<p>CSTV Feature on Antron Harper </p>
<p><a href="http://www.cstv.com/video/?vid=5011%5B/url%5D">http://www.cstv.com/video/?vid=5011</a></p>
<p>Game will be televised live on ESPN at 8 p.m.</p>
<p>Complete</a> Release in PDF Format</p>
<p>Game Data </p>
<p>Coming off a 31-20 victory over Air Force, Navy (3-2) will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Pitt Panthers (2-3) Wednesday, Oct. 10 at Heinz Field (65,050). Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN with Rece Davis, Lou Holtz, Mark May and Rob Stone calling the action. </p>
<p>Bob Socci, John Feinstein and Omar Nelson will call the game on the Navy Radio Network, which includes WBAL in Baltimore (1090 AM), WNAV in Annapolis (1430 AM), 3WT in Washington, DC (1500 AM), WFED in Northern Virginia (1050 AM), WTRI in Frederick (1520 AM), The Game in Virginia Beach, Va. (102.1 FM) and Hampton Roads, Va. (1490 AM) and Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel 123). The game will also be streamed live on Navy All-Access, as well as on the web sites of the various stations carrying the game. The pregame show will air at 4 p.m. </p>
<p>Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will host the Navy Tailgate Show on 1430 WNAV starting at 6 p.m.</p>
<p>Navy bounces back after losing streak</p>
<p>
[quote]
Toward the end of his post-game news conference on Saturday, Navy head coach Paul Johnson was asked his thoughts on playing Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish fell to 0-5 for the first time in program history and people have already begun to wonder whether this will be the year the Midshipmen snap their 43-game losing streak in the series.</p>
<p>"I haven't thought one thing about Notre Dame," said Johnson, clearly annoyed that someone was asking about an opponent Navy doesn't meet until Nov. 3....
[/quote]
</p>
<p><a href="http://www.macon.com/160/story/150388.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.macon.com/160/story/150388.html</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
He knows where Navy fits in the college football food chain, what with the major commitment necessary to be a typical student, let alone a student-athlete.</p>
<p>"If we can manage to win enough games this year, it'll be five straight bowl games," the Navy head coach said. "Can we be a top 25 team? Maybe. I think would be realistic goal to shoot for."</p>
<p>Worrying about college football's potential playoff system might not be an issue for his program, but Johnson told the Macon Touchdown Club on Monday night that he sees college football getting closer each year to some sort of playoff....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>College football soup: coaching rumors du jour
By Tom Dienhart, Sporting News
Posted October 2, 2007</p>
<p>There are several interesting names not coaching this season -- Gary Barnett, Gerry DiNardo, Larry Coker. But the pick of the litter is former Minnesota coach Glen Mason.</p>
<p>Mark my words: some BCS program will hire him.</p>
<p>The guy flat-out is a great coach. He has won at three coach-killer jobs: Kent State, Kansas and Minnesota. And ... get this: Mason runs a clean program.</p>
<p>His firing in the Twin Cities eerily reminded me of Indiana's rueful decision to dump Bill Mallory after the 1996 season because -- like Mason -- Mallory couldn't take Indiana to the next level after generating six bowls. Since Mallory left, IU hasn't been to a bowl.</p>
<p>Be careful what you wish for, athletic directors and boosters.</p>
<p>Mason took Minnesota to seven bowls from 1999-2006, beating the likes of Alabama, Arkansas and Oregon. He guided moribund Kansas to two bowls, and Mason notched a 10-win season at both schools.</p>
<p>Augmenting Mason's cause is Minnesota's current struggles, which make him look even better.</p>
<p>When Mason lands on his feet, no doubt he'll take long-time assistant Mitch Browning with him. Browning is one of the best in the business, helping coordinate a punishing Golden Gopher offense that pounded foes with a fist-to-the-face ground attack that was the trademark of the school.</p>
<p>Just imagine what Mason -- who turned down the Michigan State, Georgia and LSU jobs in the past for various reasons -- could do running one of the nation's "it" programs. Yeah, it's an exciting thought. Even if he doesn't land a plum job, Mason will make whomever he coaches a winner.</p>
<p>TEXAS A&M</p>
<p>If Dennis Franchione is found to have breached his contract's ethics clause with the secret info he was selling through a website, expect him to be gone.</p>
<p>Who would take over? Cal's Jeff Tedford and Rutgers' Greg Schiano could emerge as strong contenders. Another guy who should get a look is Houston coach Art Briles, a fantastic strategist who is well connected in Texas high schools. Auburn's Tommy Tuberville is another possibility. He was A&M's defensive coordinator in 1994.</p>
<p>Money won't be an issue, as A&M could be willing to pay as much as $4 million per year to get its man.</p>
<p>INDIANA</p>
<p>While the Hoosiers have played well under coach Bill Lynch and may reach a bowl for the first time since 1993, I don't think he's the long-term answer. Expect a coach search.</p>
<p>As I stated earlier, I think Purdue assistant head coach Mark Hagen should get a look. He's a bright, young mind, great recruiter, an Indiana native and a former star defender for the Hoosiers. Hagen is ready for a shot. If Hagen doesn't land the IU gig, I think he would be a good fit at Northern Illinois, where talk is Joe Novak may retire. Hagen cut his teeth as an assistant at NIU.</p>
<p>Another guy who may get a look is Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges, if his offense continues to improve. Borges is a former Hoosier offensive coordinator. He's a sage offensive mind who has paid his dues.</p>
<p>A wild, wild, wild card in the mix is Rick Neuheisel. He is the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. But Neuheisel is more famous for his meteoric rise up the college coaching ranks at Colorado (1995-98) and Washington (1999-2002).</p>
