says coach Cam Cameron's IU squad will have an improved defensive line in 2000. Chris Covatta/AP

CNNSI Host: Thank you for joining our chat with Indiana defensive tackle, Paul Mandina. Welcome Paul!
Paul Mandina: Thank you for having me!

From Derek M. Phillips in Coatesville, Ind.: Do you feel that you can compete in the Big Ten this year with Randle El being QB? How is he looking back there?
Paul Mandina: I think Antwaan gives us the opportunity to compete with anybody. Athletically, he's about 20 pounds heavier, about 200. He's got great enthusiasm and spirit. He brings the level of the competitiveness up a notch.

From David Chase in Albuquerque, N.M.: How has the change of the defensive coordinator affected this team? How deep is our current roster? What is the biggest improvement on our defense?
Paul Mandina: Coach Bell has come in and we've made it a simpler defense, in other words a one-gap, which means everyone has a responsibility for one spot on the field. What Coach Bell brings to the table is that he's a great educator, and a great motivator. We're going into camp with a mindset that everyone is battling for a position. We should be pretty solid two deep, all the way around. The biggest improvement on defense is hard to say. In the spring, each person made improvements on a personal and team level. You'll see great improvements from the defensive backs, linebackers and the d-line. Some key people will be Sharrod Wallace, Ron Bethel, and linebackers we're expecting big things from are Joslin Goodman, Devin Schaffer, and Justin Smith. On the d-line, we're looking for big things from newcomer Derek Barnett.

From Josh Feldman in New York, N.Y.: I'm a 1995 alum and have always been a huge supporter of IU football. However, one thing that has always bothered me has been the lack of interest from other IU students and the poor attendance to home games. While IU has struggled, it is still BIG TEN football. My first question is, does this bother yourself and the rest of the team (players/coaching staff)? And my second question is, do you ever see it changing? Thanks! Good luck this year!
Paul Mandina: We feel that we have a good fan base here at Indiana. We appreciate all the support that we receive from the community. As we win more games and bring up more players such as Antwaan Randle El and Levron Williams, I believe that you'll see the fan base start to increase also, and our attendance. We're also trying to promote that with the Penn State game, which will be played in the RCA Dome this year, in Indianapolis. Yes, I do see it changing. We feel that we're making large strides in the right direction to become one of the top competitors in the Big Ten and in the country. We believe in ourselves, and now it's time to prove it to the rest of the country.

From Bruce in Indianapolis, Ind.: How is JUCO transfer Dominique Smith doing in terms of development at DT this year? Do you see incoming freshman Stephan Williams helping at DT this fall?
Paul Mandina: Dominique has worked very hard in the off-season. He's come a long way in maturity. He's going to be competing for a spot on the starting line. He's got all the tools, and now he's just working at putting them together. I met Stephan Williams for the first time today. He's very impressive to look at, physically. We expect big things out of him. But he's a freshman, so we have to see how his development comes through our camp.

From Casey in Bloomington, Ind.: How critical is the first game? Most around here are saying that in order to go bowling this year, IU MUST start 3-0. I'm sure you want to go 3-0 as much as we do, but do you think that is critical or can it be overcome during the Big 10? Also, how will Coach Bell's philosophy help or hurt your style of play? Who do you expect to emerge on the defense this year that people might not be expecting at this point?
Paul Mandina: Obviously, it's important to start on the right foot. We're going into every game expecting to win. But if we should happen to lose the first game or another one down the road, this team will bounce back. We'll learn from the mistakes, and play harder the next week. I think that Coach Bell's style of defense will actually help everyone's level of play. It's a very aggressive-paced defense. Myself, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to receive more one-on-one blocks. I think Devin Schaffer will have a big season this year. Also Sherrod Wallace, Kemp Rasmussen, Joslin Goodman, and Ron Bethel. All those players, and many more, will bring us the opportunity to have an excellent defense.

From Tyler Rupert in Springfield, Ohio: I believe that the Hoosiers biggest problem on defense was the inability to put good pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Do we have the depth and strength on the line to finally do this?
Paul Mandina: I believe that we do. Our problem with lack of pressure lied a lot in the strength and lack of technique, not lack of coaching. The players made a personal commitment in this past off-season to make great gains in strength, technique, and overall knowledge of the game. With all these things and a new, more aggressive style of defense, I'm expecting for the defensive front to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback this year.

From MJHoosier: Paul...As someone outside of the Hoosier State originally, what were some of the reasons why you chose Indiana University? Also, can you explain some of the diffences in playing for Coach Mallory vs. Cam Cameron?
Paul Mandina: I chose IU for the quality of education you receive, and they have a great athletic program. Originally, I was a Mallory recruit. I came here because Coach Mal is a great man. The differences with coaching styles between Coach Mal and Coach Cam is that there's really no difference... they're really both committed, dedicated, and know the game of football inside and out.

From MJHoosier: Paul, There has been some changes on both the offensive and defensive fronts recently. Can you comment on the development of Kris Dielman on the defensive line & Craig Osika on the offensive line?
Paul Mandina: Kris Dielman was our second string quarterback a year ago as a true freshman. We were running thin in depth on the d-line, and he was asked to make a transition from tight end to defensive tackle. Kris is a great team player and he did so without any complaints. He's made great strides to becoming an excellent defensive tackle, and will be competing for a starting position in training camp. Craig was another player who made a conversion for the sake of the team. He was all Big Ten last year, and moved from tight end to center to fill in a void on the offensive line. He was the one kid in spring who got noticeably better every practice. He's been making tremendous strides in the weight room, and in his athletic ability. We expect him to be a great center for us.

From Zooted: Who is more elusive: Brees or Henson? Which team presents more problems for you - Michigan or Wisconsin?
Paul Mandina: I know they're both great competitors. Both quarterbacks make us prepare extra hard to try to cover all the things they bring to the table.

From P. Jay Fortner in Chicago, Ill.: Paul, I played against you in High School and to this day I have never been hit as hard as you hit me back then. It's always good to hear about Section V athletes making it big. Good luck in your senior season and with any potential pro aspirations.
Paul Mandina: Thanks! I hope you're doing well yourself.

From Adam Haulter in Seattle, Wash.: Do you see that IU's run defense will be much improved or about the same this year? Best of luck!
Paul Mandina: I feel that our run defense will not even compare to what it was a year ago. All of the guys have gotten bigger, stronger, and faster, and are a year more mature. We all know what it feels like to go home for Christmas and we're driven not to let it happen again.

CNNSI Host: That's all the time we have today with Paul, thanks for joining us and good luck this season.
Paul Mandina: Thank you very much for having me.

Copyright © 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.