Svicarovich liked Murphy's disciplinary style. "He runs a tight program and he really takes conditioning seriously. One thing he also does well is recruit."

"After all, I'm here," Natale joked.

With the abundance of seniors on defense, each player has a slightly less-demanding role in terms of leadership and responsibilities. That isn't to say they don't take that responsibility seriously.

"I just try to make sure the younger guys know what's going on," Svicarovich said. "I mean, if the seniors don't know what's going on on the field, how do you expect the younger guys to?"

Natale, the quiet leader, explained why he's classified as such.

"We don't really need too much extra motivation," he said. "One reason I'm not that vocal is because I.K. [senior linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski] is. He really knows how to lead."

The conversation subsides while a contestant from Chicago attempts to answer a question worth $64,000. The tension mounts while the man searches in his mental databank for the rapper who sang "Cop Killa."