Just one more day until the Kansas football team’s second open practice of the season. Like last week, I’ll be putting together a blog Friday with observations from the team’s workout.I received some good questions in the comments section of last week’s [blog][1], so I thought I’d ask for some responses a little earlier this time. Is there something you’d like for me to pay attention to at practice specifically? Is there a position battle you’d like to know more about? A player you’d like me to watch a little closer?Though I can’t promise to look for everything that’s suggested, knowing what you guys are most interested in before practice would definitely help me focus my efforts when I get there on Friday.In the meantime, here’s another Sideline Report, this one with [Joe Mortensen][2]. All the guys were great in answering these questions, but this one was my favorite. Joe’s a great guy, and I laughed more in this interview than I did any other.Enjoy.**KU linebacker Joe Mortensen**_JN: I hear one of your pregame rituals involves slapping Mike Rivera in the face._JM: Yeah, definitely. We do one before the game and one at halftime. We did it all last year. It’s kind of a thing that’s just to wake up and say, ‘Let’s go out there and have some fun. Let’s hit people.’ Sometimes, they’re harder than the other (laughs), but usually they’re pretty much the same. He slaps me hard. I slap him harder. It’s a good thing._JN: Give me an example. Is it across the face then?_JM: Sometimes, we’ll get one on each cheek. So I’ll go one with the right, get him on one cheek, and then go with the backhand, and just BAM. (laughs) The backhand’s the funnest. _JN: So we’re talking pretty hard here, right?_JM: It’s pretty hard. It’s pretty shocking. You have little red marks on your face._JN: Does it wake you up? Does it help?_JM: Definitely. It’s something about getting slapped – it just kind of gets your adrenaline going._JN: Do you think this is going to be a craze that spreads across the country?_JM: I think it is. I think a lot of linebackers are going to start using it now (laughs)._JN: Do you [box][3]?_JM: Yes I do._JN: Tell me about that._JM: I boxed when I was younger for eight years. … It’s definitely something that I love to do. When we mess around on the team, we’ll throw on the gloves. We won’t tell Coach because we don’t want him to think that we’re hurting each other, but it’s something fun. We slap box a lot. It’s a great way to be in good shape._JN: Who on this team would you not want to box?_JM: I don’t know if I’ll say (laughs). I definitely think there’s some good boxers on the team. We have a wide receiver here, Raymond Brown, who’s got the long reach and who’s pretty quick. But I think, when it comes down to boxing, I’m not afraid to box anybody on this team. _JN: You’ve said your favorite players are Lawrence Taylor and James Holt. Are they in the same category?_JM: Definitely (laughs). They both play hard. They’re both crazy. James doesn’t have the [drug problem][4] that Lawrence Taylor did (laughs), but I think they play with the same tenacity. _JN: What did you admire about LT when he played?_JM: Just his tenacity, man. The way he came off the edge, the way he hit people. He was a freak. I definitely think he was fun to watch. I definitely watched all his [NFL highlights][5]. I’ve got a video of Lawrence Taylor’s ultimate highlights. I like the way he played the game. Plus, he seems like an interesting character._JN: Would you want to hang out with him for a day?_JM: Oh, for sure._JN: What would you guys do?_JM: I’d have him teach me some pass rush moves, then we’d just go to Disneyland (laughs)._JN: You’d go on the teacups with him?_JM: Exactly (laughs)._JN: You and Lawrence Taylor on the teacups. That’s a good image.__JN: Tell me something that would surprise me about you._JM: I got my first tattoo when I was 14._JN: Painful?_JM: I bet that didn’t surprise you (laughs). Not really.JN: So you don’t think that surprised me, you getting a tattoo at 14?JM: No.JN: Did it surprise your parents?JM: Oh yeah. My mom, I hid it from her for about six months, then I fell asleep on the couch with my shirt off, and she slapped me. _JN: What did she say to you?_JM: She just screamed at me and grounded me, but after that, it was on. (laughs) I could do what I wanted to._JN: What was your first impression when you met Coach Mangino?_JM: I thought he was in the mafia (laughs). He looked like one of the guys from Sopranos.He definitely has that old Italian blood in him. He’s a great guy, and he’s really nice. He made me feel at home. [1]: http://www2.kusports.com/blogs/newell_post/2008/aug/08/open1/ [2]: http://www2.kusports.com/football/hawktrax/2008/joe_mortensen/ [3]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B22NUQGoevk [4]: http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016487.html [5]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Z7E4c-684&feature=related
