BearTalk

Here is more of what we heard from Jeff Tedford at the podium today:

“I feel like we’re in a great situation with our quaterback position. Obviously Nate has played a lot of games for us and won a lot of games for us. He’s a very talented guy. Kevin Riley is a guy who came in last season and had a couple of opportunities and showed very well. We have very good depth there. It’s going to be a very competitive fall camp. We’ll pick a starter the week of the first game. It may take both of them to achieve our goals this season.”

Asked to clarify that last remark later, Tedford said: “Both guys are going to get some game time. That’s one thing we need to do a better job of is make sure we create depth and give people the opportunity to have game situations.”

More:

“Jahvid Best’s health is good. He’s very explosive. He’s one hundred percent healthy.”

On the depth at tailback: “I’m very, very anxious to see these guys perform. We’ve had some very good running backs at Cal in our tenure there. This is the most explosive combination in the backfield since I’ve been here.”

As mentioned earlier, Tedford cited Best and Shane Vereen as his explosive backs. I asked him later about Tracy Slocum, and Tedford said he wasn’t intentionally leaving Slocum out; just that he didn’t want to name every player. He said Slocum is “doing well.”

On the ruling in the student-athlete center case: “It’s very exciting news. I’m really, really happy it’s moving in the right direction and we’ll be getting rid of some of the distraction that has been there for the last year and a half. I’m very happy for our student-athletes and coaches, and not just our football players but the whole athletic department in general that we are moving forward with this.”

“There’s been a changing of the guard with some of the leadership. Some strong leadership has really surfaced inside the locker room.”