Fordham
August 28th, 2008, 08:42 AM
Q&A with Coach Masella (http://fordhamsports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/082708aaa.html)
Q&A with Head Football Coach Tom Masella
2007 Patriot League Coach of the Year Answers Question on Upcoming Season
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ford/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/2227329.jpeg
Tom Masella
Aug. 27, 2008
Bronx, N.Y. - With summer camp coming to an end, Fordham University head football coach Tom Masella sat down and addressed a few questions concerning the 2008 season as the Rams gear up to defend their Patriot League title.
Q1. Has the offseason program gone according to plan and are you happy with the progress of the team to this point?
Masella: Yes. We had a very good offseason program with over 70 players staying around over the summer. We have a young team that got stronger and faster as evident in the test scores from the beginning of camp. Ted Perlak (Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach) did a great job working with the team this summer.
Q2. Are there any starting jobs that are still up for grabs and if so what positions are they and what players are gunning for those spots?
Masella: Really every position is open, depending on a player's health and who's producing. On the offense, Amen Igbinosun and Ian Pace are battling for the starting spot at left guard, though both will play a lot of football this fall. The starting wide receiver spots are also up for grabs with eight to nine guys looking to fill the four positions. At the end of each day it seems someone else does something to catch your eye by producing at practice. But in the end, we expect all eight or nine receivers to play important roles this year.
For the short-yardage running back, Quasand Lewis and Darryl Whiting are fighting for the job.
On the defensive side of the ball, we seem to be pretty set at most positions.
Q3. Have you had any major setbacks at all this summer?
Masella: We have our share of nicks and bruises but our biggest loss is probably the loss of Tommy Martin to injury.
Q4. Are there any players from last year who did not play much as a freshman or incoming freshmen that you expect to make an impact this year?
Masella: As for freshmen, offensive lineman Lloyd Morrison will see a lot of playing time and Darryl Whiting will play a lot at running back.
As I said before at wide receiver we have eight or nine guys who will all play and, as the season goes on, I expect some of the freshmen like Brad Pierre and Jason Weston to become contributors.
Amen Igbinosun, who hasn't played much his first two years here, will play on the offensive line for us this year.
Defensively, defensive back Bryson Wilson will play and Adnan Vandyck will be a contributor on the line. We expect Andre Delaire to be a very good linebacker and he will be a big part of the defensive equation for us. Even though Darzell Wright played last year, we expect him to be even more of an impact player for us this fall.
We will also have a freshman punter, Cameron Dean.
All told, by the end of the day, we expect half of the freshmen class to contribute.
Q5. What has quarterback John Skelton worked on/focused on the most this offseason?
Masella: John has gotten, bigger, stronger and faster this summer and has really worked on his footwork. He's a very good player and we know he can be an important offensive weapon but we're not going to change our game plan. We still want to run the ball and we have five very good running backs. Our problem will be to get all five their carries.
Q6. How does the running back and wide receiver situation look at this point?
Masella: We are very deep at running back and have confidence giving the ball to any of them. Xavier Martin, Mandi Onyeabor, Darryl Whiting, Quasand Lewis and Jamir Livingston give us five quality guys and we'll have to work hard to give each of them their carries.
At wide receiver, we really haven't had a strong camp and I don't think they have hit their stride yet. But we have nine guys who can play and I expect them all to get better as the season progresses. I also expect to see Dan Landisch (a former member of the men's basketball squad) see more playing time as the season goes on. He's a bit rusty from not playing football for the past couple of years but he's big and has good hands.
Q7. Have approached this year differently, from a motivation and coaching standpoint, being that now Fordham has been selected to win the Patriot League?
Masella: No. Every year starts off the same, with each team at 0-0. We have to get back to the fundamentals which is a little more difficult this year due to last year's success. But the players seem to be getting the message that if they don't do what they are suppose do, they won't get the results they want.
Q8. What players have impressed you the most during camp?
Masella: Andre Delaire has really come on strong this summer and we expect him to be a force at linebacker. Similarly, Darzell Wright, Kenny Thompson and Matt Loucks have all had a productive camp and will be standouts on the defensive side of the ball.
On the offensive side, John Skelton and Xavier Martin have improved a lot from last year and should lead the offense.
Q9. More or less, can we expect the same type of offense and defense this year in terms of play calling and schemes?
Masella: Yes. We will still play multiple sets on both sides of the ball and we will be concentrating on the running game to lead the offense.
The Rams will close camp by taking on Wagner College in a scrimmage, Thursday night, August 28th, at 6:00 p.m. on Jack Coffey Field.
