Players Buying in to Bielema
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Updated: December 9, 2012
"It was like a weight been lifted off your shoulders," says fullback Kiero Small. "The last eight months nobody would have expected what happened to happen."
"He was very confident which gave us all confidence and it was just a sigh of relief that the coaching search situation is finally over," center Travis Swanson said.
"He's been to back-back-back Rose Bowls so you got to be doing something right," defensive end Chris Smith says.
"From us just meeting with him when we did and hearing the things he had to stay and direction he's trying to take this program we're all looking forward to it," quarterback Brandon Allen added.
Bielema also brings a change in identity, defense first is the new head Hog's approach, with an offense that is predicated on running the football.
"I found out we were getting a guy that was gonna pound the rock and it was pretty big for me," Small says. "Bout time we talk about the defense around here... It gets me excited especially coming from a defensive player and we need that you can't win an SEC championship without a great defense," Chris Smith said of Bielema's background.
The new head Hogs is expected to instill a new attitude in Arkansas football, and his personal attitude is one that players seems to gravitiate toward with Bielema's reputation as a players coach.