Michigan LB Shawn Crable addresses the New England media after being selected by the Patriots with the 78th overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Q: Do you have any experience playing in a 3-4 defense and how do you see yourself fitting in?
SC: No, not really. But I played a lot of outside linebacker at Michigan. I'm hoping I can just get with the coaches, watch a couple of the veterans and learn from them.
Q: Do you know [Patriots linebacker] Pierre Woods at all?
SC: Yes, we are close friends.
Q: Did he brief you? What has he told you about the Patriots?
SC: No we haven't talked yet, but I have talked to him in the past and he told me it was a nice program that takes a lot of discipline. They ask you to do what you do and do it well. I haven't had a chance to talk to him today, but I'm sure he will give me a call. I plan on talking to him within the next hour or so.
Q: How much experience do you have playing with your hand down as opposed to standing up, and which do you think you are more comfortable with at this point?
SC: I have been learning both since I was in high school, so I have never just focused on one of them. Where I am more comfortable, I don't know. I have been doing both for a while. I will just wait until I get to the coaches and see what they want me to do.
Q: How did an Ohio kid end up at Michigan?
SC: I think I just thought it was a better fit for me. I think it was a great academic school with great football. Also, I'm in love with the color blue so I just think it was a great fit for me.
Q: How excited are you to join Jerod Mayo, two young linebackers on a team that's adding you to that position?
SC: I'm excited. I talked to him at the combine. He's a funny guy. I think we will get together, learn together and try to watch people. We will sit back and watch how things flow as we learn. I think we will be very competitive with each other.
Q: How much interest did the Patriots show in you from when your season ended up until this point?
SC: I had a workout with them and came to the facility. I met with the coaches, I don't know how much interest there was but they got me.
Q: Could you talk about your foster Mom and what she means to you?
SC: She means the world to me. She is an angel. She got me on track. I was a little rough around the edges before I got with her. She took the time, nurtured me and got me on track to where I thought I could do something in college. She's the one who got me into sports.
Q: Do you owe what has just happened to you to your foster Mom?
SC: Yes, I owe a lot of it to her. I say my prayers every night and pray the best for her.
Q: How long were you in foster care and how did you end up there?
SC: Since I was five I was in foster care. There was a situation with my Mom and that's how I ended up in foster care. I moved to a couple homes but nothing too major.
Q: Can you talk about your visit here. Jerod [Mayo] yesterday talked about how they quizzed him on how to draw up some plays. What did you talk about in your visit here? Did they test your football IQ?
SC: It was along the same lines. They put stats on the board and I watched them figure out what I have done at Michigan. They drew some plays on the board to see if I could remember them. They wanted to test to see what kind of football IQ I had. Things that you need to decide, what you were supposed to do on the field. They picked my brain about where I was from and things like that. I think most of it was that I met a lot of people and talked to a lot of people in different areas from secretaries to media. A lot of people had a lot of different things to say about what it would be like to be in the organization. It was a great learning experience, also with them picking my brain and seeing what I need.
Q: What do you think of the fact that your offensive coordinator is a McKinley High School graduate?
SC: Hopefully we will win when we play them. When Washington plays McKinley, hopefully we will win.
