Frostburg
Football: From Rags to Riches
Frostburg
State University, Frostburg MD, 21532, November 30, 2017
(1637
words, 5 interviewees)
4 years ago, no one would have predicted that the
football team at Frostburg State University would be nearly undefeated in 2017.
Fast forward to present day, and the FSU football team
is carrying an impressive and well deserved record of 11-1.
With 115 players and 12 coaches, one can see how it
would be hard to form a successful team dynamic with so many different
personalities in the mix.
Frostburg football, however, has used their
differences to form a resilient bond that is unique, admirable, and a key tool
in their overall and continual growing success.
Jordan Brown, a charismatic senior running back,
remembers coming to FSU as a freshman in the year 2014.
With a laid back persona and a humble confidence,
Jordan reflected on the start of his college football career, and how far the
team has come in his short four years as a student-athlete for the Bobcats.
“Before we got here, anybody and everybody could play
football and a lot of shitty players were on the Frostburg football team. My
freshman team came in 75 deep and there’s only 20 of us that made it to senior
year. They made sure that only the strong players survived and they weeded out
the people that made Frostburg bad. Once you start winning, you can recruit
better players and it’s an upward slope from there.”
As an outsider, one might wonder who Jordan Brown is
referring to when he mentions “they”.
“They” refer to the 12 coaches that Frostburg State
University currently has running this NCAA, D3 program.
Among these coaches include: DeLane Fitzgerald (head coach), Tye Hiatt
(offensive coordinator), John Kelling (defensive coordinator), and Peter Mayer
(special teams).
One might argue that DeLane Fitzgerald has single handedly transformed
this team.
In 2014, DeLane Fitzgerald started his FSU career with an ending record
of 4 wins and 6 losses.
In 2015, the record improved to 6-4.
The record continued to improve in 2016, with an ending record of 10 and
1.
William Sewell, a 2016 graduate and outside linebacker, was a standout
player during his four year collegiate career at FSU.
Sewell won numerous awards for himself, including “Athlete of the Year”
and making the “NCAA Division 3 All-Conference Team”.
He was even invited to the 2017 NFL Regional Combine because of the
incredible success that he accomplished throughout his collegiate career here
at Frostburg State University.
Because of the tremendous athletic potential that Sewell possessed, one
might wonder why he decided to play ball at the division 3 level, and at a
university with a less-than-impressive record.
“Well you know, division 3 is building. There are 200 some teams, and, I mean,
people underrate D3. Some D3 schools are better than D2 schools. It doesn’t matter
where you come from, if you play ball… you play ball.”
According to Sewell, there are many aspects of FSU football that he
misses and wishes he could re-live, if given the opportunity.
“My time on the Frostburg football team is an irreplaceable memory. It
has shaped who I am as a person and I wouldn’t trade that experience for
anything.”
Sewell also gave credit to the incredible coaching staff that FSU has
acquired, DeLane Fitzgerald in particular.
Walking
through the athletic hallway at Frostburg, (where the head coaches for every
sport have offices) there is a door that is widely opened, allowing a booming,
yet amiable voice to be heard throughout the hallway.
To
the right of this door, a sign can be seen that reads: “Delane Fitzgerald,
Football Head Coach.”
Walking
through the doorway into his office, interview questions in hand, DeLane made
eye contact with my unfamiliar face and playfully remarked, “No thank you, I
don’t want whatever it is you’re selling.”
In
a sarcastic, southern accent, DeLane followed up his initial greeting with a charming
and harmless sense of humor: “If I pretend that I’m not the head coach, I can’t
be of any use to you and you’ll, therefore, leave me alone.”
DeLane then stood up, and extended his arm in order to formally introduce
himself. With a stern handshake and a welcoming smile, DeLane remarked “Very
nice to meet you, the pleasure is all mine.”
Well-spoken and incredibly polite, DeLane spoke of the 127 players/coaches
on the FSU team with passion and pride, while noting the immense transformation
that this team has had since DeLane took the head coaching position, back in
2013.