<p>He left U-Dub on bad terms amid hubbub he took part in an NCAA tourney pool. Neuheisel eventually lost his job over the incident. In the end, he was cleared of any wrong-doing.</p>
<p>The IU job would be a perfect place for Neuheisel to convalesce his image. And his high profile would boost an Indiana program that has some momentum. The two seem made for each other.</p>
<p>And think of this: If IU stuck its neck out for Kelvin Sampson (and his baggage) to run its glorious hoops program, why wouldn't the school take a chance on Neuheisel, who may come fairly cheap?</p>
<p>MICHIGAN</p>
<p>People tell me Lloyd Carr will make the call on when he leaves Michigan. I don't dispute that. But I still think this is his final run.</p>
<p>Everyone assumes LSU's Les Miles would be the frontrunner. But don't be shocked if the Wolverines make a run at Cal's Jeff Tedford if the job goes outside the Michigan family. And Kansas State's Ron Prince could be a name to watch if he has a very good season.</p>
<p>The best and brightest on the U-M staff is quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler, but the Michigan grad is too young (32) for the job. He'll be a head coach some day. Not long ago, New England quarterback Tom Brady tried to get him to join the Patriots staff. Yeah, Brady thinks that much of Loeffler.</p>
<p>ARKANSAS</p>
<p>The handwriting appears to be on the wall for Houston Nutt. A name to remember: Will Muschamp. He's a rising star who runs the defense at Auburn. Did you see what his defense did to Florida?</p>
<p>Muschamp has it all: The Georgia grad is young (36), has NFL experience and big-time college experience under Nick Saban, who I know will go to bat for Muschamp.</p>
<p>And there is a connection between Muschamp and new Arkansas A.D. Jeff Long, as each worked together at Eastern Kentucky in 1999. But can a new A.D. afford to take a chance on a promising-but-unproven commodity?</p>
<p>I still think a guy like Tulsa's Todd Graham should be considered. And Auburn's Tommy Tuberville would be a good hire. He's an established coach who has succeeded at a high level. Plus, he's an Arkansas native.</p>
<p>UCLA</p>
<p>I hear Karl Dorrell will be watched closely and needs to win pretty big down the stretch. He has picked up the pace recently and looks safe. Still ...</p>
<p>Should a change be made in Westwood, I'm told the Bruins want to hire a big, splashy name.</p>
<p>Look for Boise State's Chris Petersen to figure in. UCLA would love to steal USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. And a familiar name already being batted about is Norm Chow, the Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator and former USC coordinator.</p>
<p>I also have to think UCLA would look at Montana coach Bobby Hauck, a top-notch commodity who almost got the Stanford job last year. Hauck is an untapped gem. Maybe he'll be a guy Washington State looks at if it makes a change.</p>
<p>SCUTTLEBUTT</p>
<h1>I have heard Syracuse may not have the money to buy out Greg Robinson. But if a change is made, UConn's Randy Edsall could be a top target. In fact, some have told me his people already have reached out to Syracuse. He's an SU alum. The Orange was interested in Edsall before Greg Robinson got the job.</h1>
<h1>Word is Duke would go after Navy coach Paul Johnson if Ted Roof is ousted. Johnson was in the mix for the N.C. State job last year.</h1>
<h1>Ohio coach Frank Solich supposedly has interest in the Colorado State job if Sonny Lubick retires.</h1>
<h1>Don't forget about Dan McCarney. The former Iowa State coach is working as an assistant head coach at South Florida, where he only is augmenting his image with a rising program. Mac did a great job at Iowa State, one of the toughest jobs in America. Look for him to get looks for some non-BCS jobs, including Colorado State.</h1>
<h1>If he isn't brought down by the struggles of Notre Dame's offense, coordinator Mike Haywood looks like a great fit at SMU. Haywood is a 1986 ND grad. SMU A.D. Steve Orsini also is an Irish alum. And Haywood is a Texas native with extensive recruiting ties to the state. Plus, he also was an assistant at Texas and LSU. Haywood, in his third year running Charlie Weis' attack, interviewed with a few schools last year and got a long look from Minnesota.</h1>
<h1>Speaking of SMU, don't discount someone like Terry Bowden getting a long look in Highland Park.</h1>
<h1>New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride could emerge as a head coaching candidate. Few know how to develop quarterbacks and offenses better. And Gilbride is an experienced coach who has worked in the NFL the last 19 seasons and was head coach of the San Diego Chargers (1997-98). He was in the mix at Boston College, Arizona State and Idaho last year. Gilbride last coached in college from 1987-88 at East Carolina.</h1>
<h1>I hear Gary Barnett is ready and willing to coach again. There is no denying Barnett is a fantastic coach. I also know Gerry DiNardo is interested in testing the coaching waters if the right situation presents itself.</h1>
<h1>Keep your eye on Purdue's Joe Tiller. If he enjoys a big season, I think he may retire abruptly. If not after 2007, then I think Tiller will hang it up after 2008 with quarterback Curtis Painter gone. Whenever Tiller rides off into the Wyoming sunset, look for standout defensive coordinator Brock Spack to take over. Spack is an ex-Boiler who has been on Tiller's staff all 11 years. He is married to a West Lafayette native and turned down the chance to be Bret Bielema's defensive coordinator in 2006 at Wisconsin. What's the point? The guy loves Purdue. And, Spack would come cheap -- which the Purdue brass loves.</h1>
<p>
[quote]
When Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada told coaches that he was tired late in the third quarter of last week's win over Duke, their response was harsh.</p>
<p>"They told me to get in better shape," said Kaheaku-Enhada, who was wore down by the 80-degree heat and shootout nature of the game and was replaced by backup Jarod Bryant....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Video of Paul Johnson'¹s Wednesday Press Conference Available On Navy All-Access Right Now</p>
