I've got no way of quantifying this because I'm not close to the program, but the player leadership this year appeared marginal at best and downright miserable at the least.
I'm sure my opinion is colored by the W/L record and how we folded down the stretch, but there just never seemed to be core leadership that fired that squad up and made them reach down to play with pride and relentlessness. The captains and others all said the right things, but it sure didn't translate to their performances.
This off season it feels like we need new leadership to step up and supplant the guys who were presumed to be leaders a year ago. I'm wondering who RSS feels will be "those guys?" Maybe it's too soon to predict and Coach Frost's "weeding" process needs to happen before the cream rises to the top, but I've got to believe that Morgan will be one of them on offense and Stoltenberg on defense. I'm hoping others will thrive in the new culture and step up too.
Yes, there are some seniors capable of leading, but just watching how guys played this Fall and reports from the program, I sense more passion and leadership from the underclassmen than the senior class, i.e., Spielman, Stoll, Gebbia, Barry, Stille and others.
Maybe it's just me, but does anyone have an answer for who the leaders are on the offensive line? I know that Jerald Foster was a captain, but I never saw his leadership come through in how he played. Perhaps this is the year that the light will turn on for Gates and he will work harder and make himself the player we all thought he would be at this point.
Obviously I'm just fishing for some input here, but this off season is going to be huge for building trust, chemistry, accountability, and physical and mental toughness. That takes leadership.
I'm sure my opinion is colored by the W/L record and how we folded down the stretch, but there just never seemed to be core leadership that fired that squad up and made them reach down to play with pride and relentlessness. The captains and others all said the right things, but it sure didn't translate to their performances.
This off season it feels like we need new leadership to step up and supplant the guys who were presumed to be leaders a year ago. I'm wondering who RSS feels will be "those guys?" Maybe it's too soon to predict and Coach Frost's "weeding" process needs to happen before the cream rises to the top, but I've got to believe that Morgan will be one of them on offense and Stoltenberg on defense. I'm hoping others will thrive in the new culture and step up too.
Yes, there are some seniors capable of leading, but just watching how guys played this Fall and reports from the program, I sense more passion and leadership from the underclassmen than the senior class, i.e., Spielman, Stoll, Gebbia, Barry, Stille and others.
Maybe it's just me, but does anyone have an answer for who the leaders are on the offensive line? I know that Jerald Foster was a captain, but I never saw his leadership come through in how he played. Perhaps this is the year that the light will turn on for Gates and he will work harder and make himself the player we all thought he would be at this point.
Obviously I'm just fishing for some input here, but this off season is going to be huge for building trust, chemistry, accountability, and physical and mental toughness. That takes leadership.
