Dwyane Wade Presser - Part 2

On the Eve of Marquette retiring his jersey, Dwyane Wade met with the press in Milwaukee. Wade spoke of the honor, the relationships and his love for Marquette University. Here is part two of the press conference transcript.

How does it feel as a Bears fan to be in the Superbowl?

Wade: Excited that it is in Miami…it will be a great game…Bears 24-21…my son’s birthday is on Sun…and I will take him to the game…Favre coming back is great for the state of Wisconsin…a blessing for his family and teammates…Brett Favre is what makes the rivalry so great (Bears v Packers) great to see him in the huddle…

Question: What was the first time MU began recruiting you…when you met Tom Crean?

Wade: When you play AAU basketball you hear a lot about schools…who is interested in you…the first day when someone can call you …I sat by the phone and I am a first impression guy and I heard from Marquette and Coach Crean and I was excited…and on the other end of the phone , he was excited…about me…a kid from Robins Ill…a player that not many people were excited about…and listening to him today and how excited he is talking about me…I want him to write my book…or a ‘Beyond the Glory’ (TV) for me…or something. He makes everything sound good and I felt the connection…every time we talked I felt the connection and it grew from there…

I am not a boastful guy but when coach explains what I have done…I say...wow...I have done all that? So that is the relationship we have…he is a father figure not only to his children but to others.. and will be for a long time…and I am not just talking about Marquette…I talk to players from Michigan State who still speak highly of him…so he has a positive effect on many even after their careers…

Question: You decided to come to Marquette, then the NCAA declared you a partial qualifier but Coach Crean and the University stood with you through it all. What does that mean to you?

Wade: It meant so much to me…in school… you do every thing you can to pass the ACT test or the SAT test…and you do not pass it…but you still have a Division 1 University that will do everything in their power to get you in…you might have to sit out a yr but they will include you in every aspect of the team (activities)..I will forever love Marquette for that …for giving me a home…and for taking me out of a place to a place where I could better myself…I am very grateful for that….I have a special place in my heart for Marquette.

Question: How do you like Marquette’s team this year?

Wade: They are young but they are great…the team plays with a lot of fire…when they take the defensive approach that coach loves…there are few teams out there who can beat us…I am excited every time they appear on TV..I am a fan of theirs…I am one of the people who like Travis Diener and Scott Merritt, helped grow this program to where it is…I love seeing the blue and the gold and the white…going our there diving for lose balls just like we used to …the duke game vs MU…it was a great game…both teams diving on the ground with no regard for their bodies…just all out…I respect what these young me do…

Wade checks the latest on MarquetteHoops.com

Question: What are your plans for getting a degree at Marquette?

Wade: It has been crazy for me since the first summer…I thought I would have an opportunity to come back when things were still fresh in my mind ..but I got invited to go to the Olympics and from that point on it has been a whirlwind …but with the right approach and the right schedule, I will get it done and I am excited about that…

They are honoring me with an unbelievable honor...retiring my jersey…with some of the greats…the ultimate honor…I am just glad that my mom and my wife will be there to enjoy it with me…

Question: Will you coach your son in future?

Wade:

I do not know if I am the coaching type…I demand so much out of myself…I might demand too much out of him...I did not like my dad when he was my coach…my son is a young man who is very involved in sports and very talented at a young age…it will be very exciting to see where he goes…I was just watching ESPN and watching all the Jordan kids playing in HS...looking forward to it…

Make sure you visit Dwyane Wade’s Webiste at

www.DwyaneWade.com