<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: Oct. 3, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>
<p>Video of Paul Johnson's Wednesday Press Conference Available On Navy
All-Access </p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.Video of Paul Johnson¹s Wednesday afternoon press conference is available on Navy All-Access.</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's daily 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>Thursday, October 04, 2007
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</p>
<p>Pitt sophomore cornerback Aaron Berry believes the Panthers (2-3), who are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, are at crossroads. And he's confident his teammates will take the right path and are ready to turn the season around.</p>
<p>That isn't much different than anything the Panthers have been saying to this point. But they still are showing a united front publicly despite mounting evidence that the season is rapidly spiraling out of control.</p>
<p>"Our season is not over yet," Berry said. "We have to keep fighting. Right now we are at the point where we can either fold it up and give up or keep fighting and trying to get this thing right. And right now, it doesn't seem like anyone here is ready to quit, everyone wants to turn this around, everyone wants to start winning and get to a bowl game."</p>
<p>Berry's sentiments were echoed by many of the players and coaches who, after taking a few days to heal and regroup, returned to the field yesterday for their first full contact practice in preparation for Navy (3-2).</p>
<p>The Panthers play host to the Midshipmen in a Wednesday prime-time affair, and Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said the outcome will go a long way toward determining the Panthers' fate for the rest of the season. Wannstedt said the Panthers need a win, not only to get back to .500, but also to help the team regain its confidence.</p>
<p>"I believe we have great leaders on this team and the older players are going to help the younger players out," Wannstedt said. "I also think every guy needs to worry about getting it right and not worry so much about the next guy and what the next guy is doing. One thing is that when you are losing, everything [negative] is magnified and everything is under the microscope from a coaching standpoint.</p>
<p>"I think confidence would be the number one thing that would come from a win, we need that confidence again."</p>
<p>Sophomore tight end Nate Byham disagreed that the team is lacking confidence but acknowledged that there is something that isn't connecting from the practice field to game day. He said the team has had excellent practices the past two weeks and he knows if they continue to work that hard, sooner or later it will click.</p>
<p>He also took exception to the idea that has been floated among fans that they have quit on the season and are no longer responding to the coaches.</p>
<p>In fact, he said the opposite is true.</p>
<p>"That is not the case at all," Byham said. "We are working extra hard. We've put more time and effort into it, and if anything all of this has helped us come closer together as a team. We have a lot more people standing up and holding guys accountable, and I know I have become more of a leader through this as well.</p>
<p>"I mean, we are not losers, we don't enjoy losing, none of us. We know our talent, we know what we are capable of -- we've shown some real signs that we are coming together. We know all this hard work will play off."</p>
<p>Berry agreed with Byham and said anybody who believes the Panthers aren't working hard and working together doesn't understand the players and the winning programs most of them came from.</p>
<p>And the notion that the team is not sick of losing, that they are going through the motions or have already given in is ridiculous.</p>
<p>"It has been really frustrating," Berry said. "But nobody here is complacent. Maybe the fans or whatever are, but nobody here is. Everybody here is committed to bringing that winning tradition back to Pitt. We're going to work hard, we're going to do it and take each game one by one."</p>
<p>NOTES -- Pitt did get some good news on some injuries. Offensive lineman Jared Martin (shoulder) returned to practice as did linebacker Nate Nix (knee). Also, Wannstedt said defensive end Doug Fulmer (knee) is "getting close" to returning.</p>
<p>*Comments From Head Coach Paul Johnson, Quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada And Linebacker Tony Haberer Following practice on Wednesday, October 3 *</p>
<p>Comments from Navy head football coach following practice on Wednesday, Oct. 3 </p>
<p>On Pittsburgh </p>
<p>"They are 10th in the country in defense so that is something that jumps right off the page at you. They really run well. They are really good at stopping the run and they have a lot of experience in the secondary. Offensively, they have two talented tailbacks and they have a big tight end and some big receivers. Any time you play a team from a BCS conference they are going to have good players. It is going to be a challenge for us." </p>
<p>On Navy </p>
<p>"We have to get better. Certainly the competition is going to increase so we have to get better and if we don't we aren't going to have success. Our goal is always to get better every game. We are a team that can't afford to turn the ball over and expect to win. We have to play smart and maximize the possessions." </p>
<p>On Matt Wimsatt and Tony Haberer </p>
<p>"I thought Matt played his best game of the year (against Air Force) and Tony had a couple of big plays. We have to be more consistent." </p>
<p>Playing on a Wednesday night </p>
<p>"We have the week set up now where today (Wednesday) was a Monday practice, tomorrow will be Tuesday, Friday will be Wednesday, Saturday we will get an extra Thursday practice, Monday will be Thursday and Tuesday we will get on the plane and go play. The only difference between Wednesday and Saturday is what they call it." </p>
