<p>First, it was a prospective student's forum, then it became a parent's forum. Now it is a betting forum. What will be next?</p>
<p>
[quote]
When linebacker Clint Sovie left Fridays 41-24 loss at No. 15 Rutgers with a likely season-ending ankle injury, Navy lost much more than a player who had 61 tackles and two interceptions last season. </p>
<p>The Midshipmen lost one of their leaders, who is responsible for calling defensive signals.</p>
<p>Now, Navy must lean on sophomores Ross Pospisil and Tony Habererwho have made a combined eight tacklesto lead an inexperienced defense. The unit will also be without senior safety Jeff Deliz, who is likely out for the season after also injuring his ankle against Rutgers....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>By
Bill Wagner
Annapolis Capital</p>
<p>The Naval Academy football coach dropped a bombshell after practice today, announcing that two defensive starters - inside linebacker Clint Sovie and free safety Jeff Deliz - will be undergoing surgery and will be out for the
entire season.</p>
<p>Up until yesterday, Sovie and Deliz had been listed as "doubtful" for this Saturday's home opener against Ball State. Both were injured during the Rutgers game and have been hobbling around on crutches ever since. </p>
<p>However, there was no indication that Sovie's ankle injury and Deliz's leg injury were serious enough to require season-ending surgery.</p>
<p>"You asked about Sovie and Deliz about starting. It looks like the prognosis is they're out for the year. They're both going to have surgery tomorrow," Johnson said during his post-practice press conference.</p>
<p>Asked if that news was a surprise, Johnson said: "Not to me. We had to wait until everything was confirmed. We had to take another look, and that's the word we got so they're probably going to be out for the year."</p>
<p>Deliz is a senior while Sovie is a junior. Johnson did not want to address whether Navy would seek to regain a year of eligibility for the two players. In rare instances in the past, football players at service academies who suffered injuries that prevented them from attending classes have been able to gain an extra year of eligibility since they fell behind in school and could not graduate on time.</p>
<p>The loss of Sovie and Deliz puts the pressure on numerous youngsters who must now fill the void, notably sophomore inside linebacker Ross Pospisil and freshman safety Wyatt Middleton. Those are the two players who got the bulk of playing time in place of Sovie and Deliz during the Rutgers game and will likely start Saturday against Ball State.</p>
<p>"One man's misery is another man's opportunity," Johnson said. "It hurts any time you lose guys, especially good players. They're both (Sovie and Deliz) good players for us. There is no use crying over spilled milk. You move on."</p>
<p>Pospisil was as surprised as anyone when informed moments later that Sovie would undergo surgery and be out for the entire season.</p>
<p>"That's news to me. I hadn't heard that until now," the fresh-faced sophomore out of Texas said. "First and foremost, thoughts and prayers to Clint and Jeff for a full recovery. You never want to see that happen to anyone, much less two major leaders of your team. It just means that the rest of us on defense all need to step up."</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navy senior Corey Johnson has gone from being the starting point guard on the Midshipmens basketball team to no longer being on the team and he couldnt be happier.</p>
<p>Johnson hadnt played football since his final season at Highland High School in Anderson, Ind. But that didnt dissuade the 6-foot-2, 192-pounder from pursuing his dream of playing college football which hes living by chasing kickoffs on special teams and patrolling the secondary as a safety....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Navy Sets School Record For Football Season Tickets; Game Day Information For The Ball State Game</p>
<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: September 13, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>
<p>Navy Sets School Record For Football Season Tickets; Game Day Information
For The Ball State Game</p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.-For the third-consecutive year, the Naval Academy Athletic Association has set a school record for season tickets sold. To date, there have been 22,634 season tickets sold for the 2007 football season. The previous record was 20,206 season tickets, which was set last year. Over the past five years, Navy has increased football season ticket numbers by over 100 percent.</p>
<p>Navy plays host to Ball State in the home opener on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Tickets are still available by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY, on the web at <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a> or on game day at the stadium starting at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are still available for every home game (standing room only for the Air Force game). The Army-Navy game is sold out.</p>
<p>Parking gates 1 and 2 will open at 6:30 a.m. with the rest of the parking gates opening at 12 noon. Directed parking will start at 12:30 p.m. Fans that purchased tickets for the Captain's BBQ can enter the stadium through Gate P starting at 2:30 p.m., while the main stadium gates will open at 3 p.m. As a reminder, fans must have purchased a parking pass in advance of game day to park in the stadium lot. Single-game parking for the Ball State game is sold out. </p>
