Indiana University Athletics
The Future Is Now
8/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 2, 2006
CHICAGO, Ill. - As Terry Hoeppner officially embarks upon his second season at Indiana, he is eager to see if the Hoosiers used the summer conditioning program to build upon the momentum started last fall and continued through spring practice. Hoeppner and the other Big Ten coaches concluded the league's annual media kickoff on Aug. 2 by addressing the newspaper writers at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
"When I meet with recruits and their parents, I tell them that I am going to coach their son like he's my own," Hoeppner said. "That means sometime that you have to give them the tough love, be firm, disciplined and don't negotiate. It takes a while; you don't just flip a switch. It's a building process, gaining confidence and building trust every day."
Junior quarterback Blake Powers, who threw a school-record 22 touchdown passes last season, returns for his second year as a starter. Powers will throw to one of the league's deepest receiving corps, and sophomore Marcus Thigpen and redshirt freshmen Demetrius McCray, Justin Carrington and Bryan Payton headline an impressive stable of running backs. Thus, the offensive line's development is crucial to Indiana's progress, and Hoeppner believes that veteran Justin Frye has set the tone for a productive season in the trenches.
"The best players play. The future is now," Hoeppner said. "Justin Frye and the rest of his upperclassmen linemates know that the spotlight is on that group. The potential for running backs, quarterbacks and receivers is there, but the offensive line is the final ingredient to make the cake taste good. The other ingredients won't work if the offensive line isn't working.
"We had a great winter as a coaching staff," Hoeppner continued. "We've thoroughly gone through and scrutinized every player and spent a lot of time with them one-on-one. Guys like (defensive tackle) Greg Brown, (cornerback) Tracy Porter, (defensive end) Kenny Kendal. Justin Frye is the rock on the offensive line, 33 starts. He has taken our young offensive linemen under his wing this summer. We can't coach them yet, but he can."
According to Hoeppner, this resourcefulness is an accurate gauge of the Hoosiers' potential for success.
"It's necessary. It is what all good programs have," Hoeppner said. "You want that initiative and leadership from guys who achieved a lot on the field. A lot of times, the starting quarterback is the "head coach" of summer ball, organizing everything. Then, you have assistant coaches, your Justin Fryes and Kenny Kendals, who make the decision to direct the younger guys. It's this dedication that the average fan never sees - what guys do on their own without direction from the coaching staff."