<p>On being the only game on television that night </p>
<p>"You should be excited every time you get a chance to play. It shouldn't matter what night of the week the game is on. It's only good exposure for the program if you play well. If you don't play well it isn't good exposure." </p>
<p>On the passing game </p>
<p>"If we can't run the ball we are going to be in real trouble, I can tell you that. I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that we aren't going to go in there and beat them by throwing the ball. Now can we hit some big plays and supplement what we have to do? You hope so. We aren't going to change what we do. We are who we are." </p>
<p>On the big plays against Air Force </p>
<p>"We had some plays on the perimeter. They were geared up to stop the fullback. They had a lot of people committed inside." </p>
<p>Comments from junior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada following practice on Wednesday, Oct. 3 </p>
<p>On playing Pitt </p>
<p>"They are going to be a tough team. They are big, strong and they can run. It's Pittsburgh, everybody knows about them. We have to be ready for a hard-fought game. They are very comparable to Rutgers. It will be a great opportunity to match up against a great team. </p>
<p>On playing on national television on a Wednesday night </p>
<p>"I didn't even know it was on national television. It's a great opportunity every time you get a chance to play." </p>
<p>Adjusting to playing on a Wednesday night </p>
<p>"I don't know. I've never played on a Wednesday night. Until I play in a Wednesday game I can't tell you if it's different or not. Our schedule is set up to be the same as it is for a Saturday game." </p>
<p>On the speed he showed on his 80-yard run against Air Force </p>
<p>"It takes me a little while to get going. I'm slow out of the blocks, but once I get going I have decent speed. I have longer strides than most people." </p>
<p>Comments from sophomore linebacker Tony Haberer following practice on Wednesday, Oct. 3 </p>
<p>On making big plays in the Air Force game </p>
<p>"It felt awesome. Coach Green made a lot of great calls and he put me in some good situations." </p>
<p>On his recruitment </p>
<p>"Navy was my only option. Nobody else recruited me." </p>
<p>On his playing time </p>
<p>"When Clint (Sovie) went down I wasn't sure what was going to happen. We have all battled for playing time the last couple of weeks and there has been great competition between me, Pospisil, Alvarado and Eddington. They are all good players. I have to keep playing hard every week and I can't ever take for granted that I'm the starter." </p>
<p>On his fourth down stop on the goal line </p>
<p>"It was awesome. I can't even explain the feeling. It was really the first time for me to make a real big play." </p>
<p>Learning the position while playing </p>
<p>"It takes time. Every time I go out on the field the game slows down a little bit. In the film room it's easy to say that you should have done this or that, but it's totally different when you actually have to do it. You have to transition as much as you can from the film room to the field." </p>
<p>On the young defense </p>
<p>"We can't talk about being young anymore. Coach Johnson is a real motivational coach. He showed us some film of past teams that were in the same situation that we are in now and how they pulled together and came through. That was real motivational for me and I'm sure it was for everyone else. We have to come out here every day and get better." </p>
<p>On who has had the biggest influence on him as a player? </p>
<p>"Probably my linebacker coach at the prep school, Bobby McClarin. He was so intense. Before every game he would get more intense than anybody I've ever seen. We still talk about him to this day and I know he's watching us."</p>
<p>Strength of opponents increases for Navy</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navy's football team returned to the practice field yesterday and began preparation for a rare Wednesday night game at Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Head coach Paul Johnson had given the players three days off following Saturday's uplifting 31-20 victory over service academy rival Air Force. Assistant coaches went on the road recruiting while Johnson performed a thorough review of where Navy (3-2) stands one game shy of the midway point of the season....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>GoMids.com has confirmed through USNA officials that the Brigade of Midshipmen will be in Alumni Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 10th at 8 p.m. to watch the Navy/Pitt game on ESPN. Also, 200 mids will travel to the game as part of a movement order. David Ausiello is working on getting answers to several questions regarding what would appear to be a course change from USNA administrators.</p>
<p>^^^^^
<a href="http://navy.scout.com/2/687068.html%5B/url%5D">http://navy.scout.com/2/687068.html</a></p>
<p>The Snap, The Hold, The Kick
By
Bill Wagner
Annapolis Capital Navy Sports Blog</p>
<p>
[quote]
Sometimes you ask a question and are surprised by the answer. That happened to me today after Navy football practice.</p>
<p>I noticed last game that third string quarterback Troy Goss was suddenly serving as the holder on placekicks. Through the initial four games of the season, backup quarterback Jarod Bryant had handled that assignment. I wondered why the switch was made. I kind of figured it was a by-product of Bryant being incorporated into the gameplan as a relief quarterback. Bryant came off the bench to replace starter Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada in the second half against Ball State and again in the fourth quarter versus Duke. It would make sense if the coaching staff wanted to reduce his other duties if he was going to be playing quarterback in games more often.</p>
<p>It all seemed rather meaningless (it is the holder, after all), but I asked head coach Paul Johnson nonetheless. I was not expecting the answer he gave. </p>