<p>Fans that do not have a parking pass can ride the shuttles from the Harry S. Truman Park and Ride lot to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for all Navy home football games. Shuttle busses will start running at 11 a.m. on Saturday.</p>
<p>Fans are encouraged to utilize this service in order to avoid the congestion on Route 50 and around the stadium. Busses will depart the stadium and return to the Harry S. Truman Park and Ride at halftime, end of the third quarter and at the end of the game for up to one hour after the game.</p>
<p>The Harry S. Truman Park and Ride lot is located at Harry S. Truman Parkway and Riva Road near the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration in Annapolis.</p>
<p>The best way to get to the parking lot is:</p>
<p>From Washington D.C. & Points West and South Travel east on Route 50 towards Annapolis Take Exit 22 (Route 665 - Aris T. Allen Blvd.) Then Exit at Riva Road and turn right at the bottom of the exit onto Riva Road (South) Proceed for 1/4 mile through one stoplight and turn right into the Park and Ride lot. There are "Express Bus Park and Ride Lot" and "Navy Football Free Shuttle Bus signs directing traffic into the lot.</p>
<p>From Baltimore and Points North Take I-97 southbound to Route 50 east Take Exit 22 (Route 665 - Aris T. Allen Blvd.) Then Exit at Riva Road and turn right at the bottom of the exit onto Riva Road (South) Proceed for 1/4 mile through one stoplight and turn right into the Park and Ride lot. There are "Express Bus Park and Ride Lot" and Navy Football Free Shuttle Bus signs directing traffic into the lot.</p>
<p>From the Eastern Shore and Points East Take Route 50 west across the Bay Bridge Take Exit 22 (Route 665 - Aris T. Allen Blvd.) Then Exit at Riva Road and turn right at the bottom of the exit onto Riva Road (South) Proceed for 1/4 mile through one stoplight and turn right into the Park and Ride lot. There are "Express Bus Park and Ride Lot" and Navy Football Free Shuttle Bus signs directing traffic into the lot.</p>
<p>Top top players set for surgery</p>
<p>
[quote]
Naval Academy football coach Paul Johnson dropped a bombshell after practice yesterday, announcing that two defensive starters - inside linebacker Clint Sovie and free safety Jeff Deliz - will be undergoing surgery today and will be out for the entire season.</p>
<p>Up until yesterday, Sovie and Deliz had been listed as "doubtful" for Saturday's home opener against Ball State. Both were injured during the Rutgers game and have been hobbling around on crutches ever since. However, there was no indication that Sovie's ankle injury and Deliz's leg injury were serious enough to require season-ending surgery....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>By
Bill Wagner
Annapolis Capital Blog</p>
<p>Head coach Paul Johnson mentioned the other day that five defensive linemen who began their careers at the Naval Academy Prep Scool are starting for other collegiate programs around the country.</p>
<pre><code> That made me curious and determined to figure out who Johnson was talking about. With a couple hints from the Navy staff and with the aide of research assistant Mike James (AKA PhatPhelix on GoMidshipmen.com), I was able to track down the players to whom Johnson was referring.
It was fun and interesting to figure out there are some really talented players out there who could be playing for Navy right now. It must be painful for the Navy coaching staff to be reminded of what happened to recruits whom they worked hard to land then saw leave without playing a down for the Blue and Gold.
Sources tell me that many of the football recruits who left the Naval Academy Prep School did truly want to attend the academy, but got fed up with perceived poor treatment from officers at the prep school.
So without further adieu, here are the five defensive linemen that could be helping Navy this season, but instead are toiling for other teams.
Nick Clark, whom Navy recruited out of Everman High in Fort Worth Texas, has been a very productive four-year starter at Texas State. The 6-foot, 253-pounder was named defensive Most Valuable Player at NAPS after totaling 139 tackles and 15 sacks.
Mike Neahaus, a starting defensive end at Wyoming, sounds like he could be helping Navy right now. The 6-foot-3, 256-pound redshirt sophomore was a terror at Navy Prep, according to his biography in the Wyoming media guide. Neahaus, out of Shepard High in Alsip, Ill., led NAPS with 15 sacks and was named Defensive Player of the Week twice. He was elected a team captain and ranked second in defensive points.
Ryan Leonard (6-0, 285), who committed to the Midshipmen out of Hebron High in Lewisville, Texas, is starting for SMU as a true freshman.
Then there is Tripp Taylor from Woodstock, Ga, who passed on the academy and instead joined the Georgia football program. The 6-foot-1, 265-pound sophomore was named ³Most Outstanding Defensive Walk-on² following spring practice and began August camp No. 2 on the depth chart at defensive tackle.
While those aforementioned players never made it to the academy, Lasinio Small of Greensboro, N.C. did arrive in Annapolis. Small showed a lot of promise while starting for the junior varsity in 2004 * running circles around a Hargrave Military Academy offensive tackle named Jared Gaither, who wound up at Maryland and is now with the Baltimore Ravens. Small, an athletic 6- foot-2, 290-pounder, left the academy following his plebe year and is now a starting defensive tackle for Carson-Newman, the ninth-ranked team in Division II.
