June 20, 2005
by Joe Winters '06
The Starting Point (or, The Winter According to Winters)
In order to appreciate the 2005 Columbia football team's spring season, you need to understand where we began. At the turn of the New Year, the returning Lions were left trying to recover from a disappointing 1-9 season, not to mention the loss of key starters including our quarterback, both running backs, both defensive tackles, our All-American tight end and our captain outside linebacker. Coupling that with more than 40 years without an Ivy title might lead outsiders to believe that nothing new would be expected for the upcoming spring and fall seasons.
Carrying the burden of all those reasons and probably a few more into winter workouts, the returning Lions - starting with our head coach and down to our last man - began the winter by taking a long hard look at ourselves because no one wanted to go through another season like the previous one. With adjustments to the winter program and a renewed sense of camaraderie amongst the players and coaches, we entered the gym at 6:45 on a frigid Monday morning not really knowing what to expect, but finding an enthusiasm present in every man that motivated our team and led to an outstanding first workout - one of the best in my three years.
Doubters might attribute that good workout to beginning "jitters" and false enthusiasm, but as the workouts progressed, the intensity and dedication never faltered. From the gym to the weight room, there was a sincere passion in every guy to get better in order to improve himself and the team. Different guys have different theories as to why our 2005 team was attacking the winter works so intensely, as if we were trying to defend an Ivy title, but I believe what motivated our team was competition. As mentioned earlier, we had a ton of holes to fill; almost every position had a floating depth chart, with the possible exception of linebacker and the secondary, and it was this fear of not playing or the excitement of winning the starting spot that pushed every player to be better than his neighbor and better than his opponents next fall. Although we did not put on a single helmet or pad during those workouts, there is no doubt that it was during that ten-week period of lifting and running that the 2005 Columbia Lions team was born.
The Spring
Winter workouts seem to end just as fast as they began, and after returning from our different Spring break trips, we all began to focus in on spring practice. With only twelve practices to determine the general shape of the upcoming team, the same intensity and competitive spirit carried over from the winter.
The difference was that we weren't just competing against guys at our respective positions but also with the "bad guys" on the other side of the ball. During spring practice, we battled monsoon-type rains and annoyingly cold days, but still persevered in order to get better each and every practice. With the majority of the experience on our team coming for the defensive side of the ball, the beginning practices made it evident that they would be intimidating come next fall. Although it took the offense a little longer to get rolling with major changes on the offensive line, running back and at quarterback, we also proved that our talent and potential could cause trouble for Ivy defenders next season.
After two scrimmages - including the Spring Game - it was clear that the 2005 Lions would be a defensively led team. With returning seniors like Shay Murphy, Billy Beechum, Keenan Shaw, Prosper Nwokocha, and Chris Sullivan all having at least a season of battle-tested experience, the defense showed its savvy by only giving up one touchdown pass in the first scrimmage and causing four interceptions in the Spring Game. While the goal of the defense was to hone its coverages and blitzes during the spring, the offense was primarily concerned with finding answers to our many personnel questions. With intense competition and improvement in blitz pick-up, pass protection, and execution in the run/pass game, our offense showed that we can improve on last year's mediocre performance.
Even though some of our personnel questions are still not crystal clear, the spring showed that the 2005 Columbia Lions' offense will be very deep. With two dependable quarterbacks, a handful of explosive running backs, a very talented offensive line and the deepest receiving core in the Ivy League, there is no limit to our potential to grow and succeed as a unit.
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As the spring came to a close, Billy Beechum, Prosper Nwokocha and I were named captains for the upcoming season. This was a tremendous honor for the three of us and I know we are all looking forward to the 2005 campaign. We are confident that our team has what it takes to succeed this fall, and the three of us, along with our teammates, are determined to make this the best season in Columbia history. We know it is not going to be easy, but our team has taken on the task of continuing to improve this summer in order to put the best possible team on the field in September. Through our hard work, as well as, the support of our fans, administration, and alumni, there is no doubt that this will be a special season of Lions football.