<p>WAGNER: One thing I've noticed is that Goss is now the holder instead of Jarod. That is a change, right?...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>By Bob Socci</p>
<p>As a defensive back, Jeff Deliz had to patiently wait his turn.</p>
<p>Position by position, one after another, seniors stood before their teammates. Each armed with a word and what it meant. Not as defined in a dictionary, but to that player, at this very moment.</p>
<p>Listening to the preseason expression of free speech, the anointed leader of the Navy defense drew from his memory a line from a movie.</p>
<p>To date, Deliz earned the trust of his fellow Midshipmen as a doer, not a talker. So much so they elected him captain.</p>
<p>"I think Jeff's work ethic put him up there for captain more than anything," said sophomore Tony Haberer, offering an example. "He was always in the weight room during the summer, always the first one in and last one out."</p>
<p>Now, among the last to speak, it was finally his turn to address teammates. So Deliz uttered the three syllables that would, in his mind, give true meaning to everything else.</p>
<p>At-ti-tude. </p>
<p>Thinking of the word, Deliz recalled one of the most pivotal scenes in "Remember the Titans," Hollywood's account of the 1971 football season for Coach Herman Boone and newly integrated T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va.</p>
<p>In it, Gerry Bertier, the white captain of the squad, questions the effort of Julius Campbell, a black teammate who cuts to the heart of the problem that keeps the team separate and unequal.</p>
<p>"Attitude," Campbell retorts, "reflects leadership."</p>
<p>For Deliz, it was more a matter of leadership reflecting attitude.</p>
<p>"All the words that everyone chose, I really thought attitude brought them all together," he says. "Without a positive attitude, then all those words being described, none of them fall into place."</p>
<p>And though it was supposed to be the other way around, in this case, the word defined the person.</p>
<p>Attitude, in its most positive sense.</p>
<p>"My parents always harped on having a positive attitude through whatever you do," says Deliz. "(Despite) how busy my father is and the type of business he runs, he never seems to let it get to him, the stress level, especially with me, my brothers and my sister. He's always there for us. My mom is just amazing. She did everything for us."</p>
<p>Living in Clinton Township, Mich. - a short drive from Detroit, just west of Lake St. Clair - Joann Deliz was an all-everything mother at home with her four children. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, Jim Deliz built up his company, Tenibac-Graphion, Inc, which manufactures the steel molds that texture everything from the dashboard of a car to the outside of a plastic milk carton.</p>
<p>A former running back at Wayne State University, he's also the mold from which his athletic sons were cast.</p>
<p>Jimmy was the oldest, good enough in baseball to letter three times at Michigan State and the reason Navy's Deliz is listed as number 17 in your Gameday program. </p>
<p>"I mirrored my brother, Jimmy," says Jeff. "He was the first one to wear 17. I tried to do everything he did."</p>
<p>If Jimmy was playing football, Jeff was his shadow on the sideline. If Jimmy was digging in at the plate, guess who was looking on from the dugout.</p>
<p>"Everything he did, I wanted to be there," says Jeff, who went so far as to mimic his big brother after Jimmy suffered a serious knee injury. "He tore his ACL and started training with a personal trainer. When I saw him doing that, I wanted to start training right away.</p>
<p>"I was only 11 or 12 at the time. My dad kept telling me I had to wait."</p>
<p>As it turned out, Jeff's wait would last nearly another 10 years. Until a strenuous twist of foot led to an awful twist of fate. And just like Jimmy so long ago, Jeff would confront an injury that put his career in peril.</p>
<p>"It was an outside play, the fullback came at me and I met him in the backfield," Jeff Deliz begins, recounting Rutgers' eighth play on the evening of Sept. 7. "He went real low on me, so I tried to get real low on him also."</p>
<p>Already responsible for three tackles, Deliz was about to make another, this time for a two-yard loss for the Scarlet Knights' Ray Rice, just outside Navy's 10-yard line.</p>
<p>"My foot got stuck in the turf, as I sprung off to tackle the tailback," he continues. "Before I knew it, I got up and my foot felt numb. There was no pain involved. I was angry that I had to make a shoelace tackle more than anything.</p>
<p>"(But) every time I tried to bend my foot, it felt like the inside front of my foot was dislocated. I thought it was something that would go away."</p>
<p>It didn't. </p>
<p>"I ended up rolling down to nickel back the next play and I blitzed off the edge," Deliz said. "By that time I was walking on the outside of my foot. Obviously, when you run you have to push off the front of your feet. The instant I tried to do that, my foot just felt like it collapsed and I fell down."</p>
<p>With one false step, his final season was over. In early September. Because of something Deliz had never before heard of. An injury known as a Lisfranc fracture, named for a field surgeon in Napolean's army.</p>
<p>According to an article published by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Lisfranc joint was described by Jacques Lisfranc, after treating a soldier who'd fallen off a horse with his foot still caught in the stirrup. The report also states "the incidence of Lisfranc joint fracture dislocations...account for fewer than 1 percent of all fractures."</p>
<p>Deliz was now part of that one percent. Like such pro football stars as Ty Law and Brian Westbrook in recent seasons past.</p>
<p>But unlike those others, Deliz's future playing days were now all behind him. </p>
<p>"It hurt me personally to see Jeff get injured," said Ketric Buffin, who opened the season alongside Deliz in Navy's secondary. "It was his first year getting to start, he was named captain and I know he was looking forward to having a big season. I know I was expecting big things from him. He started that game very well, making big plays."</p>