</code></pre>
<p>A Ball State Football Player Fondly Remembers The Cardinals Last Trip To Annapolis (BallStateInsider.com)</p>
<p>BALL STATE at NAVY - 1991 FB GAME</p>
<p>By Doug Schrader
Publisher BallStateInsider.com
Posted Sep 12, 2007</p>
<p>I received this article and was asked to post it from a former Ball State FB player who has asked his indentity remain unknown. I know who he is and know it was written from the heart. I hope you will enjoy reading his remarks as much as I did. I think it was very fitting that I received this on 9/11/07 and just a few days before the 2007 Ball State at Navy football game.</p>
<p>Annapolis, September 7, 1991</p>
<p>I do not remember details from the week of practice but I do remember the bus ride to Muncie¹s tiny municipal airport the day before the game, boarding a charter 727 prior to our trip to Annapolis. It was an awkward sight, seeing the aircraft from afar, rising above cornfields; only corn, the plane, and the control tower. "This is crazy", I thought to myself. "How can I get out of this"? I remember boarding from the rear of the airplane, roaring down the runway, taking off and just barely clearing a corn field at the end of the runway just after lifting off. "That WAS crazy"! All that I was concerned about all week wasn't practice, nor was it the formidable opponent, Navy, nor was it my first start as a Cardinal. It was flying to the game. I was scared of the flight. It did not help matters that we boarded our plane in the middle of a cornfield.</p>
<p>Thankfully it was an uneventful flight. We landed in Baltimore about two hours after leaving Muncie, loaded three buses and headed to Annapolis. The real pressure, I thought had finally lifted with our touchdown in Baltimore.</p>
<p>Naval Academy</p>
<p>After a short drive, upon arriving in Annapolis, rather than travel directly to the stadium we instead took an unexpected detour through the Naval Academy; I soon forgot about the flight and the game. Just visiting the Naval Academy was an incredible experience all onto its own, nestled firmly on Chesapeake Bay. I recall sensing American symbolism everywhere and respect and I remember being overwhelmed with pride. I also recall sensing discipline and character, a leadership training ground no doubt. It was impressive. This was America. We were going to battle the good guys in an old fashion American football game.</p>
<p>Memorial Stadium</p>
<p>Just a few minutes after leaving the Naval Academy, the next stop, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium was much more than I had anticipated. It was not a large venue but it was significant. Inside of the two-tiered facility seemingly across every vertical façade was a tribute, a memorial to quite possibly every Naval and Marine battle in American history. I recall seeing Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Pearl Harbor, just to name a few. They were all there, both sides of the stadium * a history buffs dream. It was an awe-inspiring experience, to say the least. I was very proud of being an American more so than any other time in my young life. And we were going to play a game in this facility.</p>
<p>Saturday Night Before the Game</p>
<p>By this time the awe of the stadium had left and now it was time to play. But this pre game was different than any other I had experienced as a player or fan. Four events occurred before the game began that will forever be etched in my memory and heart. The first event occurred while we were still in the locker room just minutes before the game. All of a sudden a roar sounded through the locker room that shook walls, lockers and floors. "Whoa"! I remember ducking my head as if that reaction would have protected me. Later, we learned that two Naval or Marine jets had flown over the stadium just above press box level (I believe they were A-10 Warthogs). It was simply incredible. The second event occurred after we took the field *
the dedication of the first Gulf War! All I could do was look around in astonishment and shake my head. Then came the parachutists dropped from a naval air transport with near-perfect landings on the 50. The final event was a perfect culmination of the prior three events: the playing of our national anthem. This is the sequence of how I recall the events although they certainly could have been in different order. In 16 years since the game with Navy, I have never been as proud to be an American as I was at that moment. Given all of the excitement before the game one would think that the feeling among BSU players, fans and coaches was one of being the mortal enemy of America but that was not the case at all as I would later find out.</p>
<p>The Game</p>
<p>The game was played in the evening and guys like Neu, Croom, Oliver, Bishop, Stonfield, Parris, Stucker (some Cardinal greats) were my teammates. We played an outstanding game and beat Navy 33-10. Although an important victory in BSU football history, the victory itself is not what I will most remember about the game. More than the game or the victory what I will never forget is the uncommon respect and gratitude displayed by the Midshipmen.</p>
<p>During the game, the player, the officer, I played against for most of the game was unusually, unrecognizably respectful for a football opponent; a complete paradox from any of my experiences on the gridiron in high school or college. I was helped off the ground on more than one occasion by Navy players * I was not used to that! This unusual show of respect continued throughout the game even as we walked off the field in victory. At the end of the game, when we were departing, a young officer shook my hand and wished me good luck in my life with a big smile on his face. Here were guys who played to play and nothing else other than to win for the academy and all it stands for. They must have realized that their college football careers were short and that their duty to country lie ahead of them. This was just a game.</p>
<p>"So", I remember thinking for some time thereafter, "this is big time college footbal"²? ³Were all games like this one²? Hardly. I would find out next week at TCU and throughout the rest of the season and my collegiate career that the answer was an ardent ³No². It was clear only well after the fact that the Naval officers we played that evening were truly gentlemen. They were hard-nosed, disciplined and respectful; and they were leaders. America's finest. For me, a great lesson learned.</p>
