12-03-2010, 01:07 PM
http://cincinnati.247sports.com/Article/...reers-7279
As the Cincinnati seniors prepare to play their final game on Saturday against Pitt, Bearcat Lair spoke to four multi-year starters and asked them to answer a few questions reflecting on their UC careers. The subjects were Armon Binns, Jason Kelce, Ben Guidugli and Sam Griffin.
Jason Kelce
Best team memory at UC
Binns: It’s got to be winning that Big East Championship last year at Pittsburgh after all we had been through and getting it done on the road.
Kelce: Beating Pittsburgh last year in the fourth quarter.
Guidugli: When we beat Rutgers in 2006. I was being redshirted and wasn’t even playing, but everybody rushed the field. That game probably jump started what we’ve been able to do here.
Griffin: Definitely last year at Pitt. Us being down 21 on the road and coming back and winning the Big East championship.
Best personal memory at UC
Binns: Enjoying practice with the guys and hanging out every day.
Kelce: Earning a scholarship after my first year.
Armon Binns
Guidugli: It has to be the Illinois game from last year. I was feeling the flow of the game and feeling no one could stop me. (Guidugli made 7 catches for 149 yards and 2 TD’s that day)
Griffin: I would say how we started the year last season in going up to Rutgers, my home state. (The Bearcats beat the Scarlet Knights 47-15 that afternoon.)
Worst memory at UC
Binns: Losing that game (at UConn) last week.
Kelce: Not going to a bowl game this year.
Guidugli: Last week up at Connecticut. I felt like I shed the most tears after that game because I knew we weren’t going to a bowl game.
Griffin: This whole year and not going to a bowl game.
What you’ll miss most about being a Bearcat
Sam Griffin
Binns: The love and support we get from Cincinnati and all the great guys I’ve met that have returned to campus.
Kelce: Being around all the guys over the last five years.
Guidugli: It’s got to be my teammates. When you go through all these coaching changes, it’s your teammates that offer you the support. They’re there for you even outside of football.
Griffin: Those times in the locker room after games or hanging out with my teammates. That’s what I’ll miss the most.
What you won’t miss about being a Bearcat football player
Binns: I won’t miss the cold. I’m a West Coast guy so hopefully I can get in some sun.
Kelce: Classes.
Guidugli: I won’t miss practicing in the elements.
Ben Guidugli
Griffin: I’m not going to miss Higher Ground. It’s Groundhog’s Day out there. Every day is exactly the same.
Best teammate in your career (other than a senior)
Binns: Chazz Anderson definitely.
Kelce: Zach Collaros
Guidugli: Me and Kazeem (Alli) had a pretty tight relationship. When I’d come off the field, he’d tell me what he saw and how I could do something better. Even though I was younger, he supported me.
Griffin: I have two to be honest. It would be Khalil El-Amin and Jeff Linkenback. They were both very helpful during my career here.
Best Player You’ve Played Against
Binns: Pat White (After signing as the Dolphins’ 2nd round pick, White signed a minor league baseball deal with the Kansas City Royals.)
Kelce: That would be a tie between Stephen Paea from Oregon State and Mick Williams from Pittsburgh. (Paea is a senior at Oregon State. Williams spent time as a free agent with the Jets and Bears this season.)
Guidugli: Probably Brandon Spikes from Florida last year in the Sugar Bowl. He’s a big guy that can run pretty good. (Spikes is playing with the Patriots.)
Griffin: It would only be right for me to say (Jason) Pierre-Paul since he was a first round draft pick, but if I were to play him again, it would be different. (Pierre-Paul is with the Giants.)
When will you graduate?
Binns: In the spring. (Binns was a four year player.)
Kelce: This quarter.
Guidugli: Next week.
Griffin: In June. (Griffin was a four year player.)
Funniest Moment
Binns: Too many to count, but all of them involved Mardy Gilyard.
Kelce: I’ll say when John Goebel hit Connor Barwin on special teams and knocked his helmet off. Connor went after him again and got a concussion. (editorial note: that was shockingly hilarious. Goebel was only a freshman, and he actually knocked Barwin off his feet during a special teams’. Connor was fuming and really gunning for Goebel on the next rep, but Barwin got hurt in the rematch. Barwin later claimed he wasn’t ready and that was why Goebel had that kind of success against him.)
Guidugli: That would be during camp in ’08 when Coach Kelly was warning us about celebrations. That day we were doing a practice drill, and I was so excited because I caught a pass against Ryan Manalac. On that route, he would always hold me, but I was able to score and was so happy that I spiked the ball. Coach Kelly cussed me out and made me run. He said, “I just talked about that!” Everybody got a big kick out of it.
Griffin: Mine would be Tom DeTemple at every camp. He can sound like anybody, and it’s just too funny. (DeTemple is well known for his excellent impressions of the Cincinnati coaches.)
Best Road Trip
Binns: Miami at the Orange Bowl
Kelce: I liked New Orleans a lot.
Guidugli: Probably Pittsburgh last year coming off that great win and finishing the season undefeated. There was a lot of excitement coming back on that bus.
Griffin: Hawaii would definitely be my favorite because I was not expecting to play, but Jeff Linkenbach got hurt, and we came back in that fourth quarter. (The Bearcats scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to get the 29-24 win)
Opponent you liked the least
Binns: UConn
Kelce: Pitt out of respect.
Guidugli: West Virginia. There’s something about West Virginia that I don’t like.
Griffin: West Virginia.
Best road venue
Binns: I like Raymond James Stadium at South Florida. It’s a great environment.
Kelce: Pittsburgh last year for the Big East championship
Guidugli: N. C. St. had a nice set-up. It wasn’t the biggest stadium, but it was really nice. They had nice natural grass, and their fans were into it.
