I got chills reading this ....

[cmhawks99]

(although guys like Morris, DiBona, Miller, and Hitchens certainly progressed as INDIVIDUALS).

I'm on record that last year’s growing pains will pay huge dividends this coming year IMO. The real time training of Morris, Kirksey, Hitchens, Dibona, Miller and CJ Fed will drastically improve their performance early on and the practice reps and special team’s time that Lowery, Shumpert and the like got was huge as well.

This team is deeper and further along already this year as a result….

Chad

 

[lightning1]

Re: Nice article about leadership

Like Mike, Wanna be Like Mike - Iowa Official Athletic Site

The part that got me the most ....

James Ferentz said about Mike Daniels .... "Mike is leading those guys in a way that few guys can lead. ..... Mike is very intense, he's into everything. If he doesn't like the way a young guy is behaving, he gets right in their face and lets them know about it. ..... The way he is able to convey his message is really good. He brings guys in, he doesn't push them away. I think he's going to lead and show those guys how to push through the grind of a season."

Myself and others are on record stating that stronger leadership on D really would have helped the 2010 season to be better ... perhaps a good bit better. Specifically, it seemed like the 2010 D lacked a guy who would really be an "enforcer" on the D. As a result, the D really seemed to lack that extra bit of mental toughness that is needed to step up and excel, even in the face of adversity.

If what James Ferentz says is correct about Mike Daniels ... we just might have our man for the 2011 season. I cannot impress upon fellow fans enough here how critically important that leadership is to the success of our beloved squad.

I'm excited! Reading the above article just made me that much more excited about our 2011 squad.

One last tidbit that reinforces my excitement:

Mike Daniels said .... "The leadership was there (in the past), but this is the best I've seen because it was more so from the older guys. .... Now you see it from the younger guys as well, starting to step up and take care of the younger guys -- guys that are only a year younger than them, but they look at it as their job to help them get used to how we do things around here."

The implication there is pretty critical. Young guys are stepping up in leadership roles too. That not only helps out the squad leadership-wise ... but it also better helps to foster the family atmosphere in the locker room. It reinforces the team as a unified whole ... rather a group of cliques and/or factions. When guys are all working together as brothers ... working together towards a common goal ... then there's little that they cannot accomplish!

I think Pat Angerer was sorely missed, for this very reason.

 

[olddude]

Re: Nice article about leadership

I think Pat Angerer was sorely missed, for this very reason.

Yep, that guy is all heart. If you dont think so, there is lots of game tape to look at. Lead by example, works the best.

 

[CAARHawk]

Re: Nice article about leadership

Yep, that guy is all heart. If you dont think so, there is lots of game tape to look at. Lead by example, works the best.

Pat was a leader more than just on the field as a now famous incident of Hawkeye locker room lore can attest. When you have to worry about a guy knocking you out for standing up for a player who is slacking, it sends a message.

 

[CAARHawk]

My impression of what you're getting at is that '05 and '10 were similar because each defensive unit was effectively "lamed" at an entire position-group due to youth/inexperience ... and that ended up hurting the D as a whole.

A contrasting point of those two units was that the '05 D has the benefit of enjoying better personnel continuity throughout the entire season ... thereby allowing the youth to "find their legs" and better push-forward their development. The '10 D's group of LBs continued to get thrashed at LB throughout the ENTIRE season ... thereby killing our personnel continuity. That then had a significant impact on what the D could consistently execute ... and it also impacted the development of the D as a WHOLE (although guys like Morris, DiBona, Miller, and Hitchens certainly progressed as INDIVIDUALS).

Actually, I was working that in. I honestly believe that the Tarpinian, Neilson, and Hunter trio would have been fine. But losing Tarp and Bruce right off the bat really started the process of making this unit brutally green.

I also think the year will help the young players' development. It will be interesting to see if the long-term development of the 10 LBs outpaces the 05 DL.