<p>Back to Muncie</p>
<p>The trip home was much like the trip to Annapolis; cold quarter pounder then back on the charter and no excitement for me. I gripped the seat when we took off and let go when we stopped in between corn stalks at the gate in Muncie.</p>
<p>September 15, 2007</p>
<p>Throughout the rest of my career with BSU never did I experience a game like Navy; none as remarkable as that night in Annapolis. I predict a close game this time and also predict that there will be indelible impressions left on the minds and hearts of young Cardinals this week that they will soon not forget.</p>
<p>Transcript of Navy Head Football Coach Paul Johnson's Press Briefing Following Practice On Wednesday, September 12</p>
<p>In Attendance: Bill Wagner (Annapolis Capital) and Ron Snyder (Baltimore Examiner) </p>
<p>Snyder: Has the intensity continued to pick up? </p>
<p>Johnson: I can't tell a whole lot of difference. I think we've had decent practices. I thought we had decent practices last week. I don't think practice was the problem. We will find out soon enough. </p>
<p>Snyder: Are you continuing to drill them about effort? </p>
<p>Johnson: Yeah, I think we've coached them pretty hard this week so we'll see. Everybody needs to play better this week. I would like to see somebody take a leadership role. Everybody has to play better if we are going to be successful. </p>
<p>Wagner: Are you talking about somebody taking a leadership role on defense? </p>
<p>Johnson: I'm talking everywhere. </p>
<p>Wagner: On offense you have Reggie, Antron, and Kaipo. </p>
<p>Johnson: Really? They are doing a good job? </p>
<p>Wagner: You've said in the past that they are leaders. </p>
<p>Johnson: When did I say that? </p>
<p>Wagner: Pre-season maybe? </p>
<p>Johnson: They could be leaders. </p>
<p>Snyder: How frustrating has it been that the defense has shown an inability to stop anybody inside the 20? </p>
<p>Johnson: It hasn't just been inside the 20. We started the Temple game great and from that point it's been a little bit of a struggle. We just have to get people stopped and get them off the field. In reverse, when we do get the ball we have to score some points. That's the way the game is played. It's not just inside the 20, it's everywhere. The defense has had a couple of short fields to work with and if you can get them stopped at least it's a field goal attempt. </p>
<p>Wagner: Do you think that in order to have a successful season this is the type of game you have to win, against a like opponent on your home field? </p>
<p>Johnson: Yeah. I think we need to win every game. I don't know so much that they are a like opponent, but yeah we need to win the game. </p>
<p>Wagner: It's easier than winning a game on the road against the 15th ranked team in the country. </p>
<p>Johnson: I don't know if it is or not. We'll see. That's why they play the game. </p>
<p>Snyder: In your tenure here this team has always been able to rebound. </p>
<p>Johnson: I hope so. We'll see. I just hope we are excited to play. We get a chance to play in front of the Brigade and if you can't get fired up for that then you might want to reconsider what you're doing. </p>
<p>Wagner: Why do you think you've had so much success preventing losing streaks? </p>
<p>Johnson: Because we don't like how it feels. I don't like it at all and I try to purvey that to them. If I'm not happy, then they usually aren't happy. That might be part of it. </p>
<p>Snyder: Have you made a final decision yet on who is going to start for Sovie or Deliz? </p>
<p>Johnson: Yeah, probably. I could tell you, but I would have to kill you. </p>
<p>Snyder: My insurance is paid up so I'm all set. </p>
<p>Johnson: There are going to be several guys that will play. There's a bunch of different ways we can mix and match. Pospisil will probably start, but Haberer and probably Alvarado will play. We mix and match back there in the secondary. Buffin might play safety and somebody else at corner; there is a lot of different ways we can do it. It just depends on what combination Coach Green wants to use. </p>
<p>Wagner: So far two different teams have played you two different ways. Temple was running linebackers like crazy at your fullback and Rutgers played down the line, more laterally. </p>
<p>Johnson: There wasn't that much of a difference how the two teams played us. You have to line up and play. They only have 11 guys. I think that through the years we've seen pretty much every way to line up. </p>
<p>Wagner: Do you have an idea of how Ball State will line up? </p>
<p>Johnson: Yeah, I have an idea. I have an idea of what I would do if I were them. We will see if that's what they do. </p>
<p>Wagner: Do you care to inform us how they are going to line up? </p>
<p>Johnson: Yeah, they are going to play with 11 guys and they are going to put a guy on the fullback, a guy on the quarterback and a guy on the pitch probably. We just have to block one of them, whichever one we want to carry the ball. </p>
<p>Wagner: Are you going into this game hoping to get the fullback going a little bit? </p>
<p>Johnson: I'm going into this game hoping to win. Whatever it takes. We will do whatever it takes to win. Earlier you asked about Sovie and Deliz. It looks like after the prognosis that they are going to be out for the year. They are going to have surgery tomorrow. </p>
<p>Wagner: Was that a surprise? </p>
<p>Johnson: Not to me. We had to wait until everything was confirmed and for the doctors to take another look, but that's the word we got today. One man's misery is another man's opportunity. Somebody else is going to get a chance to play. </p>
<p>Wagner: How hurtful is that though when you don't have many veterans on defense to start with and then you lose two of them? </p>
<p>Johnson: It hurts any time you lose guys, especially when they are god players and they are both good players. It's part of the game and there is no use to cry over spilled milk. You move on. </p>
<p>Snyder: What was the official injury for both players? </p>
