Syracuse Football: Players Ready To Put 2011 Behind Them

How do I know that Syracuse Orange quarterback Ryan Nassib is excited for the 2012 season? His voice tenor has gone up from "mumbley" to "monotone." Feel the excitement:

Some other things learned in that video:

If Adonis Ameen-Moore uses his hands on the field as well as he does while talking, he's gonna be an All-American.

Charley Loeb in Evil Charley Loeb mode with the Hollywood Hogan black beard (he's still dreamy).

I like Ashton Broyld. I don't know what is was, but the kid's got something.

Unlike so many other SU players, Jay Bromley doesn't sway or make weird hand motions while talking, he just plants his feet and goes to work. I feel like that translates...

I'm hopeful that Deon Goggins' hair and goatee are going to turn into something special by October. Also, when asked about the fact that this is his final season at SU...

"It's gonna come to an end. I mean, life is gonna come to an end...when it get here, you just gotta deal with it."

Deep.

#Shamarko Thomas might be considered the leader of the defense this season and, no disrespect meant to folks like Chandler Jones and Phillip Thomas, but he thinks this year's unit is a tighter unit than last year's:

"I feel like this year, our defense has a bigger bond," Thomas, Syracuse's starting strong safety, said. "That’s the key of a great defense, champions, is being brothers and being on the same page. And I feel like that’s going to take us far. "

"Honestly, we just had a lot of young guys. We were just young as a team," Goggins said. "That’s all it was. After last year, going through what we went through, I see the changes in a lot of the young guys that have to step up."

Camaraderie and team chemistry seems to be a theme amongst players headed into the season, on the offense as well:

"We're going to be working every day, no matter, whether it's meeting, practice, two-a-days, whatever happens," added C Macky MacPherson. "But it's going to be fun, just to be with these guys, because we've really grown close over this off-season."

Jerome Smith is listed as the No. 1 running back on the depth chart but there's a guy listed right behind him that's looking for a little redemption. Prince-Tyson Gulley wants to put last year's injuries and off-field incident behind him:

"It hurt me that I wasn’t able to help my team when I think they needed me the most," Gulley said.

"I’m just ready to step up this year," Gulley said. "Competition is going to bring out the best in all of us. Whatever back is doing it (the best), he won the position and that’s the back that’s going to help us win games."

Finally, just in case you think everyone is pretending and not actually practicing in preperation for the 2012 Syracuse football season, here's a few videos to prove it's actually true.