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Baby steps to start
 By Craig R. Turner
Bluedeathvalley.com
Date: August 28, 2007
It’s time now for all the talk, conversations, speculations, and the endless rehashing of media guide info to end.
The coaches can finally get away from the one-minute sound bites and the players can back off from the contact and really concentrate on the task at hand - the opening of college football season.
North Carolina A&T enters the 2007 season with just a couple of goals. And that's to come together as a team and get some wins. That’s it.
The Aggies aren’t looking for platitudes like conference championships, FCS playoffs, or undefeated records. No, that is not the immediate goal of this team nor should it be going into Saturday’s season opener against Winston Salem State.
What will drive them this season will be their desire to get back to respectability, to walk out on the field and do battle with their opponent for four quarters, to continue to fight their way through adversity, and if the football gods are willing, to win some games. Along the way, the Aggies look to restore some of the pride in what has been a very competitive and respected program since it days in the CIAA.
Transitions are never easy and coach Lee Fobbs will certainly attest to that.
"At no time were we ever a team last year," Fobbs admited.
He has been more than candid in his assessment of 2006 and didn’t back away from the tough questions going into 2007 in a recent interview with this bluedeathvalley.com correspondent.
“We had guys who didn’t want to be a part of team; coming to practice when they felt like it, missing meetings, skipping training, behavior problems and not doing what they needed to do off the field," Fobbs said. " Those folks aren’t around anymore and we don’t run a democracy here so we demand no less than a young man’s best effort and commitment to the team first and foremost.”
“Our staff worked really hard this winter to get our house in order so we had to make difficult decisions, some moves that were tough but were necessary to turn this thing around. We recruited well. We didn’t get everything we wanted. No one does in their first recruiting year but we found some folks that will make us a lot better.”
“This year has been a complete turnaround from last summer. For the kids that stuck with us, they wanted to be part of what we are trying to do here. They came together this spring and they really committed to the program after going 0-11. Their pride was hurt and they knew that it was in them to be better than that. These are the guys who decided that they wouldn’t give up.”
"I feel comfortable and confident with our team this year in terms of being able to execute on the field and now compete on an equal footing. They now eat together, hang together, do things, as a group, train together keeping each other’s back by reaching out and helping each other. You could count the guys who were in the weight room on one hand last fall. Now we’ve got to run them out. We’re a team now.”
Fobbs is under no illusions about the Aggies aspirations in 2007, but those 18 straight losing Saturdays could soon be coming to an end. Very soon indeed.
“We’ve got a long way to go, a lot of work to do but we’ve won half of the battle by coming together as one team under the same roof. We have some holes we will have to fill and adjust for and we know we’ll be underdogs, but these kids have an opportunity this season. We played so many freshmen last year that we’re a real young team in terms of years but not necessarily in experience. We’ll surprise some folk and I think our fans have a lot to look forward to down the road.”
Aggies everywhere are counting on just that fact for 2007.
This week's prediction:
Well, now its time to dust off the crystal ball for a new season and try to figure out the winner and loser for this week’s opening game. This was a pretty clear choice three months ago but things change in the world of college football very quickly, even down to the next play.
Winston Salem State went 4-6 last season, struggling somewhat against their new MEAC opponents with the exception of their 41-14 drubbing of A&T. Most fans think that scenario will be repeated again this weekend.
I tend to be in the minority when asked the question of whom do you favor in this opening game. Because it is in fact an opening game for both teams with no warm-up games against the University of the Sisters of the Poor to work out the kinks for WSSU this year, things should even up considerably.
Winston will come in as a heavy favorite and should be supremely confident under 15-year veteran coach Kermit Blount. And rightfully so, especially on their home field against a team that went 0-11 in 2006.
But that was 2006. This is not the 2006 A&T team by any stretch and folks should see that early on. The worst thing any coach can face is a team with nothing to lose; a chip on their shoulder with something to prove.
No, A&T isn’t ready to tackle Hampton or South Carolina State head up but they can play with Winston and I expect them to do just that. A wounded animal is extremely dangerous and unpredictable, and a first game is when most upsets occur. Just ask NCCU. Oh heck, let’s go play some football.
Prediction:
N.C. A&T - 18
WSSU - 17
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