<p>Johnson: They have lower body injuries. They should be good as new after surgery.</p>
<p>My Mid sent this to me...</p>
<p>THE BRIGADE’S TEAM</p>
<p>By Doug Schrader
Publisher BallStateInsider.com
Posted Sep 11, 2007</p>
<p>BALL STATE at NAVY - I hope all that love college football as much as I do enjoy the following article written by a 1997 graduate of the Naval Academy. It certainly makes you appreciate the hard work, discipline and character building that takes place in Annapolis.</p>
<p>By David Ausiello
Two weeks ago at a college football game in Blacksburg, Virginia several thousand students cheered for their team with a new sense of pride. This game was a special one for the Virginia Tech students because it was the first major sporting event since April 16th when 27 peers and five faculty members were murdered on their campus. Since that tragedy, a lot of Hokie football players said that they felt a stronger bond with their fellow students. Some even said that they had gone out of their way to say ‘hi’ to more students when they passed them on campus in recent weeks.</p>
<p>Fast forward to the Navy game this past week in Piscataway, New Jersey and I personally had the opportunity to see several thousand cheering Rutgers students support their team as well. Additionally, after the game I witnessed Rutgers students clamoring for autographs from players on their own team. One student even yelled joyously when a sure bet future NFL star tossed a sweaty headband in his direction. Thankfully, unlike Virginia Tech, there was no tragedy that brought the Scarlet Knight students out in droves to support their team; it was probably just the new taste of winning football in their case.</p>
<p>As I reflect on those scenes at the Rutgers game, and think about the similar scene in Virginia Tech, I wondered how many of the cheering students at either school personally knew some of the players who were representing their school on the football field. How many ‘student-fans’ could actually tell you something personal about a player which would indicate they were close friends?</p>
<p>I’m sure when a Virginia Tech player who is destined for the NFL stops and says ‘hi’ to a normal student-fan on the Blacksburg campus it could be a big deal. After all, the player probably lives in a separate athletic dormitory and greetings like this on a sprawling 2,600 acre campus are most likely rare at best. And I’m sure to a normal Rutgers student fan, being on the receiving end of a memento from a future pro player is a great way to end an evening of football. I mean Rutgers has four campuses throughout New Jersey and over 30,000 students attending classes at the Piscataway location alone. So the exit tunnel above the field is probably the best chance a student-fan has to catch a glimpse of a Rutgers football player.</p>
<p>Needless to say things are a bit different at Navy. Not only is the U.S. Naval Academy located on one of the smallest (if not the smallest) Division I-A campuses in the country (338 acres), you would probably have a tough time finding a stronger bond between football players and students anywhere in college sports.</p>
<p>First and foremost there is no athletic dormitory on the U.S. Naval Academy campus (or the Yard as it is known by those who once called it home). All athletes including football players live amongst the general population of 4,400 midshipmen in one dormitory – Bancroft Hall. That’s right, if you were a student-fan at the Naval Academy in the 1960s, Roger Staubach wouldn’t have necessarily just been someone you passed on the Yard – he could have been your roommate. The same holds true today. Pick any one of the 40 or so floors of Bancroft Hall and you will probably find a football player living, sleeping and studying next to a student-fan who, when not studying himself, is analyzing the weaknesses of the upcoming opponent for fun. On the next floor you’re likely to find another football player living alongside another student-fan who may have only joined the marching band because it allowed him to travel to away football games. Naval Academy midshipmen may have a bit more on their plate than normal college students, but make no mistake, they are no different than your average student college football fan.</p>
<p>And at the Naval Academy, the football players live amongst their biggest fans.
The reason why the Navy football players live amongst their biggest fans is because, well, they are one of them. Regardless of what students at Navy due in their allotted time for sports and extra-curricular activities, at the end of the day, they are all midshipmen. This means they all wear the same uniform, eat the same meals, go to the same classes and take part in the same required training. They all also go through the same initial six-week indoctrination known as plebe summer when some football players have been known to drop as much as 30 pounds. Each football player knows how to march, how to obey orders, and some day they will all know how to give them as well. At the Naval Academy, the football players are developed into leaders just like their biggest fans.</p>
<p>That brings us to the third aspect of the bond between the Brigade of Midshipmen and the Navy football team. Once students at Navy have completed four years of education, all of them, including football players will be commissioned as officers in the United States Navy or the United States Marine Corps. After four years in Annapolis, midshipmen instantly become the newest leaders of the largest and most capable armed forces in the history of the world. With this opportunity comes the responsibility to look after the tens of thousands of young Sailors and Marines who are protecting this great nation. Indeed, decisions Navy graduates will make may very well someday be life or death ones. And at the Naval Academy, the football players will fight in the same war side-by-side with their biggest fans.</p>
<p>There are a lot of opponents on Navy’s schedule this year that will witness the bond between the Brigade of Midshipmen and their football team for the first time. For the fans of Ball State, Pittsburgh, North Texas, Northern Illinois and even Wake Forest, it will be a rare glimpse into one of the best traditions and displays of camaraderie in all of sports.
