- 1
- 2
- next
- | single page
Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen hopes his four captains will help the Terps avoid inconsistencies that hindered the team throughout last yearÂs 8-5 campaign. (Baltimore Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr. / August 20, 2009) |
E-mail
Print
COLLEGE PARK -
- Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen slumped in a chair at the University of Virginia's Scott Stadium.
It was October 2008 and the Terrapins had just lost, 31-0, to an underdog Virginia team that had previously been outscored 128-36. Friedgen's red face was a mixture of fatigue, puzzlement and anger. "Some guys have got to drive it or park it," the coach said.
As the Terrapins prepared for a new season beginning against No. 12 California on Saturday night, many coaches and players said the Virginia defeat serves as a reminder - a cautionary tale - of what can't be allowed to happen if this year's team is to succeed.
Last year's team was hindered by inconsistency; it was the team's hallmark. After the season ended, Friedgen seemed haunted by the gap between the team's potential and its performance, and contemplated ways to address his concerns.
Among the changes that emerged was a determination by Friedgen that the team identify a core of veteran players to clearly be in charge and guard against Virginia-style lapses. For the first time in his nine-year tenure at Maryland, the coach suggested that permanent captains be elected.
On the night of Aug. 28, the Terps assembled at the Gossett Football Team House. Each player received a "ballot" - a printed sheet listing the names of all the juniors and seniors - and circled his choice for offensive and defensive captains.
The four newly elected captains were asked to place their hands on Bibles and take oaths affirming their commitment to be leaders.
"He [Friedgen] would say a couple lines and we would say, 'I do,' " said quarterback Chris Turner, elected a captain along with center Phil Costa, cornerback Nolan Carroll and linebacker Adrian Moten. "By the end we were laughing. But it was serious, too."
Turner, a fifth-year player who enters the season seventh in career passing yards for Maryland, had expected to be a team leader, but this "reinforced it," he said.
"Because I was elected, that means a lot. I'm stoked about it. I was a little nervous because they could vote for anybody, and I didn't know I would get it," the quarterback said.
Friedgen will continue to rotate special teams captains from game to game. That way, players can be honored for their work in practice in a particular week. Friedgen and his players hope the captains can form an early-warning system to detect complacency or other problems before they become an issue. Maryland was infamous last season for playing down to weaker opponents, such as Virginia and Middle Tennessee State.
In the Virginia game alone, the offensive line was deemed by coaches to have made 14 mental errors - indicating a lack of focus. The team's 30 seniors called a players-only meeting two days after the game to assert themselves and try to dissect what had gone wrong. But the tone for the season had been set. Maryland's 8-5 finish was less than satisfying to nearly everyone associated with the team.
"Last year, there were so many seniors that it almost became a distraction in a way," Turner said. "The seniors that we had, they were veterans and they were talented, but they might have taken it for granted a little bit. There wasn't a lot of competition on the O-line, things like that. You don't want to call people out, but it can lead to some type of complacency."
Said Costa: "We had a lot of seniors last year. Maybe they felt entitled or something."
This year's team has just 14 seniors and only 28 players on the two-deep depth chart who have played in a game. A handful of true freshmen - including linebackers Darin Drakeford and Avery Murray, and kicker Nick Ferrara - made the 72-member travel squad.
"I've got a bunch of guys that have never played in a game before," Friedgen said. "They want to play [in a top bowl game] on January 1. I think that's an important thing for me."
Not only is Maryland young, but the Terps are also using a new pressing, blitzing defense created by incoming defensive coordinator Don Brown. Installing the intricate defense made it doubly important that players stayed focused during preseason practices.
The new captains appear to be taking their leadership roles seriously. On Monday, Friedgen told Costa, a fifth-year senior, that Maryland didn't seem sharp in practice. It was the first day of classes, and the team seemed distracted.
Costa relayed the message to the team. He said he told players: "We have to play full speed now if we want to play full speed in the game."
The captains are a blend of diverse personalities.
It was October 2008 and the Terrapins had just lost, 31-0, to an underdog Virginia team that had previously been outscored 128-36. Friedgen's red face was a mixture of fatigue, puzzlement and anger. "Some guys have got to drive it or park it," the coach said.
As the Terrapins prepared for a new season beginning against No. 12 California on Saturday night, many coaches and players said the Virginia defeat serves as a reminder - a cautionary tale - of what can't be allowed to happen if this year's team is to succeed.
Last year's team was hindered by inconsistency; it was the team's hallmark. After the season ended, Friedgen seemed haunted by the gap between the team's potential and its performance, and contemplated ways to address his concerns.
Among the changes that emerged was a determination by Friedgen that the team identify a core of veteran players to clearly be in charge and guard against Virginia-style lapses. For the first time in his nine-year tenure at Maryland, the coach suggested that permanent captains be elected.
On the night of Aug. 28, the Terps assembled at the Gossett Football Team House. Each player received a "ballot" - a printed sheet listing the names of all the juniors and seniors - and circled his choice for offensive and defensive captains.
The four newly elected captains were asked to place their hands on Bibles and take oaths affirming their commitment to be leaders.
"He [Friedgen] would say a couple lines and we would say, 'I do,' " said quarterback Chris Turner, elected a captain along with center Phil Costa, cornerback Nolan Carroll and linebacker Adrian Moten. "By the end we were laughing. But it was serious, too."
Turner, a fifth-year player who enters the season seventh in career passing yards for Maryland, had expected to be a team leader, but this "reinforced it," he said.
"Because I was elected, that means a lot. I'm stoked about it. I was a little nervous because they could vote for anybody, and I didn't know I would get it," the quarterback said.
Friedgen will continue to rotate special teams captains from game to game. That way, players can be honored for their work in practice in a particular week. Friedgen and his players hope the captains can form an early-warning system to detect complacency or other problems before they become an issue. Maryland was infamous last season for playing down to weaker opponents, such as Virginia and Middle Tennessee State.
In the Virginia game alone, the offensive line was deemed by coaches to have made 14 mental errors - indicating a lack of focus. The team's 30 seniors called a players-only meeting two days after the game to assert themselves and try to dissect what had gone wrong. But the tone for the season had been set. Maryland's 8-5 finish was less than satisfying to nearly everyone associated with the team.
"Last year, there were so many seniors that it almost became a distraction in a way," Turner said. "The seniors that we had, they were veterans and they were talented, but they might have taken it for granted a little bit. There wasn't a lot of competition on the O-line, things like that. You don't want to call people out, but it can lead to some type of complacency."
Said Costa: "We had a lot of seniors last year. Maybe they felt entitled or something."
This year's team has just 14 seniors and only 28 players on the two-deep depth chart who have played in a game. A handful of true freshmen - including linebackers Darin Drakeford and Avery Murray, and kicker Nick Ferrara - made the 72-member travel squad.
"I've got a bunch of guys that have never played in a game before," Friedgen said. "They want to play [in a top bowl game] on January 1. I think that's an important thing for me."
Not only is Maryland young, but the Terps are also using a new pressing, blitzing defense created by incoming defensive coordinator Don Brown. Installing the intricate defense made it doubly important that players stayed focused during preseason practices.
The new captains appear to be taking their leadership roles seriously. On Monday, Friedgen told Costa, a fifth-year senior, that Maryland didn't seem sharp in practice. It was the first day of classes, and the team seemed distracted.
Costa relayed the message to the team. He said he told players: "We have to play full speed now if we want to play full speed in the game."
The captains are a blend of diverse personalities.
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