<p>"It's hard, only because I worked pretty hard to get where I have," Deliz said recently, while sitting back in a chair, his crutches lying at his side on the floor. "It's the game of football. Things are going to happen, so..."</p>
<p>That thought lingering, his voice trailing off, Deliz soon drifted into his past - retracing his rise on Navy's depth charts - and returned to the present - considering the weighty role of a team captain.</p>
<p>"I inherited a big responsibility to captain the team this year," says Deliz, whose younger brother Jimmy is a sophomore fullback for Division II Northwood University in Midland, Mich. "Now that I can't lead by example anymore on the field, I still have to lead (but) in a different way."</p>
<p>Perhaps he can start by sharing his experience and spreading his outlook.</p>
<p>"I don't think I've singled anybody out yet, telling them the kind of things I went through," Deliz said, less than two weeks after suffering his injury. "Maybe I'll bring an example or two into it yet. But I haven't really sat anyone down one on one and said, 'This is what I went through and this is how you're doing things, also,' relating to them in that way."</p>
<p>If and when he does, Deliz can begin where he began at Navy. On the scout team defense, a unit as obscure as it is important to any successful program.</p>
<p>"Everyone in high school when they're getting recruited, they're all-world," says Deliz, who was recruited to Annapolis out of Chippewa Valley High. "Then you get here and you're on the scout team for the first year. It's kind of a reality check.</p>
<p>"I realized I had to pay my dues and worked hard on scout team."</p>
<p>Navy's coaches noticed, naming Deliz the scout team player of the week after his performance in preparation for a 34-20 win over Delaware in 2004.</p>
<p>By the following year, he found himself in the mix on special teams and under the influence of workout fiends like Anthony Piccioni, James Polanco and Mick Yokitis. </p>
<p>"They kind of dragged me along with them, really pushed me hard," Deliz says of those weight-room devotees. "They showed me, 'This is how you have to work to get to where we are.' Those guys weren't the most talented either, but the way they worked, they weren't going to let anything bring them down or let anyone outwork them.</p>
<p>"I think I took that from them and I really try to mentor other people with it. They might be a little surprised to see that I said that about them."</p>
<p>Eventually, the sophomore Deliz was elevated from special teams reserve to regular. His first ticket to playing time was on the punt team.</p>
<p>His next, or so he figured, would be as an extra defensive back.</p>
<p>"Coach (Buddy) Green always harped that defensive backs should know every position on the field," Deliz said, referring to the Mids' defensive coordinator. "I thought 'nickel back' my junior year was going to be the best way to get on the field. I worked hard on knowing the position, basically the outside linebacker position."</p>
<p>Then injury intervened.</p>
<p>"I pretty much just fell off the map," he said of the spring of 2006, when Deliz suffered a sprained ankle. "I was real low on the depth chart. That's why I say, this has been like a rollercoaster ride. Up and down, up and down. </p>
<p>"I ended up having a pretty decent summer camp and I was moved back up the depth chart, but I wasn't starting on any special teams the first game (against East Carolina). The second game I was thrown in on the punt unit against (Massachusetts) and things started happening more."</p>
<p>In other words, as opportunities increased Deliz continued to capitalize.</p>
<p>"At the end of the year, things started slowing down for me," he says. "I had a lot of confidence at the end of the year and I just built on it."</p>
<p>Without rest, from last winter through the spring and summer.</p>
<p>"Jeff is probably one of the hardest workers I've ever been around," says Buffin. "Jeff spent countless hours in the weight room working out and organizing things in the summer to keep us together."</p>
<p>"Especially in the off-season, I wanted to make sure I was always here and visible," Deliz explains. "Whether it helped one person or the whole team, I wanted to make an impact and I felt that was the best way to do it. But also with my vocal leadership, I had to improve on that as well. I believe I did."</p>
<p>Based on their balloting, so do his teammates.</p>
<p>"I was elected captain during the spring," says Deliz, who refuses to concede that this latest setback marks another career descent. "Things haven't really gone down yet on the rollercoaster."</p>
<p>Nor will they, as long as he takes hold of the controls. And however bumpy the ride, Deliz is buckled in, secure with what he's learned about himself in times of trial and travail.</p>
<p>Mainly, Deliz says, he's realized even more about the power of positive thinking and having a sense of humor. Not just from his experience, but from observing others like Brian Hampton, the quarterback whose senior campaign was cut short last year by a knee injury.</p>
<p>"One of the things I took away from Brian is staying upbeat and positive about it," Deliz said. "I'm sure he was down. He waited a while for his opportunity to start at quarterback. He went through ups and downs like everybody else, like myself. (But) he definitely stayed upbeat and positive
"If guys see me still on the sidelines pouting and being all negative, even though I'm not playing, it could impact them in a way."</p>
<p>Instead, what they get is a captain acting like a captain. The benefit of which is an attitude that reflects leadership.</p>
<p>"Nothing has come easy for me since I've been here," says Deliz. "It's just another challenge put in front of me. I'm ready to take it on.</p>
<p>"I've never given up. I've always worked hard."</p>