While the march-on of the Brigade before home games and the flyovers by Naval aircraft at Navy/Marine Corps Stadium will surely catch your attention; I encourage you all to take a closer look at some of the not so obvious signs of the subtle pageantry of Navy football. Like the tunnel created by the midshipmen for their team before the game or the thunderous applause Navy students will give to their team, win or lose, at the conclusion of the game. Without a doubt, whether the midshipmen are coming to your stadium or if your team will be visiting Annapolis, the Navy football experience is special and should be cherished by all fans.</p>
<p>If you would like to comment on this story, send David an email at <a href="mailto:offtheyard@gmail.com">offtheyard@gmail.com</a></p>
<p>^^^^^
Excellent article. :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
During an endurance run with classmates in his freshman year, Navy linebacker Ross Pospisil noticed one person was lagging behind as the finish line approached. Pospisil went back, put the classmate on his back and the two crossed the line together.</p>
<p>Pospisil, a 6-foot, 223-pound sophomore, will have more heavy lifting to do when the Midshipmen (1-1) face Ball State (1-1) in their home opener tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navys first home game couldnt have come at a better time.</p>
<p>After opening the season 1-1 following this past Fridays 41-24 loss at Rutgers, Navys players and coaches are excited about finally getting to play in front of their home fans when they host Ball State (1-1) at 5 p.m. Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. </p>
<p>It will be a welcome break for a team that received some bad news earlier this week when Coach Paul Johnson announced starting linebacker Clint Sovie and starting safety Jeff Deliz suffered season-ending ankle injuries against Rutgers. Navys players are also looking forward to playing in front of the brigade, which was mostly absent during Navys first two games due to new regulations which limit the brigades travel to away sporting events....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>By Bob Socci</p>
<p>Earlier this fall, while walking the aisles of an area Blockbuster store, a
young Marine officer happened upon an ex-teammate who was once his football
heir apparent.</p>
<p>As predecessor met successor - each apparently in search of a video escape -
conversation centered on the reality of The Basic School in Quantico, Va.,
that nearby place where a chosen few are trained to lead the many proud.</p>
<p>The elder was Tyler Tidwell, who graduated into the Corps from the Naval
Academy last spring as a two-year starter for the Midshipmen. He was the
defensive Most Valuable Player in Navy's Poinsettia Bowl victory over
Colorado State in 2005, the same year he'd set the school's single-season
record for most quarterback sacks.</p>
<p>On the other end of their chance encounter was his one-time understudy, Matt
Wimsatt, the current Navy senior now being asked to assume a role so
important it requires two names in the Mids' defensive parlance - 'Striker'
and 'Raider.'</p>
<p>The position they once shared, now being entrusted with Wimsatt, is that of
an outside linebacker asked to tackle a runner in his tracks, cover a
receiver on his route and - frequently - chase a passer from the pocket.</p>
<p>It requires - as Keith Jones, who coaches the position, describes - being
able to start from either an upright position or a sprinter's stance.</p>
<p>"He has to stand up and, sometimes, he puts his hand down," Jones says of
the one person on the field who can morph Navy's defense from a 3-4 to 4-3,
simply by retreating from or advancing toward the line.</p>
<p>Often leaving opponents, literally, at a loss.</p>
<p>"It can be a big-play position," Jones says. "We have to do things to make
(big plays) happen."</p>
<p>As Tidwell once did, sacking opposing quarterbacks 16 times in his career.
But his was a tour de force amidst an experienced unit, including a
similarly disruptive David Mahoney as Navy's other outside backer.</p>
<p>Whereas Wimsatt is the veteran exception in a very young group that will go
the rest of the year without injured captain Jeff Deliz and returning
starter Clint Sovie.</p>
<p>"They've put pressure on themselves," Jones says of both Wimsatt and his
fellow linebackers. "But like I told them the other day, 'David and Tid are
gone. You have to be yourselves. Be the best that you can be, do what you
can do'."</p>
<p>Wimsatt freely admits to such, playing on the heels of stalwarts Mahoney and
Tidwell.</p>
<p>"I'm the next one up after them," he said. "I definitely feel more
pressure."</p>
<p>Not to suggest Wimsatt won't be able to, as Jones says, "make (his) own
statement, do (his) own thing."</p>
<p>After all, whatever size imprints the since-graduated linebackers left
behind, Wimsatt has already walked the walk of someone whose shoes were
impossible to fill - following in the footsteps of his big brother.</p>
<p>All the way from their Maryland home to a North Carolina high school to an
Annapolis calling, along a family's rite of passage to serve their country.
And yet, always affirming an identity all his own.</p>
<p>Growing up in Laytonsville - a dot that shows up on the map east of I-270,
no more than 50 miles to the northwest of the Naval Academy - Matt's
childhood heroes lived within the very walls of the Wimsatt home.</p>
<p>While both parents were products of big families - his father had nine
siblings, his mother five - their own children would consist of three
athletically-gifted, close-knit boys.</p>
<p>The oldest, Brad, was the first to leave the nest for the Ravenscroft School
in Raleigh. Founded in 1862 by members of the Christ Episcopal Church, it
had evolved into a highly-regarded non-sectarian school for students from
kindergarten through high school.</p>
<p>It was also home of a rich athletic tradition. Among alumni inducted in the
school's athletic Hall of Fame is Antwan Harris, the former University of
Virginia standout who helped the New England Patriots upset the St. Louis
Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.</p>
<p>Excelling as student and athlete, Brad caught the attention of a Navy
assistant who was about to take over his own program at Georgia Southern.</p>
<p>By the time Paul Johnson would lead the Eagles to their second straight
Division I-AA national title in 2000, Brad had grown into the 6-foot-3,
270-pound captain of the Mids' defense. In his final game, a 30-28 win over
Army, the eldest Wimsatt lived a lineman's dream, recovering a Cadets'
fumble for a touchdown.</p>
<p>About the same time, middle brother Andrew was making a name for himself as
a NFL prospect at N.C. State, providing the proverbial baby in the family
not one, but two role models.</p>
<p>As people, more than players.</p>
<p>"In my whole family we had so many examples of how to be and how to act,"
Matt recently explained. "They taught me how to be humble, how to be a good
person, how to have morals and good character.</p>
<p>"But definitely my brothers were heroes, because I saw them every day."</p>
<p>Some of what he witnessed - and admired - in his oldest brother was an
ability to help keep the Mids motivated, despite a string of excruciating
losses en route to a 5-7 finish to Brad's junior season. Six of those
defeats were resolved by a touchdown or less. Among the victories was a
visit to West Virginia.</p>
<p>"Brad had to keep everyone motivated. It's something I think about a lot,"
Matt says, relating his brother's experience to his own, trying to assert
leadership on a young defense rebounding from a recent loss to Rutgers. "I
remember some of his (younger teammates) later telling me, 'Your brother was
awesome. He used to talk to us all the time.'</p>
<p>"I'm not a vocal guy, but try to lead by example. But I definitely think I
need to be more vocal, because we've lost some guys who are like that. The
younger guys just need to take a walk around the block and they'll know what
to do. You just try to stay in their ear, always being positive."</p>
<p>And resilient. Just like the other Wimsatt.</p>
<p>"Andrew's just as great a person as Brad is," Matt says. "(Andrew's) fought
through probably more adversity than Brad has. He had two back surgeries at
N.C. State."</p>
<p>The first operation occurred after starting at defensive end as a sophomore.
