There are so many things that point to this team having a phenomenal culture that just continues to grow and improve. Just off the top of my head:
- Player development - Guys like Goosby and Taaffe go from being lesser-known recruits and walk-ons to key performers in big moments. That points to hard work done even when there's not a reason to hope for the spotlight anytime soon.
- Guys willing to wait their turn - Arch is example #1 here. When the most highly-touted QB recruit this century is willing to work hard, not start, and not feed the media rumor mill, that contributes to and highlights a positive locker room culture. There are other guys in his spot as well.
- Willing to part ways with highly-rated players - Sorry Cook. Hope you land well and do well, but if there's not a fit, no need to force it.
- Playing fundamentally-sound assignment football - Whether it's picking up blocks, making clean open-field tackles, or consistently covering players appropriately, these guys know their jobs and do the basics very well.
- Not throwing players under the bus when they struggle - The D has been almost flawless this year, and has definitely bailed the O out of some tight spots multiple times this season, and yet, we haven't heard any passive-aggressive talk from players directed at one another. This is outstanding. Leave the griping to the fans.
- Gang-level participation on both sides of the ball - I don't really know how else to describe this, but watch how multiple defenders swarm to the ball and how the OL and backs routinely throw themselves into group blocking to push the pile forward or get downfield to keep blocking. There's very little "spectator football" going on out there this year. Everyone's fighting through the entire play.
- Talking smack only at the right time - We're not bumping our gums before the games. Last night was a great example, where the guys only let loose on Twitter after the game. We don't give teams unnecessary bulletin board material before a game.
In all, there's just a tremendous amount of discipline and intrinsic motivation apparent with this team. Nice job by Sark for building a culture machine that can now build on itself.
- Player development - Guys like Goosby and Taaffe go from being lesser-known recruits and walk-ons to key performers in big moments. That points to hard work done even when there's not a reason to hope for the spotlight anytime soon.
- Guys willing to wait their turn - Arch is example #1 here. When the most highly-touted QB recruit this century is willing to work hard, not start, and not feed the media rumor mill, that contributes to and highlights a positive locker room culture. There are other guys in his spot as well.
- Willing to part ways with highly-rated players - Sorry Cook. Hope you land well and do well, but if there's not a fit, no need to force it.
- Playing fundamentally-sound assignment football - Whether it's picking up blocks, making clean open-field tackles, or consistently covering players appropriately, these guys know their jobs and do the basics very well.
- Not throwing players under the bus when they struggle - The D has been almost flawless this year, and has definitely bailed the O out of some tight spots multiple times this season, and yet, we haven't heard any passive-aggressive talk from players directed at one another. This is outstanding. Leave the griping to the fans.
- Gang-level participation on both sides of the ball - I don't really know how else to describe this, but watch how multiple defenders swarm to the ball and how the OL and backs routinely throw themselves into group blocking to push the pile forward or get downfield to keep blocking. There's very little "spectator football" going on out there this year. Everyone's fighting through the entire play.
- Talking smack only at the right time - We're not bumping our gums before the games. Last night was a great example, where the guys only let loose on Twitter after the game. We don't give teams unnecessary bulletin board material before a game.
In all, there's just a tremendous amount of discipline and intrinsic motivation apparent with this team. Nice job by Sark for building a culture machine that can now build on itself.
