By
Al Myatt
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There are a lot of things to be thankful for each and
every day.
Loving families and good health are special blessings
that we shouldn't wait for Thanksgiving to acknowledge.
For those who have followed East Carolina in football
this season there have been a great abundance of reasons to give thanks.
As coach Ruffin McNeill has said on occasion, "Some
things are too coincidental to be coincidences."
I'm thankful that former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach put
Adam James in a storage building to try and get the receiver's head
straight. That unusual incident set the wheels in motion that brought
McNeill — and a considerable portion of his staff — back to his alma
mater.
McNeill has made an unprecedented contribution to the
Pirate cornucopia this season by
beating North Carolina
and
N.C. State in the same
season. ECU did it the old fashioned way, too, on the road.
I'm thankful that this team has grown together with a
like-minded purpose.
I have no doubt that the Pirates will be focused and
prepared as they play Marshall for Conference USA's East Division
championship on Friday.
I'm thankful that programs like Boise State, Houston and
Rice passed on Shane Carden and that he didn't take advantage of an
opportunity to go to Harvard.
He's the complete package at quarterback. He has
exceptional skills throwing and no hesitation to run, but he also has
great leadership ability as well as the judgment to check into effective
plays.
I'm thankful that Justin Hardy walked on at ECU.
He could have taken advantage of his only college offer
and gone to Fayetteville State, but when Lincoln Riley came in as
offensive coordinator in 2010, he had the wisdom to make Hardy an
invited player. Hardy is rewriting the receiving record book at ECU.
I'm thankful Vintavious Cooper, like Hardy, has made a
successful transition from quarterback.
I'm thankful for an offensive line that can create lanes
for Cooper to dart through.
I'm not thankful that Skip Holtz was dismissed at South
Florida but it did lead to Rick Smith coordinating ECU's defense this
season. See difference maker in the dictionary. The illustration will be
Smith with a game plan in his hand and defensive line coach Marc Yellock
by his side.
I'm thankful that Holtz agreed not to bring players to
South Florida who had already committed to ECU.
Otherwise, Damon Magazu probably would be finishing his
career in Tampa. Mags is an inspiration to watch, a great combination of
athleticism, desire and knowledge of the game.
I'm thankful that the Pirates have developed sufficient
depth that when a linebacker of the caliber of Jeremy Grove goes out, a
talent like Zeek Bigger is there to step in.
I'm thankful that the offensive and defensive fronts have
stockpiled some numbers, too.
I'm thankful for the concept and practice of position
competition. It seems to keep everyone sharp and improving.
I'm thankful that punter Trent Tignor can win field
position with a swing of his right foot. I'm also thankful that he can
bounce a football on the turf and control it like a yo-yo. That's an
interesting diversion to observe between snaps.
I'm thankful that McNeill walks an hour a day. He's in
much better shape than three years ago and his daily exercise gives him
some personal time to focus outside the office. I wouldn't be surprised
if that's where his latest abbreviation — OPAT (One Play At a Time) came
from. The ECU coach had already given us TBA (Trust, Belief and
Accountability).
I'm thankful that special teams coordinator Kirk Doll,
McNeill and Smith want to retire in Greenville. It's special when your
non-BCS AQ program is a final destination and not a stepping stone.
I'm thankful that Ruff says he's the daddy of the program
and not the CEO, that every new recruit has a set of uncles (coaching
staff) and numerous big brothers (players). That will make Thanksgiving
with the team this week a special time when the players can't get home
to be with their blood relatives.
I'm thankful that Ruff jumps up and down with his players
sometimes in a huddle on the sideline when he thinks they need to loosen
up. It's cool to watch a little free-spirited exercise like 50,000
people aren't there.
I'm thankful Jeff Connors came back to East Carolina.
McNeill says he's the best at strength and conditioning in the country.
The players believe in him, too. Connors has made a huge difference in
offseason development and in season conditioning.
I'm thankful for heaters in press boxes.
The high Friday at Marshall is supposed to be 41 degrees.
Kerr likes what he sees
I'm thankful to know Jeff Kerr.
The former ECU linebacker was on hand for the N.C. State
game Saturday and liked what he saw.
Kerr's last home game in 1999 was a 23-6 win over the
Wolfpack. He was first team All-Conference USA that season as well as
MVP of the Pirate defense.
Kerr had driven back from Disney World to see his
daughter in a school play on Friday but he didn't regret the drive from
the Charlotte area to see the Pirates' 42-28 win in Raleigh.
"That was one of the best games I've watched in a long
time," Kerr said. "That was a great game, a great one to be part of. ...
They are definitely carrying on a tradition. I was glad to see it again.
I was very impressed with the way they played and how hard they played.
I think Coach Connors has done a great job with them. You can definitely
tell a difference in there, their intensity and their heart, too.
"Their offense is unparalleled. It's impressive what they
can do on offense. Defense, they played hard. They got after it. I think
they did a great job of playing with intensity and also a lot of
discipline."
Kerr said he also liked hearing the players say they were
shifting their focus to preparing for Marshall following the game.
Kerr is still involved competitively as a crew member in
NASCAR racing. He expects to transition from jack man to gas man for the
next season, which will begin in mid-February. Kerr can appreciate
Connors because he is involved in a similar role in terms of training
pit crews.
On to Bigger and better things
I'm thankful that Zeek Bigger is confident about the
Marshall game.
Bigger was in on seven tackles at State to share the team
lead with Magazu and Derrell Johnson.
Bigger doesn't anticipate that colder weather will deter
the Pirates.
"I think we just have to go out there focused and ready
to play." he said. "We've been in cold environments. ... I know it gets
cold at Marshall. Just being ready. That's what we're going to have to
do. Be ready."
ECU
coach
Ruffin
McNeill
addressed
the
media
after
the
Pirates'
win
over
N.C.
State:
