Indiana University Athletics
Cam Cameron Quotebook
11/9/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
Cam Cameron Quotebook Transcript of selected quotes from Cam Cameron?s press conference on November 9
Opening Statement: ?Our approach during the bye week was just to continue to get better. We?re still a young enough team that even though we?re into our final two weeks of the season we?re still getting better and that?s been our focus. Secondly, Minnesota is a very good football team that everybody in the country got a chance to watch this past week. We?ve got our hands full there.
?Our primary concern this week, and this has been going on for a couple of weeks, is Pete Schmidt, who, as you know, is assistant head coach and this season has been the offensive coordinator and called all the plays, has been diagnosed with cancer. It?s a form of lymphoma, which at some point in time we may get to the point where I can have Dr. Allan Miller or Dr. Greg Fox talk to you but we?re not going to do that anytime soon. The good news about the lymphoma is that it is very treatable. I?ve been told, although we don?t have a 100 percent diagnosis yet, that it is very similar to the lymphoma that Paul Azinger had and obviously he?s made a remarkable recovery. The treatment will start on Thursday. Pete will be at practice today and tomorrow. Those were his wishes. Thursday he?ll go in for treatment. He won?t be with us for the remainder of the season. He will not make the trip to Minnesota. As you know, and most people know, he?s one of the finest guys in our profession. A guy that this team cares a lot about. I would just ask everyone that your prayers be with Pete, his wife, Becky, and their family. He?s going to start treatment on Thursday and we?re going to battle this thing together.?
On when Schmidt found out about the diagnosis: ?It?s been going on for a couple of weeks, trying to get results. They had to send off for some lab work to various places and they?ve got it down to 99 percent (that it?s a type of lymphoma). The procedure he is going to have on Thursday they think will give them a 100 percent diagnosis so that they can get the precise treatment he is going to need. We won?t be 100 percent sure until sometime after the Thursday procedure. It started about three or four weeks ago with some back pain and it progressed since then.?
On notifying the team about Schmidt?s condition: ?I tell you what we did Don (Fischer, IU play-by-play), they were aware, especially the quarterbacks were aware, that something was going on just because of the fact that he and I were back and forth to the hospital a lot. And then, when we got the preliminary diagnosis, we talked to the team Saturday morning. Pete talked to them. It was very emotional. Again, you have to understand, he?s the first guy I hired and how this team feels about him. So, they aren?t totally aware because there have been some things that have happened since Saturday. They are aware that he does have cancer and he?s going to be working through the treatment of that from this point forward.?
On how game day preparation will work: ?We?re still working through that. We?re going to go as usual today through practice and tomorrow through practice. Obviously, he won?t be here Thursday. We?ll make some adjustments Thursday. I want to give Pete the opportunity, and to give the team this opportunity, to keep this week as normal as possible. Obviously, I?ll be more involved starting Thursday, and Friday, and on game day. There is a chance, if the NCAA will allow it, if Pete?s feeling well enough, and I know we would like and Pete would like it, to do something very similar with Pete with what Wisconsin was able to do with Barry Alvarez. Obviously, Minnesota would have to agree to it. The NCAA legislatively has to okay it. He would be able, because the game is on t.v., to be able to watch the game on t.v. and communicate with us. We?ll see. I know he would like to do that and I know we would like to give him the opportunity.?
On what type of cancer has been diagnosed: ?They are 99 percent sure it is a form of lymphoma. There are a variety of types of lymphoma. That?s what they are trying to determine at this point because you treat them differently. Once they find out then they can zero in on the exact treatment.?
On how the offensive plays will be called: ?Our offensive staff has really done a nice job this year, everyone working together. But, obviously, they?ll come through me on the sideline. I can do that. It?ll be a committee approach. If we can communicate with Pete and if he sees something we would do that. We?ll move (tackles and tight ends coach) Marty Fine into the press box. We?ll make some adjustments with those things. Pete?s the guy who is going to put together the game plan. He?s been working on it now for a week-and-a-half. He?s still going to have the majority of the input.?