Q&A with Head Football Coach Tom Masella
2007 Patriot League Coach of the Year Answers Question on Upcoming Season
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ford/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/2227329.jpeg
Tom Masella
Aug. 27, 2008
Bronx, N.Y. - With summer camp coming to an end, Fordham University head football coach Tom Masella sat down and addressed a few questions concerning the 2008 season as the Rams gear up to defend their Patriot League title.
Q1. Has the offseason program gone according to plan and are you happy with the progress of the team to this point?
Masella: Yes. We had a very good offseason program with over 70 players staying around over the summer. We have a young team that got stronger and faster as evident in the test scores from the beginning of camp. Ted Perlak (Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach) did a great job working with the team this summer.
Q2. Are there any starting jobs that are still up for grabs and if so what positions are they and what players are gunning for those spots?
Masella: Really every position is open, depending on a player's health and who's producing. On the offense, Amen Igbinosun and Ian Pace are battling for the starting spot at left guard, though both will play a lot of football this fall. The starting wide receiver spots are also up for grabs with eight to nine guys looking to fill the four positions. At the end of each day it seems someone else does something to catch your eye by producing at practice. But in the end, we expect all eight or nine receivers to play important roles this year.
For the short-yardage running back, Quasand Lewis and Darryl Whiting are fighting for the job.
On the defensive side of the ball, we seem to be pretty set at most positions.
Q3. Have you had any major setbacks at all this summer?
Masella: We have our share of nicks and bruises but our biggest loss is probably the loss of Tommy Martin to injury.
Q4. Are there any players from last year who did not play much as a freshman or incoming freshmen that you expect to make an impact this year?
Masella: As for freshmen, offensive lineman Lloyd Morrison will see a lot of playing time and Darryl Whiting will play a lot at running back.
As I said before at wide receiver we have eight or nine guys who will all play and, as the season goes on, I expect some of the freshmen like Brad Pierre and Jason Weston to become contributors.
Amen Igbinosun, who hasn't played much his first two years here, will play on the offensive line for us this year.
Defensively, defensive back Bryson Wilson will play and Adnan Vandyck will be a contributor on the line. We expect Andre Delaire to be a very good linebacker and he will be a big part of the defensive equation for us. Even though Darzell Wright played last year, we expect him to be even more of an impact player for us this fall.
We will also have a freshman punter, Cameron Dean.
All told, by the end of the day, we expect half of the freshmen class to contribute.
Q5. What has quarterback John Skelton worked on/focused on the most this offseason?
Masella: John has gotten, bigger, stronger and faster this summer and has really worked on his footwork. He's a very good player and we know he can be an important offensive weapon but we're not going to change our game plan. We still want to run the ball and we have five very good running backs. Our problem will be to get all five their carries.
Q6. How does the running back and wide receiver situation look at this point?
Masella: We are very deep at running back and have confidence giving the ball to any of them. Xavier Martin, Mandi Onyeabor, Darryl Whiting, Quasand Lewis and Jamir Livingston give us five quality guys and we'll have to work hard to give each of them their carries.
At wide receiver, we really haven't had a strong camp and I don't think they have hit their stride yet. But we have nine guys who can play and I expect them all to get better as the season progresses. I also expect to see Dan Landisch (a former member of the men's basketball squad) see more playing time as the season goes on. He's a bit rusty from not playing football for the past couple of years but he's big and has good hands.
Q7. Have approached this year differently, from a motivation and coaching standpoint, being that now Fordham has been selected to win the Patriot League?
Masella: No. Every year starts off the same, with each team at 0-0. We have to get back to the fundamentals which is a little more difficult this year due to last year's success. But the players seem to be getting the message that if they don't do what they are suppose do, they won't get the results they want.
Q8. What players have impressed you the most during camp?
Masella: Andre Delaire has really come on strong this summer and we expect him to be a force at linebacker. Similarly, Darzell Wright, Kenny Thompson and Matt Loucks have all had a productive camp and will be standouts on the defensive side of the ball.
On the offensive side, John Skelton and Xavier Martin have improved a lot from last year and should lead the offense.
Q9. More or less, can we expect the same type of offense and defense this year in terms of play calling and schemes?
Masella: Yes. We will still play multiple sets on both sides of the ball and we will be concentrating on the running game to lead the offense.
The Rams will close camp by taking on Wagner College in a scrimmage, Thursday night, August 28th, at 6:00 p.m. on Jack Coffey Field.