<p>A kid who once got hand-written notes from Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, only to be told later by the Big Ten recruiters that he wasn't worth recruiting, Deliz always had to.</p>
<p>Too short, one coach said. Not quick enough laterally, added another.</p>
<p>"They told me a bunch of things I'm not, things they don't see in me," says Deliz. "Navy is the only school that stayed true throughout the whole process. </p>
<p>"When I came on my visit and saw how close the team was, how they interacted with one another and just how the coaches interacted with me and my parents. It was a no-brainer. Coach Johnson asked me, 'Is this where you want to play?' I said, 'Yes.' Right then and there."</p>
<p>Beginning the ride on such a high note, Deliz was bound to occasionally fall and rise again. </p>
<p>Nobody goes from scout team to starter without a few bumps along the way. But if your attitude IS leadership, the highest highs outlast the lowest lows.</p>
<p>And last December will always trump this past September.</p>
<p>"I recall catching it about three times," Jeff Deliz says of his only career interception, a fourth-quarter bobble and catch that helped Navy gain control in last season's 26-14 win over Army. "The first thing I did was look at the official to make sure he was pointing the other way.</p>
<p>"Thinking back on it, it could have been anybody else in that spot. But I worked my way, worked hard to be in that position. My family was sitting close to the bench. To see the way they were reacting to it, it really made me feel good. </p>
<p>"All the ups and downs you go through, all the bumps in the road, things that may not look too good," he continues. "You get all this negative feedback, then you turn it around, work hard, get on the field and make things happen. You make the most of your opportunities. It makes everything worthwhile."</p>
<p>For: Immediate Release
Sent: Oct. 5, 2007
Contact: Scott Strasemeier (410) 293-8775</p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.--Video of Paul Johnson's Thursday afternoon press briefing is available on Navy All-Access. </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's daily 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>Comments from Navy head football coach Paul Johnson following practice on Thursday, Oct. 4</p>
<p>On how dangerous Pitt is </p>
<p>"They are real dangerous. They are explosive. They have some good skill on offense and, like I said yesterday, you don't get to be 10th in the country on defense after five games unless you are doing something right. They have some good players. It will be a challenge for us." </p>
<p>On the time off between games </p>
<p>"We just had two days off and now we are back on a regular schedule. We will have two practices in pads and a couple in shells. It's about the same." </p>
<p>On Pitt needing a win and looking at Navy as a chance to get healthy </p>
<p>"I'm sure they are looking at us as a chance to get healthy. Everybody does. I'm sure they want to win. I don't think we've played anybody that didn't want to win. Our backs are against the wall too. Every week half the teams win and half the teams lose and that's just the way it is. Everybody wants to win. I don't think any team needs a win worse than another team. I guarantee you that when they run out on the field on Wednesday night both teams are going to want to win, but it's the team that is the best prepared and that executes the best is the one that is going to win." </p>
<p>Trying to counteract Pitt's size on the offensive line </p>
<p>"Every team we play is like that. It's the nature of the beast. Everybody we play is bigger than us on both sides of the ball and we can't worry about it. It is what it is." </p>
<p>On if the option helps counteract the size disadvantage </p>
<p>"It probably doesn't hurt. It gives us a chance to not have to block everybody. Hopefully we are doing the same thing on defense. We can't line up and do what everybody else does on either side of the ball." </p>
<p>On Pitt's defense </p>
<p>"They get off blocks, they run to the ball, they play hard and they are well coached." </p>
<p>On if Pitt having extra time to prepare for the option will help them </p>
<p>"I don't worry about stuff I can't control. It might help them and it might hurt them. Maybe they will try and do too much." </p>
<p>On Joey Bullen </p>
<p>"I thought he kicked well. He missed a long kick that, with the wind, I thought he could make and he kicked one head high that got blocked. Both he and Harmon are good kickers and we will try to use them in whatever way gives us the best chance to win. One might kick-off and one might kick field goals, one might kick short field goals and the other might kick long field goals. I haven't decided yet. They are both good kickers." </p>
<p>Comments from Navy outside linebacker Ram Vela following practice on Thursday, Oct. 4 </p>
<p>On changing positions </p>
<p>"I was a recruited quarterback, played some receiver and slot back at the prep school, then came here and started out as a slot back, was moved to corner, tried to play safety and that didn't work, moved back to corner and now I'm at outside linebacker. I'm wondering if the defensive line is next." </p>
<p>On the White House incident when the team visited in April </p>
<p>"That was really awkward. I was about to walk in and the lady checking my ID saw my name and said into a microphone that "he's here" and she asked me to step to the side so I stepped to the side and a secret service agent came and just started hammering me with questions about where I was from, when I was born, just a bunch of questions. He had a piece of paper with him and I was able to see it and it had my name and I guess the guy who they thought I was matched up to me completely. He had the same name, same height, same weight, everything. They were looking for tattoos on my hand and everything. It was pretty scary. I didn't know what to think. I thought maybe I didn't pay a traffic ticket or something and there was a warrant out for me that I didn't know about. Finally they let me go in with the team. It took about 15 minutes and all the guys really gave me a hard time. Everybody thought I had a secret life. I guess the guy they were looking for lived in Minnesota. His name was Ramiro Ray Vela and that is my name. His nickname was even Ram like mine." </p>
