I like a challenge. I always have.

When you're from Weir, Mississippi, almost everywhere you go looks like the big city.

You have one good game or season, so what? You have to have a career.

On any given night, I can throw a shutout.

I'm just trying to stay aggressive and mix things up enough to be successful.

It doesn't matter who's in the box. You go after them and get them out the best way you can.

I grew up in a small town where you know everyone, .. I've been told all my life that I come from too small a town to compete with some of the guys that competed in a higher level growing up. And that kind of drove me through college and drove me in the minor leagues, because I got to face all those big 5- A [school district] guys in the minors.

I don't like to be the guy that stands out. I like kind of sneaking up on guys instead of being out front.

I've been in the same place for 10 years and having to say goodbye and clean out the locker is the toughest part.

Guys think I'm staring them down, but they watch ME for signs. Why can't I do the same to them?

This is a dozer you can do anything with.

The pitch would normally be low, but my ball starts carrying and stays on a sustained plane. Everyone always complains - 'that ball is low' - but then you go back and look at the tape, and it's right there. My catchers tell me, and the hitters tell me, that the ball stays true flight the last five or six feet.

Every time I go out there I expect to win.

I've always been a guy who likes big games.