

Football: Army setting bar higher

Players yearn for turnaround
Josh Jackson does some push-ups while waiting in line to have his picture taken at media day on Monday at West Point.Times Herald-Record/JEFF GOULDIN

Times Herald-Record

WEST POINT — When Mike Gann is home in Atlanta, college football is the buzz.

Georgia fans brag about their Bulldogs and, in passing, they ask Gann where he plays.

"You say, 'Army' and they say, 'You guys haven't won in a long time,'" said Gann, a defensive tackle. "They just kind of write you off, like it's not an important team at all. That's something we are trying to change here."

Army players are calling the 2009 season "a new beginning." It's their chance to wipe away 12 straight losing seasons, an opportunity to make Army football relevant.

New coach Rich Ellerson arrived with a more complex, triple-option offense and an attacking defense.

Spring practice under Ellerson was just that — practice. It was a way to instill some ideas and set the tone for Monday — Army's first preseason practice.

Now upperclassmen are the teachers, showing freshmen proper techniques and assignments. The new Army way is being passed on.

"Obviously, we got a new offense, a new defense and a new coach and that's easy to see," Gann said. "What you haven't been seeing is our attitude change. We are embracing the academy and using it as our mission. We used to kind of get to that but not as deep, not as passionate. Now, coach Ellerson wants to make sure we are cadets first. That should help us. That should carry over on the football team and not hurt us."

There's a sense of pride and unity, according to Gann.

"We don't have guys breaking rules thinking they are above that," Gann said. "You don't have to correct people anymore. They are a part of the team. They are buying into what coach is saying and I think that's really going to show on the field as far as victories."

There's no room for individual stars here. It's a new beginning for veterans such as Victor Ugenyi. Ugenyi, a three-year starter at defensive end, wasn't thrilled at first when he was moved inside to defensive tackle in the spring.

"I thought defensive end is where I would finish my career," Ugenyi said. "I've always said, 'I'd do whatever it takes to win.' I'll carry water for the team. I see what coach did with Cal Poly and turned them into a top 10 team for the last three or four years. It's actually pretty fun to tell you the truth. You don't have to think as much, and when stuff opens up it's a kill shot."

Players believe in Ellerson and his staff. And Ugenyi isn't settling on just being competitive.

"I've heard that line and to me that is crap," Ugenyi said. "We know whatever game we have on our schedule we are supposed to win. Everyone else may say we are the underdogs, but we are supposed to win. If we don't, it's us the players. We have to fix that. I know game one we are supposed to win. Game 12, Navy, we are supposed to win."

Army players are smiling a lot more these days. Ellerson's offensive and defensive schemes are bringing the fun back to West Point football. A sense of confidence is building.

"It's time to win here," said junior middle linebacker Stephen Anderson. "Anytime you get tired, any time you feel sorry for yourself, you just think 3-9 (Army's 2008 record), 16-7 (Army's 2008 loss to Air Force) and 34-0 (Army's 2008 setback to Navy). If that can't push you the extra distance, you don't have the heart or the passion to play there. It comes down to human will. It's the strongest thing on this earth. If you want it bad enough, you can get it."

Gann wants it bad after missing the final nine games of the 2008 season due to a knee injury. He weighed 290 pounds during his rehabilitation. Gann needed to reinvent himself. When Army changed defenses, Ellerson wasn't looking for gap pluggers. He wanted quicker players at defensive tackle. Gann, who is now 270 pounds, constantly worked on his speed and explosiveness in the summer.

Gann knows he can work as hard as possible. Yet, there's no substitute for victories.

"We can talk and we can practice for however long," Gann said. "But what it really comes down to is the results on the field, and that's when people will start changing their attitude and there's when people start coming back and saying, 'These guys are actually doing something.'"

Ellerson's take

What were your impressions of the first preseason practice?

"I was impressed with the level of retention. We had a captive audience. I was also impressed with some of the guys that were relatively new to us were able to watch upperclassmen, get help from upperclassmen and were able to step in there and look like they got an idea. I don't know that they do, but they did a nice job of faking it." - Army coach Rich Ellerson
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