 |
| Dere Hicks has played at both the cornerback and safety positions already this season. |
Check out junior defensive back Dere Hicks' answers to fans questions from this afternoon's chat.
|
 |
| Moderator: Good afternoon, Fighting Illini fans, and welcome to the chat room. Dere Hicks will be joining us in just a few minutes. There is still time to submit questions for today's chat. |
|
| Darius (Chicago): What's good, Dere? I like how you have been playing these last few days, and I hope you keep that up good job. But my question is, as you know, you all are going into Penn State this coming weekend...what do you think will be the key for you guys to go in there and come out with a win? |
 |
|
Dere Hicks: The coaches preach, "stop the run." So that's our main focus right now. We know they have three talented receivers, so we need to come up with a scheme to stop them also. This week will be a true test to see what our defense is made of. |
|
|
| Brandon Jones (Champiagn): Dere, I hear that they call you Big Play Dere. How many big plays do you plan on having against Penn State this week? |
 |
|
Dere Hicks: I'm going to practice hard this week, and I'll leave that in the hands of the Man Upstairs. |
|
|
| Grady (Saint Joseph, Ill.): When you are covering a receiver, what do you focus on? Are you able to watch his eyes and be able to tell when the ball is getting close? How do you know when to turn to look for the ball in hopes of an interception? Best of luck this weekend! Hit 'em hard, Dere, and most of all, make those tackles! GO ILLINI! |
|
|
Dere Hicks: I look at different receivers' tendencies. I don't want to give too many secrets away, but one of the things I look at is their body language. |
|
|
| Tampa , Fla.: What type of player is Jarred Fayson? What is it like playing man coverage against him with his strength and speed? |
|
|
Dere Hicks: Fayson is an exceptional talent. I'm glad we have him in our program, because he adds to the speed and athleticism that Coach Zook has recruited. Every day you have to bring your A game when you go against Jarred in practice. |
|
|
| Billy (Glenbard): Dere, how do you feel about being one of the smallest corners in the Big Ten? Does that affect your playing style at all? |
|
|
Dere Hicks: All my life, I've been one of the smaller guys playing football. I look at guys like Allen Iverson in basketball, and he finds a way to succeed. I just use my size as extra motivation. Will Judson is smaller than I am, but he's one of the tougher guys to cover because he's so quick. |
|
|
| Joe: Hey Dere, great job so far this season. What do you think you and the rest of the Illini secondary will have to do to contain Penn State's talented trio of Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood? Go Illini! |
|
|
Dere Hicks: We have to study film this week to get an edge. We have to get in their offensive coordinator's head to find out what their tendencies will be. And then we have to execute the plan that our coaches install for us. |
|
|
| Charlotte: Hello, Dere. Which position do you like playing better, safety or CB? It seems like you are great at both positions. |
|
|
Dere Hicks: Whatever position the coaches want me to play. I'm happy to play wherever they want--I'm just a team player. |
|
|
| Kevin (Champaign): Most guys come straight from high school to play in college, and some come from junior college. What was your academic and athletic experience like at Valley Forge Academy? |
|
|
Dere Hicks: It was a very tough situation. I can remember waking up every morning and doing military things. Playing football there was the highlight of my day. It prepared me for life as a college student-athlete. I'm not sure if I could go through that again. |
|
|
| John (Rockford): Dere--You had your best game, as far as tackles are concerned, last year against Penn State. Does that bode well for your performance this week in Happy Valley? |
|
|
Dere Hicks: I think it does. I use that as extra motivation to play an even better game against them this year. |
|
|
| Jack (Cincinnati): With Miami Thomas out, do you feel like you need to step up your game more? |
|
|
Dere Hicks: I go out there every day in practice to be perfect. I can control only what I do, not others around me. I do try to help out the younger guys like Tavon Wilson, who have the opportunity to get better and better. |
|
|
| Lauren (Bloomington): Dere, since you've played both positions this year, what are the major differences between playing safety and cornerback in the Illini defense? What do you like about each position? |
|
|
Dere Hicks: Safety is more of a downhill type of position. You have to come up and make tackles more of the time. At cornerback, you're really on an island with the receiver. I definitely like that challenge--we face great receivers each week in the Big Ten. |
|
|
| Zach (Decatur): Do you think the week off helped better prepare the defense for the vaunted Penn State offense? |
|
|
Dere Hicks: I think it has helped. We were a little worn down from Camp Rantoul and the past couple of games. We have our legs back now, and we have guys like Donsae Hardeman and Jeff Cumberland back. And we're definitely excited to start out the Big Ten schedule with a great opponent like Penn State. |
|
| Moderator: Thanks for all of your questions. Dere is headed to the locker room to get dressed for practice. We'll have another chat with one of his teammates next Tuesday here, so "stay tuned." |
|
|