The second was required upon coming back from the first.</p>
<p>Each contributed to the end of Andrew's career, diminishing any NFL hopes
for someone talented and relentless enough to record three sacks in the same
game against rival North Carolina.</p>
<p>In the meantime, Matt was making his own way. Even while borrowing from his
brothers.</p>
<p>Like Brad, he opted to attend Ravenscroft and spent his high school years
with his Uncle Steve and Aunt Gail Young. And like Brad, he decided to
spend his college years squaring corners in the halls of a service academy.</p>
<p>"I saw how it changed Brad and thought about the relationships that grew
from this place and just knew I wanted to experience the same thing," said
Matt, who ultimately opted for Annapolis after mildly considering a
four-year stay in Colorado Springs.</p>
<p>"The only reason I considered Air Force is that I thought about maybe not
following my brother (but) doing something on my own. As soon as I made my
visit, I knew that Navy was the place where I would go. From the guys on
the team to the coaching staff, it felt like I belonged here more."</p>
<p>Besides, had the kid brother reared on Blue Angels' flyovers and Navy
football chosen otherwise, family ties would have been severely tested.</p>
<p>"(Brad) would have disowned me," Matt Wimsatt says, laughing at the mere
notion. </p>
<p>Of course, the football program to which Matt committed was very different
from what Brad experienced, from the results on the field to the one's
appearance off it.</p>
<p>Remade by the molding of the one-time assistant who recruited Brad to Navy,
the Mids were in the midst of the unprecedented when Matt arrived on 'The
Yard.' Under Johnson as Navy's head coach, the Midshipmen have reached the
postseason four straight years - entering each as Commander-In-Chief's
champions.</p>
<p>To the victors have gone such spoils as bowl-game gifts and outerwear that's
apparently not only more practical than what was worn in Brad's day, it's
more stylish.</p>
<p>"Brad still tries to steal all my workout clothes, because they're so much
better than what he had," jokes Matt, who on this day is wearing the khaki
uniform of an Academy senior, as if he is his brother's photo come to life.</p>
<p>"I see a lot of his teammates on the yard and, though we've never met
before, because (Brad and I) look so much alike, they recognize me. They're
mad about how much more stuff we get. That's the main complaint I hear from
them."</p>
<p>Laughter aside, Matt realizes his good fortune, grateful for the timing of
his Academy experience. And thankful for those he once cheered, those whose
cheers he now hears from afar.</p>
<p>"It was so frustrating (in 1999), I couldn't imagine what it was like for
Brad and those guys, because they worked just as hard as we do," says Matt.
"Luckily, (I've) been on the upside of it.</p>
<p>"He's a huge Navy fan. He loves Navy football. He's always telling me to
just soak it all in, because it's going to be over someday."</p>
<p>"As far as football was concerned, I told him how fast it goes by and to
enjoy every second of it," Brad recently said during a phone conversation
from his home in North Carolina. "I remember when the older guys told me
the same thing and I didn't believe them.</p>
<p>"I told him not to feel pressure to appease the coaches, but to have fun. I
know he does. I know that he's worked his butt off. Every time he calls
me, he tells me he's just having a blast."</p>
<p>It's become ritual for all the Wimsatt brothers to talk, both before and
after Matt takes the field.</p>
<p>"We talk the night before and after games," Brad said, after his recent
return from deployment off the coast of Somalia and Persian Gulf as a
Captain who pilots Harrier planes in the Marine Corps. "It's pretty much
the same message, to go out and have a blast. Fly around and have fun. He
has enough pressure on himself. I just remind him to relax."</p>
<p>Which ought to come natural for the youngest of Wimsatts.</p>
<p>"Matt's got a great personality," says Jones. "He's got great one-liners."</p>
<p>"We'll be sitting in meetings and he'll say something completely off the
wall," says fellow linebacker Matt Humiston. "It's always in good humor.
