 |
| Sophomore defensive back Travon Bellamy led the Illini with nine tackles at Penn State Saturday night. |
Check out Travon Bellamy's reponses to fans' questions during this morning's chat session.
|
 |
| Moderator: Good morning, Illini fans. Travon is here, so we'll get started with the chat right away. |
|
| Jeff (Belleville): Travon--It's good to have you back playing this season. Last year must have been a tough one for you. Didn't you have two surgeries? |
 |
|
Travon Bellamy: Yes, I had two shoulder surgeries. It was very tough, watching from the sidelines. The season was a good one, and it was bittersweet, having to watch. But it's a really good feeling to be back on the field, knowing that all my hard work and rehab paid off. |
|
|
| Andrew (Champaign): What player on the team does the most trash talking in practice? |
 |
|
Travon Bellamy: Probably Jack Ramsey on the scout team. He's a great player, and he really helps us get ready for each game by posing as one of the opponent's receivers. |
|
|
| Jamaal Carter (Maryland): How did it feel playing against a former teammate Derrick Williams? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: It was exciting. He called me every morning, talking trash to me last week. He and I are really close. He wished me luck before the game, and I did the same. We're good friends...we hang out and work out when we're home on break. We'll continue to talk throughout the season. |
|
|
| Grady (St. Joseph, Ill.): Travon, what do you think can be done to improve the pass defense? Is our youth and lack of experience the biggest hurdle? Is it simply a matter of time and learning? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: I think it's both. You can't buy experience. We're going to get better as time goes on. We'll correct our mistakes. We know we're not where we need to be. Right now, we just need to focus on our opponent this week, Michigan. |
|
|
| David (Chicago): What is your relation to Mike Wilbon of PTI fame? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: We are cousins on my mother's side. We talk as often as I would like, but he is a busy man. I am busy too. |
|
|
| Patrick (Glen Ellyn): Which one of your teammates have you hit the hardest during practice? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: That's a tough one because we try not to hit that hard in practice. We thud up in practice. You don't want to injure your own teammate. Save that stuff for the game. |
|
|
| Patrick (Glen Ellyn): What is it like to play at Penn State when they do the white out? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: To me, it was the most exciting game of my life, playing in front of 107,000 fans, cheering for our opponents, and having former teammates playing for them. It was very loud and very exciting. |
|
|
| Patrick (Glen Ellyn): When you first saw the schedule, who were you most looking forward to playing? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: It would probably be Missouri, our first game, since I had been out last season with my injuries. I was too excited, I had a personal foul penalty early in the game. It would not have mattered who we were playing in that game, I was just so glad to be back on the field. |
|
|
| Washington, D.C.: How long do you think it's going to take you to get back to your old self, like your freshman year, playing with a attitude and tackling people on the spot. We know you're good and can help turn the program around. |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: I feel like I'm getting back...having taken a year off was tougher than I thought it would be. I'm starting to get in the groove. |
|
|
| Max (Peoria): I know some guys on the team have some interesting pre-game rituals that they do before every game. I am curious to know if you have one also, or what you do to get ready for the game each week? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: I just put my equipment on, look in the mirror, talk to myself, and pray. |
|
|
| Maclyn (campus): Travon, I remember your pick-six at Wisconsin two years ago. You were a true freshmen, so how did that help build your rep and boost up your confidence? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: I have a lot of inner confidence, I've also believed that hard work pays off. I've always felt I could improve my game each week. |
|
|
| Doc (dc): have you had a chance to check out your former high school team, they are tearing it up? |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: I haven't had a chance to see them play, but my little brother plays for them. They're undefeated, and they're one of the better teams in the state. I hope to see them play in the playoffs after our season during Thanksgiving break. |
|
|
| Brian (CHI): who are you closest with on the team? |
|
|
|
| Columbus, Ohio: What does the defense have to do to shore up the tackling? It has been below average so far. |
|
|
Travon Bellamy: We have to put ourselves in better positions and play with more of a mean streak. We need to fly to the football---all 11 of us. That's our jobs. We need to get to the football, square up and wrap up the ball carrier. And I believe we're improving each game in all parts of the game. That, and having a positive attitude, are important to our success. |
|
| Moderator: Travon has to head off to class, so we'll have to shut this down now. Thanks for all of your questions, and join us for a chat with one of his teammates next Tuesday right here. |
|
|
