Ted Roof speaks

Here's a quick gander of what defensive coordinator Ted Roof discussed this afternoon.

• NEW @ 5:35 p.m. On filling out the Tigers' coaching staff (two vacancies remain): "It's more important to get it right than getting it done for the sake of getting it done. I have every confidence. (Chizik) is in the process of doing that. When it's right, it'll get finished. You want it to happen sooner rather than later. Any time you bring a new staff together, (you want to get) everybody on the same page as far as a schematics, playbook, ways of doing things. It'll happen when it's supposed to happen, when it's right."
  
  
• NEW @ 4:20 p.m. On his game-day personality: "I am who I am and what I am, and I'm going to compete and want to win. I want to see our guys play a hard-nosed physical style of defense that Auburn's known for and the Auburn people deserve."
  
  
• NEW @ 4:15 p.m. On his specific defensive plans: "We use (4-3) some. We're pretty multiple in what we do. You have to have a system that's adaptable to different types of people -- especially if you're coming into a new situation. It's one thing if you've been at a place several years and you recruit to a specific system. It's another thing when you come in, you're new and you have a system that's broad enough and diverse enough to handle whatever personnel."
  
  
• NEW @ 4:10 p.m. On his defensive approach: "This league, you don't trick people. You have to out-hit people. There won't be much tricking going on."
  
  
• NEW @ 4:10 p.m. On how he learned about his current players: ``The first thing I did the first day was put on three games and watch three football games. Then I had quality control, our graduate assistant, to make a 10-play highlight tape of each kid. I wanted to see what they could do. As a coach, you want to have assistants flexible … not just stuff something in there like a square peg in a round hole."
  
  
• His defenses at Minnesota were multiple. He thinks his defenses at Auburn will be more standard because, he said, the SEC is a "hit 'em in the mouth" league.
  
  
• He claims to be the only person in Atlantic Coast Conference history to draw a personal foul/unsportsmanlike conduct call as a player, assistant coach and head coach. Assistant coach? "It was an inappropriate comment at an inappropriate time."
  
  
• He doesn't like discussing his personnel. That means we have no idea what he's thinking in terms of lineups, etc.
  
  
• He hasn't discussed Gabe McKenzie. Looks like he'll be a tight end.
  
  
• He said recent signee Demond Washington is "an offensive player." There was some talk that Washington, a 2007 Tallassee High graduate, would emerge as a cornerback.