Cornerback Tracy Howard said one such variable has changed dramatically and insists it’s going to make a difference. It’s the accountability issue that former Hurricanes greats talk about all the time.
Howard said leadership on last year’s team wasn’t what it needed to be, which led to mistakes not being corrected and an emotional letdown after the FSU game that caused the season to derail.
“I know how we can be 6-7,” Howard said of 2014. “You got a lot of guys with a lot of talent. But when you got a team that doesn’t really hold each other accountable, you don’t really have a strong leadership. Talent is not enough. You need leadership, a team that is going stick together.
“Alabama is definitely not the most talented team ever, but they’re a team. They believe in what the coach tells them and they believe in their system. That’s why they always come out on top because they believe in what Nick Saban is telling them to do.”
“This year, guys are holding others accountable,” Howard said. “When the young guys come in, that’s all they know now. Nobody is slacking off. They have to follow. They don’t have a choice. If you don’t like it, you could leave.”
2014 Hurricanes center Shane McDermott told The Ticket last week that some players felt “entitled” and “we had a lot of selfishness that we needed to get rid of.”
Shane McDermott said when he visited campus to see his brother (UM tackle Kc McDermott) last week, it was “the hardest I’ve seen them work in a while.”
“Probably maturity, experience, [tired of] losing,” Howard said. “We came in with such high expectations: me, Herb [Waters], Deon [Bush]. We were going to put us back on the map. No senior has gone out on a good note since we’ve been here. We don’t want that to happen again. We came to make Miami relevant again, win a championship and go to the NFL. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Howard said others who are now taking charge and not putting up with teammates’ missteps? Howard cited Brad Kaaya, tight end Standish Dobard, receiver Stacy Coley, Bush ("Deon has changed; he's stepped up and is making a difference") and offensive tackle Kc McDermott.
“I know a lot of guys give him a lot of slack but he knows what he’s talking about,” Howard said. "He’s definitely a good coach.”
“If you have your leaders go in the tank, say, ‘Ah, [bleep] it,’ then the whole team will go in the tank because those guys have the most influence,” Howard said.
“We really wanted the [FSU] game bad and it was emotionally draining on us. There wasn’t the same fire [after]. Once they see leaders… not having their heads down” that won’t happen again.
Howard said leadership on last year’s team wasn’t what it needed to be, which led to mistakes not being corrected and an emotional letdown after the FSU game that caused the season to derail.
“I know how we can be 6-7,” Howard said of 2014. “You got a lot of guys with a lot of talent. But when you got a team that doesn’t really hold each other accountable, you don’t really have a strong leadership. Talent is not enough. You need leadership, a team that is going stick together.
“Alabama is definitely not the most talented team ever, but they’re a team. They believe in what the coach tells them and they believe in their system. That’s why they always come out on top because they believe in what Nick Saban is telling them to do.”
“This year, guys are holding others accountable,” Howard said. “When the young guys come in, that’s all they know now. Nobody is slacking off. They have to follow. They don’t have a choice. If you don’t like it, you could leave.”
2014 Hurricanes center Shane McDermott told The Ticket last week that some players felt “entitled” and “we had a lot of selfishness that we needed to get rid of.”
Shane McDermott said when he visited campus to see his brother (UM tackle Kc McDermott) last week, it was “the hardest I’ve seen them work in a while.”
“Probably maturity, experience, [tired of] losing,” Howard said. “We came in with such high expectations: me, Herb [Waters], Deon [Bush]. We were going to put us back on the map. No senior has gone out on a good note since we’ve been here. We don’t want that to happen again. We came to make Miami relevant again, win a championship and go to the NFL. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Howard said others who are now taking charge and not putting up with teammates’ missteps? Howard cited Brad Kaaya, tight end Standish Dobard, receiver Stacy Coley, Bush ("Deon has changed; he's stepped up and is making a difference") and offensive tackle Kc McDermott.
“I know a lot of guys give him a lot of slack but he knows what he’s talking about,” Howard said. "He’s definitely a good coach.”
“If you have your leaders go in the tank, say, ‘Ah, [bleep] it,’ then the whole team will go in the tank because those guys have the most influence,” Howard said.
“We really wanted the [FSU] game bad and it was emotionally draining on us. There wasn’t the same fire [after]. Once they see leaders… not having their heads down” that won’t happen again.