Griffin: Oklahoma two years ago. That was a very good experience.
As the Cincinnati seniors prepare to play their final game on Saturday against Pitt, Bearcat Lair spoke to four multi-year starters and asked them to answer a few questions reflecting on their UC careers. The subjects were Armon Binns, Jason Kelce, Ben Guidugli and Sam Griffin.
Jason Kelce
Best team memory at UC
Binns: It’s got to be winning that Big East Championship last year at Pittsburgh after all we had been through and getting it done on the road.
Kelce: Beating Pittsburgh last year in the fourth quarter.
Guidugli: When we beat Rutgers in 2006. I was being redshirted and wasn’t even playing, but everybody rushed the field. That game probably jump started what we’ve been able to do here.
Griffin: Definitely last year at Pitt. Us being down 21 on the road and coming back and winning the Big East championship.
Best personal memory at UC
Binns: Enjoying practice with the guys and hanging out every day.
Kelce: Earning a scholarship after my first year.
Armon Binns
Guidugli: It has to be the Illinois game from last year. I was feeling the flow of the game and feeling no one could stop me. (Guidugli made 7 catches for 149 yards and 2 TD’s that day)
Griffin: I would say how we started the year last season in going up to Rutgers, my home state. (The Bearcats beat the Scarlet Knights 47-15 that afternoon.)
Worst memory at UC
Binns: Losing that game (at UConn) last week.
Kelce: Not going to a bowl game this year.
Guidugli: Last week up at Connecticut. I felt like I shed the most tears after that game because I knew we weren’t going to a bowl game.
Griffin: This whole year and not going to a bowl game.
What you’ll miss most about being a Bearcat
Sam Griffin
Binns: The love and support we get from Cincinnati and all the great guys I’ve met that have returned to campus.
Kelce: Being around all the guys over the last five years.
Guidugli: It’s got to be my teammates. When you go through all these coaching changes, it’s your teammates that offer you the support. They’re there for you even outside of football.
Griffin: Those times in the locker room after games or hanging out with my teammates. That’s what I’ll miss the most.
What you won’t miss about being a Bearcat football player
Binns: I won’t miss the cold. I’m a West Coast guy so hopefully I can get in some sun.
Kelce: Classes.
Guidugli: I won’t miss practicing in the elements.
Ben Guidugli
Griffin: I’m not going to miss Higher Ground. It’s Groundhog’s Day out there. Every day is exactly the same.
Best teammate in your career (other than a senior)
Binns: Chazz Anderson definitely.
Kelce: Zach Collaros
Guidugli: Me and Kazeem (Alli) had a pretty tight relationship. When I’d come off the field, he’d tell me what he saw and how I could do something better. Even though I was younger, he supported me.
Griffin: I have two to be honest. It would be Khalil El-Amin and Jeff Linkenback. They were both very helpful during my career here.
Best Player You’ve Played Against
Binns: Pat White (After signing as the Dolphins’ 2nd round pick, White signed a minor league baseball deal with the Kansas City Royals.)
Kelce: That would be a tie between Stephen Paea from Oregon State and Mick Williams from Pittsburgh. (Paea is a senior at Oregon State. Williams spent time as a free agent with the Jets and Bears this season.)
Guidugli: Probably Brandon Spikes from Florida last year in the Sugar Bowl. He’s a big guy that can run pretty good. (Spikes is playing with the Patriots.)
Griffin: It would only be right for me to say (Jason) Pierre-Paul since he was a first round draft pick, but if I were to play him again, it would be different. (Pierre-Paul is with the Giants.)
When will you graduate?
Binns: In the spring. (Binns was a four year player.)
Kelce: This quarter.
Guidugli: Next week.
Griffin: In June. (Griffin was a four year player.)
Funniest Moment
Binns: Too many to count, but all of them involved Mardy Gilyard.
Kelce: I’ll say when John Goebel hit Connor Barwin on special teams and knocked his helmet off. Connor went after him again and got a concussion. (editorial note: that was shockingly hilarious. Goebel was only a freshman, and he actually knocked Barwin off his feet during a special teams’. Connor was fuming and really gunning for Goebel on the next rep, but Barwin got hurt in the rematch. Barwin later claimed he wasn’t ready and that was why Goebel had that kind of success against him.)
Guidugli: That would be during camp in ’08 when Coach Kelly was warning us about celebrations. That day we were doing a practice drill, and I was so excited because I caught a pass against Ryan Manalac. On that route, he would always hold me, but I was able to score and was so happy that I spiked the ball. Coach Kelly cussed me out and made me run. He said, “I just talked about that!” Everybody got a big kick out of it.
Griffin: Mine would be Tom DeTemple at every camp. He can sound like anybody, and it’s just too funny. (DeTemple is well known for his excellent impressions of the Cincinnati coaches.)
Best Road Trip
Binns: Miami at the Orange Bowl
Kelce: I liked New Orleans a lot.
Guidugli: Probably Pittsburgh last year coming off that great win and finishing the season undefeated. There was a lot of excitement coming back on that bus.
Griffin: Hawaii would definitely be my favorite because I was not expecting to play, but Jeff Linkenbach got hurt, and we came back in that fourth quarter. (The Bearcats scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to get the 29-24 win)
Opponent you liked the least
Binns: UConn
Kelce: Pitt out of respect.
Guidugli: West Virginia. There’s something about West Virginia that I don’t like.
Griffin: West Virginia.
Best road venue
Binns: I like Raymond James Stadium at South Florida. It’s a great environment.
Kelce: Pittsburgh last year for the Big East championship
Guidugli: N. C. St. had a nice set-up. It wasn’t the biggest stadium, but it was really nice. They had nice natural grass, and their fans were into it.
Griffin: Oklahoma two years ago. That was a very good experience.