“Our coaching staff has made our careers by turning around football
programs. My last four jobs were all turn-around projects. We changed the work
ethic, the attitude, and the mentality of the players. When I was first hired,
there were 141 players on the team who were great kids, but who weren’t
incredibly disciplined. They had an overall GPA of 2.67, which isn’t great, but
it’s not terrible either. We had a decent platform to start growing from and that’s
what we did.”
As DeLane Fitzgerald spoke, he made sure to “give credit where it’s due,
to the players and the coaching staff as a whole.”
“Our kids have an accountability to each other and our coaching staff does
as well. We hold each other to high standards. When we come together each day
for those three hours, we are as close to a family as you can get. It’s hard to
believe that all 137 of us can come together as family, but there isn’t a more
fitting word to describe it.”
DeLane also noted that the coaching staff has a tactic when recruiting
future student-athletes.
“We recruit kids from tougher parents, so that when things get bad, these
kids aren’t gonna give up or quit. Dedication and persistence can take a person
to incredible lengths.”
Aside from the detailed coaching on the football field itself, there is a
lot of crucial work that takes place in the weight room and classroom as well.
Kyle Linhart, the primary strength and conditioning coach at Frostburg
State University, is finishing up his seventh year as a coach for the Bobcats.
Linhart has a reputable resume as a certified Athletic Trainer, a member
of the National Athletic Training Association, a member of the Organization of
Athletic Training Students, and a member of the National Strength and
Conditioning Association.
With a stern and focused attitude, Kyle bring an intensity to the
training program that pushes the athletes to be the best that they can be.
“As a strength and conditioning program, we have 2 primary goals:
Increase athletic performance while decreasing the potential risk of injury.
The length of the playing season and physicality of the sport require our athletes
to complete a specific and structured training program year round.”
While some people may assume that the lifting regimen followed by the
football team is based on high volume workouts, it is actually quite the
opposite.
“Our travel squad guys are training two days per week. Their workouts
consist of lower volume and explosive, full body movements to target strength
and power”
Unsurprisingly, Kyle Linhart also noted the work ethic of the players to
be a key factor in the overall success that this team has had both this year, and
last year.
“The commitment and work ethic that our guys have poured into the
strength and conditioning program has definitely played a large role in their
impressive record. As I’m sure you’ve heard before, you can lead a horse to
water… but you can’t make it drink. Even with the best resources, it is up to
each individual player to choose every single day that they are going to put
forth their best effort. And I can honestly say that this team does just that.”
Lawrence Nguyen, another strength and conditioning coach at Frostburg
State University, takes special interest in the football team because is an FSU
alumni, who played on the football team as well.
Working with the football players in the weight room and on the field,
Nguyen has been able to see the dedication and vigorous work that these players
put in on a daily basis.
“The team has gone through great progressive changes in the last 2 years.
This continuous improvement mostly comes from the consistency and work ethic of
the football athletes. The coaches, as well, are the foundation of success that
gears the athletes in the right direction.
Lawrence emphasized how beneficial Coach Fitzgerald has been to the FSU
program, and was strong in his belief that DeLane goes the extra mile for his
team.
“Coach Fitzgerald assures that the athletes check in to study halls,
arrive for classes on-time, and show up for practice, ready to work. Almost
every time I’ve been around the players, they’re focused and ready to get it
done. On and off the field both. They respect DeLane Fitzgerald and it shows in
their work ethic”
When asked if there were any individual players who largely contributed
to the overall success of the team, Lawrence responded: “This one is, uh, sort
of difficult for me to decide, because I respect a large amount of the guys on
the team and each of their particular skills. However, there are two players on
the offense that do put up good numbers individually that help give the team a
better edge as far as the offense goes. Connor Cox, (Quarterback) and Gavin
LaVat (Running Back) are the two specific players who I believe made a
significant impact this season. These two got progressively much better as each
game passed, either by putting up ridiculous numbers, or by making a
game-changing play.
Finally, strength specialist Anschel Maile-Moskowitz, summed up the
success of the team with a short but meaningful quote:
“As I have learned throughout my career here at Frostburg… there are no
secrets to success. Success comes from doing the small things right. Coming to
practice with a goal every day, and holding yourself accountable for your
failures, is an enormous factor in improving as a player and as a person. Our
great football team is reflective of every individual player choosing to do the
small things right.”
Website Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment