Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
COLUMN: Being Intentional and Going Even Higher
8/6/2023 5:24:00 PM | Football
Thoughts on leadership, and some odds and ends from Week 1
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — My favorite bit of content our team in the Athletic Communications office captures during fall camp is the player speeches at team meetings.
I first became aware of this during the production of our docu-series "The Countdown" during last year's camp, when in episode two, Nicholas Vattiato stood up in front of his teammates about two and a half minutes into the episode and had the whole team raise their hands as high as they could, then raise them even higher.
The quarterback's point, of course, was that either his teammates didn't actually raise their hand as high as they could or, perhaps more importantly, they thought they had raised it as high as possible, but still had a bit higher to go. The analogy on the field was that no matter how hard the going was in practice, during a game, during a drive, Vattiato knew each and every person in that room had just a little bit more to give.
This year, I was reminded of the tradition when cornerback Teldrick Ross popped up on my Twitter feed and stood up to remind his teammates to be intentional and to check in on family.
Like Vattiato's message last year, it's one that is ultimately pretty simple, but that makes it perhaps even more effective in imparting a message to his team. As much as I've been trained not to operate in cliché as a writer, I've found it remarkably effective in the art of coaching, provided there's some buy-in from those receiving the information. What a coach says can be, often should be, absorbed by all who hear it. But in my experience, there's something more powerful about a teammate leaning into the inspirational, rah-rah talk and teaching you a lesson in the process.
The player's speeches, from my understanding, don't always have to be words of wisdom (as Vattiato references, Ross rapped during his appearance at the podium last year). But at this point in camp, I'm focused on the words of wisdom above all else. This is a team that is replacing all five of its captains from a year ago. While many leaders have stepped up in their absence, both in vocal and in quiet ways, those official roles haven't quite been doled out yet. I'm sure we'll hear news on that front in the coming days.
But for now, I'm enjoying the peak behind the curtain to how that leadership is shown. In a world where the first camp scrimmage has yet to happen, it might be the biggest window into the mindset of this team in 2023.
Some Odds and Ends from the First Week
Quote of the Week: "I've never seen so many pancakes out there since I've been here." - Running Back Frank Peasant, referring to the offensive line's improvement, not breakfast training table!
I first became aware of this during the production of our docu-series "The Countdown" during last year's camp, when in episode two, Nicholas Vattiato stood up in front of his teammates about two and a half minutes into the episode and had the whole team raise their hands as high as they could, then raise them even higher.
The quarterback's point, of course, was that either his teammates didn't actually raise their hand as high as they could or, perhaps more importantly, they thought they had raised it as high as possible, but still had a bit higher to go. The analogy on the field was that no matter how hard the going was in practice, during a game, during a drive, Vattiato knew each and every person in that room had just a little bit more to give.
This year, I was reminded of the tradition when cornerback Teldrick Ross popped up on my Twitter feed and stood up to remind his teammates to be intentional and to check in on family.
Words of wisdom from @__skate____ as we start camp. Be intentional and check in with your loved ones.#BLUEnited | #EATT pic.twitter.com/XoxgMfZjXY
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) August 5, 2023
Like Vattiato's message last year, it's one that is ultimately pretty simple, but that makes it perhaps even more effective in imparting a message to his team. As much as I've been trained not to operate in cliché as a writer, I've found it remarkably effective in the art of coaching, provided there's some buy-in from those receiving the information. What a coach says can be, often should be, absorbed by all who hear it. But in my experience, there's something more powerful about a teammate leaning into the inspirational, rah-rah talk and teaching you a lesson in the process.
The player's speeches, from my understanding, don't always have to be words of wisdom (as Vattiato references, Ross rapped during his appearance at the podium last year). But at this point in camp, I'm focused on the words of wisdom above all else. This is a team that is replacing all five of its captains from a year ago. While many leaders have stepped up in their absence, both in vocal and in quiet ways, those official roles haven't quite been doled out yet. I'm sure we'll hear news on that front in the coming days.
But for now, I'm enjoying the peak behind the curtain to how that leadership is shown. In a world where the first camp scrimmage has yet to happen, it might be the biggest window into the mindset of this team in 2023.
Some Odds and Ends from the First Week
Quote of the Week: "I've never seen so many pancakes out there since I've been here." - Running Back Frank Peasant, referring to the offensive line's improvement, not breakfast training table!
- I can back up Frank the Tank's anecdote. It's hard to overstate how, admittedly very early, the offensive line looks improved from a season ago. As Keylan Rutledge mentioned in my first day of camp story, it's clearly a group that's come in with a chip on their shoulder and went to work. Peasant said that the running back room has taken that jump and ran with it (no pun intended), focusing on finding more explosive plays out of the backfield in 2023 (12+ yards on runs). We'll find more complete answers on both the run game and pass protection in the team's first scrimmage this week, but it's something I'm keeping an eye on for sure.
- Talking with safety Jakobe Thomas after practice on Sunday, I mentioned having to check my roster card constantly when I watch the DBs to remember the names of everyone they have rotating in. That's in part because of the depth at corner and safety the Blue Raiders have this year ("There's no drop off from our 1s to our 2s to our 3s," Thomas said. "It's all the same effort, everybody knows the book.") But it's also due to the mixture of guys that have been around the program getting their first crack at the rotation (Emmanuel Mann, De'Arre McDonald and James Shellman IV, to name a few), but also two new transfers who have gotten some reps in the secondary in Tyrell Raby (Memphis) and Rickey Smith (Purdue). It's a group that's keeping me on my toes, which is exciting!
- Curtis missed all of the spring and a bit into the summer recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder that he sustained in the season opener at James Madison last year. Despite that, Curtis played in all 13 games last season, starting 12 of them, playing through an injury that Curtis said he had sustained prior to that one against the Dukes. Putting aside the guts from last year, he's a big piece back for the Blue Raider defense, getting named to the PFF All-CUSA watchlist last month. His focus this camp? "I don't want to be a first and second down, pull me off third," Curtis said of focusing on being a complete linebacker. "I want to improve blitzing, I want to be able to be used across the defense."
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