He's a funny guy, just a lot of fun to be around."</p>
<p>Consider, for instance, the way Matt compares his pre-game mindset with that
of Brad. Quiet contemplation opposed to head-banging music.</p>
<p>"I remember (Brad's) biggest concern after he finished was what he would do
with his heavy metal CD's," jokes Matt. "I kind of switch it up. I try not
to get my head too scrambled. I like to think before a game a little more."</p>
<p>Whatever his modus operandi, Wimsatt made Navy's season-opening win at
Temple an evening of personal milestones. First career start. First career
sack. First career interception.</p>
<p>"It felt good to be playing and finally be able to stay out there," Matt
says of the night he no longer had to leave the field with the special teams
unit, the night opportunity called and he answered.</p>
<p>"There's no question he has big shoes to fill," says Brad. "But I've never
worried about him stressing out about filling the shoes of Tyler (Tidwell).
Maybe it's because he's the third child, but he's always had a sense of
humor and remained laid back. He understands what he's worked for."</p>
<p>Especially when it means working to be like the brothers he reveres. Not so
much with a sense of humor, but with the sense of duty that runs in the
family.</p>
<p>Just like Brad, who worked for more than three years to earn his wings and
now enjoys life with his wife and two children in Cherry Point, NC. And
Andrew, himself a Marine, trained to fly Cobra helicopters as a Second
Lieutenant. </p>
<p>Though Matt intends to eschew aviation, he too expects to embody Semper
Fidelis. Always faithful. To the country, to the Corps, to each other.</p>
<p>"It means a lot. If feels good to know I've influenced (my brothers) in
their desire to be Marines and do good things for the country," says Brad.
"I'm very close to my brothers and I've enjoyed having Andrew in the Marine
Corps with me."</p>
<p>Brad Wimsatt plans to return to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for
Homecoming on Oct. 20. He's scheduled to be called back in the cockpit of
his plane, as part of the pre-game flyover.</p>
<p>Down below, Matt Wimsatt will look to follow his brother's advice - to enjoy
every second of a showdown with Wake Forest - just as he's always followed
his lead on the path through life.</p>
<p>But while the ground they've covered to date has often been the same, it
will be Matt's time to stake his own claim, make his own name. And won't it
be a blast.</p>
<p>"I'm pretty much on new turf this year," Matt says. "It's fun. It's a nice
beginning to a different chapter of my life."</p>
<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: September 14, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>
<p>Video of Navy's Postgame Press Conference Available On Navy All-Access</p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Video of Navy's postgame press conference following Saturday's game against Ball State will be available on Navy All-Access by 10 p.m. Saturday night. All-Access will feature comments from Navy head football coach Paul Johnson and selected players.</p>
<p>To sign in or subscribe to Navy All-Access fans should go to <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a> and click on the All-Access button on the right side of the page.</p>
<p>Subscribers to Navy All-Access will have the ability to view numerous events including Paul Johnson press conferences, interviews with selected football players every Wednesday, football postgame press conferences (home and away) and every home basketball game (men's and women's).</p>
<p>The price for Navy All-Access is $6.95 per month, $49.95 for a 12-month package and 99.95 for CSTV All-Access XXL, which will provide you access to every CSTV.com school. For best results you should have broadband and high-speed cable access to the internet. Fans can sign up for the package on the front page of navysports.com by clicking on the Navy All-Access button.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Senior joins receiver rotation</p>
<p>Greg Sudderth is one of the few players on the Navy football team who had scholarship offers from schools in Bowl Championship Series conferences.</p>
<p>Maryland and Wake Forest were among the Atlantic Coast Conference schools that recruited Sudderth, who played at powerful Parkview High Lilburn, Ga....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navy's football team is hoping a healthy does of home cooking brings a happy ending to a hard week.</p>
<p>Navy is coming off a 41-24 loss at the hands at 15th-ranked Rutgers and apparently got mistreated by fans in the process. It was revealed on Tuesday that a contingent of Rutgers students booed the Midshipmen and chanted obscenities at the visiting team....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Naval Academy football fans will be treated to a brief ceremony honoring 94 enlisted sailors including at least 50 chief petty officer selects at Saturdays football home opener against Ball State University.</p>
<p>The sailors, who were invited to the game as guests of Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler, will be recognized during a 90-second time out during the second quarter, according to a statement released by Naval Academy officials.</p>
<p>Judy Campbell, spokeswoman for the academy, said the sailors come from the Navys active and reserve components, and represent a variety of communities. They are from as far away as Norfolk, Va....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>*Kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. ET. *</p>
<p>Sept. 15, 2007 </p>
<p>Game Information
Navy (1-1) vs. Ball State (1-1 / 1-1 MAC)
September 15, 5:00 pm. EDT
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000), Annapolis, Md. </p>
<p>Broadcast Information
Radio -- Navy Radio Network: WBAL, 1090 AM in Baltimore; WNAV, 1430 AM, Annapolis; WFED, 1050 AM in Washington, D.C.; WTRI, AM 1520 in Frederick; The Game, 102.1 FM in Virginia Beach and 1490 AM in Hampton Roads, Va.</p>
<p>Audio Feed -- Navy All-Access Subscribers
Sirius Radio -- Channel 119
TV -- CSTV (simply register to view for free)
Live Statistics -- Gametracker</p>
<p><a href="http://navy.scout.com/2/679560.html%5B/url%5D">http://navy.scout.com/2/679560.html</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
As the Mids enter their home opener both effort and execution need to improve. The coaching staff graded 62 efforts (meaning instances where players showed a lack of effort) during the Rutgers game. Coach Johnson noted that between 15 and 20 would be acceptable for this time of the season....
[/quote]
</p>