I resented the idea of being talented. I couldn’t respect it — in my experience, no one else did. Being called talented at school had only made me a target for resentment. I wanted to work. Work, I could honor.

Liz Benedict, a teacher of mine at Iowa, is the person who introduced me to James Salter's work.

This honor is a tribute to the hard work Brad has put into his talent. He has incorporated the instruction that pitching coach Brian Unger presented to him which has taken his pitching to another level. He has truly developed into a legitimate professional prospect. I believe that he is in line to have a tremendous 2006 for the Hawks.

Talent is nothing more than a pursued interest.

This is just a tremendous honor for me because it indicates respect from your peers, but it especially reflects well on the team and all the work they put in this year. A coach is only as good as his players, and I had a great group.

It's just an honor to get this award. I want thank all the players. It shows a lot of respect that the players have for me. There were so many players that had a great year.