Alonzo Highsmith talks about Packers, Hurricanes and entitlement syndrome

Former University of Miami running back Alonzo Highsmith was on the show on Monday morning. Highsmith is a scout for the world champion Green Bay Packers:

--Alonzo, I can't remember a team that had more injuries that won a Super Bowl championship. You guys... I don't know what the final count was of guys who went down that you lost for the season, but to be that beaten up, to have that many guys who were backups or on the practice squad make an impact on what you guys did and that run through the playoffs is just one of the best stories we have ever seen for a Super Bowl championship. Would you agree? "Oh, yeah, it was a tremendous story, but I think the thing that really had our team excited was the fact that every game we lost this year--we were 10-6--six of those games we lost we should have won. ... And the thing that helped us most probably was playing away from home, out of Lambeau Field, because our offense was more of a passing offense by the end of the year, so it allowed [quarterback] Aaron [Rodgers] to play indoors. It became like fast-break football, and that was to our advantage."

--Sam Shields, a former 'Cane, has to be one of the best stories from last year: "I think there's only a couple players on our defense who played more snaps than Sam Shields. I mean, he played six hundred and something snaps last year and he was a big part of our defense."

--Speaking of former Hurricanes, how would you rank the greatest of all time? "I'd have to put Ted Hendricks over [Ken] Dorsey."

--What are your thoughts on Al Golden and the UM program? "I'm ecstatic about Al Golden. I think he's brought the right state of mind back to the program. The thing I like about Al Golden... I call him a cross between Jimmy [Johnson] and Howard [Schnellenberger]. He's all about accountability. You're going to have to earn your keep on this football team. There's nothing given to anybody."

--One last thing, Alonzo. You're from the old school of like, 'Hey, Alonzo, just because your coming in here as a five-star linebacker/running back, we want to let you know you're going to have to earn it and you're going to have to wait your turn.' Today's guys, they want it like, 'I'm coming to your school because I heard everybody's gone and I have a chance a chance to start as a freshman.' It wasn't like that when you came in: "I've been writing a book for the last two years, and I should be finished with it in another year or so. And I've been interviewing coaches and talking to coaches and talking to people like yourself. The book will be called 'Entitled,' and it's just about today's athletes and how everybody feels like they're owed something. ... It's amazing to listen to young guys talk."


(sun-sentinel.com)