Some more stuff that doesn’t fit into one simple post theme.
The Paul Zeise Q&A from yesterday. Topics covered include redshirting in bulk, JUCO players impact, use of Stephens-Howling and as always the incoming talent.
Q: What is Dave Wannstedt doing so differently that he is getting so many four-star recruits?
Zeise: I think it is a matter of commitment and effort. That’s not to say the last coach didn’t work hard, but recruiting wasn’t one of his favorite things. Dave Wannstedt lives to recruit, he loves it. He goes on the road for five weeks in the spring — something that is almost unheard of among head coaches at BCS schools. Some go out for a part of the time or for a few days — Wannstedt will spend the entire spring recruiting period on the road, knocking on doors, meeting people, etc., etc., Most head coaches have no idea what a text message is (some can’t even use their cell phone or retrieve messages from their voice mail) and they have their flunkies texting and e-mailing kids. Wannstedt texts and e-mails prospects all the time. He is really into it and he has a tremendous personality. He is a guy that is very easy to like and it is clear he is very passionate about what he is doing.
The best way to sum it up is this: One of his assistants, who has been around the block a time or two and has been around a lot of coaches, said Wannstedt is the “most competitive recruiter I’ve ever been around and there isn’t a close second.” I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again — if this regime ultimately fails, it will not be because of a lack of talent. That will not be the issue because this guy is going to get players. If he wants someone, he goes after them and makes it very clear they are at the top of his priority list. That makes a huge difference.
Zeise is exaggerating the supposed ineptness of college head coaches with tech. In the last year, especially, there has been no shortage of stories around the country of head coaches and their comfort and use of tech and texting. This is especially so at the schools with top programs — the place Pitt wants to get. Other than that, I can’t disagree.
Darrelle Revis joins in the growing, after-the-fact chorus of players and some sportswriters who write off last season as having selfish players not on the same page/selfish playing/not adjusting to the new coach.
“We’re together all week, every day, from 7 o’clock in the morning (at breakfast),” Revis said. “And it’s real fun. You can tell that this football team is a lot closer than it was last year.
“There was a lot of pointing fingers and stuff (last season), but this year everybody helps each other up if they have a bad play or anything. We’re a lot closer, and we’re a better team for it.”
Revis, an All-America candidate and defensive leader, won’t guarantee a level of success for the Panthers this season. However, he’s certain that the way things were last fall — the first for Wannstedt, offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh and a few other coaches — cannot be repeated.
“I think we were one of the worst teams with that last season,” Revis said. “Guys just weren’t focused on the big picture. Guys were not communicating right, and there was just a bad vibe throughout the whole season. And we couldn’t get a feel for each other. That made it tough.”
Joe Starkey for ESPN.com (Insider subs.) writes about H.B. Blades and Tyler Palko determined to go out on a strong note this season.
The bitter taste still lingers for quarterback Tyler Palko and linebacker H.B. Blades, who returned to the field this spring determined to use the experience as a cattle prod, or, in this case, a Panther prod.
“I mean, that’s embarrassing for the program,” said Palko, speaking of the season as a whole. “That’s embarrassing to us a football team, and everybody should be embarrassed as individuals. You have to use it as motivation.”
He continued, animatedly.
“You’re not going to go through life and have it be peachy all the time. It’s about, can I handle the bad times with a smile on my face and say, ‘OK, I played like crap’ and get back on the horse? Not many people can do that. That’s what separates good teams from bad teams. Can you get up in front of people and say, ‘Hey, we sucked last year. We were bad, but, we’re not going to let it happen again.’
“If you can do that, you’re going to have a special group. If you can’t, you’ll be in the same boat you were in before.”
Blades watched most of the West Virginia game from the sidelines, on crutches. He injured his ankle early in the first quarter.
“It burns inside you,” said Blades, son of former NFL star Bennie Blades. “It’s in the back of my mind every time I go in the weight room, every time I go on the practice field. We all read the newspapers and see how people talk about us. We know we’re the reason why people can say, ‘Well, they can’t stop the run.’ You know, because we didn’t. We gave up over 400 yards in our last game. That’s the truth. We have to go out there and change all that.”
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The fact that nobody expects much from Pitt is, according to Blades, another advantage. See, the last time so little was expected, the Panthers wound up in the Fiesta Bowl in Blades’ sophomore year. In his other two seasons, Pitt was ranked going into the season — and just plain rank before the end of it.“That’s why I like us being a dark horse,” Blades said. “You know, nobody talking about us and we just creep up and surprise people. That’s the best way.”
The Panthers believe they have come together as a team under the leadership of Blades, Palko and Wannstedt.
“As a coach, you create situations where chemistry and leadership can surface,” Wannstedt said. “But, sooner or later, the players have to say, ‘This is my team. I’m one of the leaders, and I’m going to be as accountable as anybody.'”
I like, no, love the words. They do have to be backed-up by action.