<p>On moving from slot back to defense </p>
<p>"It was fine with me. I didn't think I was going to get much playing time at slot back anyway so I figured my chances to play were better on defense. I just had to adjust to the change because I didn't come from a defensive background. I'm just happy I'm getting a chance to play." </p>
<p>On his size </p>
<p>"I think I'm the smallest outside linebacker in the country. I'm just glad the coaches think I can help the team. Whatever is best for the team I'm all for it. I just want to help the team." </p>
<p>On making the transition from corner to outside linebacker </p>
<p>"It was kind of a strange transition, but when you get on the field you just play and let your instincts take over and the rest will take care of itself."</p>
<p>
[quote]
His teammates on the Navy football team have given sophomore Ram Vela, a starting outside linebacker, the nickname "the fugitive." </p>
<p>The nickname stems from the team's trip to the White House last spring as part of the reward for winning the Commander-in-Chief's trophy, which is given to the winner of a round-robin among Air Force, Army and the Midshipmen. </p>
<p>Per protocol, Navy officials submitted a list of all players and coaches to the Secret Service for background checks. The players gave their names as they arrived en route to the Rose Garden....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Pitt's defensive linemen and linebackers wore shin guards at practice this week in order to prepare for Navy's triple-option offense, but that doesn't mean the Panthers are expecting the Midshipmen to try and play soccer against them.</p>
<p>Instead, the shin guards were worn to protect the defensive players during drills against the scout team offense which is simulating the "cut-blocking" technique used by Navy. The Panthers (2-3) play host to Navy (3-2) Wednesday night at Heinz Field and stopping the triple-option offense is the Panthers' top priority.</p>
<p>Wannstedt said that if the Midshipmen are able to get their offense rolling, they will be able to control the clock and limit the opportunities for Pitt's offense, which is struggling and certainly could use as many possessions as it can get....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Pitt Football Q&A
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</p>
<p>Q: Can we expect to see Cavanaugh and Wannstedt open up the offense against a Navy team that gave up 40+ to Duke? I attended Navy and know many of the current players and I can bet my legs that the defense is nowhere near the athletic ability of our skill players on offense.</p>
<p>Ryan Ross, Philadelphia</p>
<p>Zeise: Well, that seems to be the plan, at the very least it is the plan to allow Pat Bostick to throw the ball a little more. I think that is the key - you can't go into a game thinking that you can run it without any threat or hint of trying to pass it and expect to have success. I don't have a problem with - and frankly think it is the way to go - to have LeSean McCoy be the focus of the offense and take the bulk of the carries and even carry it more than 30 times. But you have to mix in the pass and do so at times when the defense is not expecting you to pass (i.e. before it becomes third-and-16) and I think the coaches understand this and now that they trust Bostick to make good decisions, they'll let him become more involved.</p>
<p>Q: Paul, The O-Line is by far the weakest link on this team due to the lack of depth & injuries. Frankly, I do not see any signs of improvement this year, or even next year. Your thoughts?</p>
<p>Jonnie Fortune, New York, NY</p>
<p>Zeise: I just can't figure out how there can be this many problems with a unit for such an extended period of time and there doesn't seem to be much that can be done to change it. Otah has played fairly well at left tackle, CJ Davis is steady at left guard, the rest of the line has really been inconsistent - and that is being kind. You'd hope that as Mike McGlynn and Joe Thomas settle back in to their old spots they'd continue to improve and then they'd be able to give the center spot the help that it needs, but I'm starting to think that might be a lot of wishful thinking by the coaching staff at this point. There should be a little more depth next year at some of the spots, but given that they are losing McGlynn and Otah, tackle will be virtually starting over.</p>
<p>Q: Thus far in the season, has there been any player that has surprised you with how well he has played? This season has obviously been dismal up to this point, but there has to be someone that has played better than expected.</p>
<p>Larry Shuttlesworth, Norristown, Pa.</p>
<p>Zeise: Yes - Bostick. I never thought he'd be anywhere close to as good as he's been given what I saw in camp and the fact that he left camp and missed like the first 12 practices. But he's gotten better every snap he's taken and he really has been at least somewhat of a breath of fresh air in a tough season. I really thought that he would be way in over his head under center but that hasn't been the case at all. I also think LeSean McCoy has been a surprise, not because I doubted his talent, but I didn't know he was as tough as he is and as capable of a running between the tackles. He's every bit as good as advertised.</p>
<p>Mid flourishes after switch to linebacker</p>
<p>
[quote]
What's the chance of a Navy football player being denied entrance to the White House for a ceremony honoring the team?</p>
<p>It almost happened to Ram Vela last spring prior to the formal presentation of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.</p>
<p>Navy's players were going through a security checkpoint when Vela was suddenly detained. He had presented identification as part of a routine procedure and was the only player on the team not allowed to pass through....
[/quote]
</p>