Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Nov. 22, 1984, edition 2 / Page 23
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mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmrnmmmm *9. molded the team to reflect the way he played the game. "I was an intense player,'* he says. "1 think I'm an intense coach and that I have an intense team. These guys don't have any auif in them. You can see the intensity in the way they play." And, although Little isn't surprised at the success he's had as a collegiate coach, he says he hadn't exactly planned on coaching college football. "I hadn't really thought about going into coaching," says Little. "When the position became open, I decided to go back to my alma mater ? a school that had always been good to me. 441 felt that anything 1 could do to help Bethune-Cookman, 1 would do it," he says. With no previous coaching experience, Little says, he knew there would be pressure. Yet, he felt confident he could do the job. 44I knew that I could get the most out of the players," Little says. "1 thought I could take a group of youngsters and mold them into a unit! Most young guys just need someone to motivate them and I felt that I could handle it." First on his agenda when he accepted the post was evaluating the talent on hand. Little found enough to have a successful season. He also found some vAw^iiunai aiiiitm mat lie IICCUCU IU get as much out of afc possible. In Bernard Hawk, Little saw a true field general who was capable of spearheading a strong passing game. Wide receiver Leon Gonzales added the perfect complement. "With a quarterback like Bernard Hawk, I thought that we could throw the football against anyone," Little says. "Most college teams can't defend against the pass very well, so we decided to be a nassine team" As a member of the world champion Miami Dolphins, however, Little was most familiar with a grind-it-out style of offense. So he set out to find an offensive coordinator who had a strong background in passing. He came up with Rick Stockstill, a 26-year-old former standout passer with Florida State. "Rick is a fine young coach who has dcme Dststsm4ing Little. "His background made him an ideal candidate for the job." Upon further inspection of the players he inherited, Little saw the potential for a strong team right away. But, he wasn't surprised at the ability of the players that had matriculated at the private, Methodist college. "There's always been a mystique about Bethune-Cookman," says Little. "Although there aren't many students, we've always been able to get good people. We don't have the facilities th^U, some of, the, l^ger, schpois, h$yq, _____ * ' =a^=l|jL/8 but we always have competitive football teams. "That's something that has carried on over the years," he says. "We struggle, but we get by." While the passing combination of Hawk to Gonzales cets the most headlines, Little is most pleased with his offensive line. "Our offensive line has to be the key ^ to the team," he says. "That's one of our strongest areas overall. We've only had 10 quarterback sacks in the past two years. Another of the team's strong suits is the receiving corps led by all-MEAC senior Gonzales. "I expect he'll go no later than the third round in the NFL draft," Little says of the fleet receiver. Of course, the Wildcats' catalyst is Hawk, the strong-armed, quick-footed cionol-follor ^I^IIUI VUIIWI "Anything he does positively doesn't surprise me," says Little. "He's maturing and coming into his own. 1 think he's one of the finest passers in college football." While the Wildcats rely mostly on their passing game, their running attack has come along wel) this season. Leading the ground game for B-CC is ^^B ^^^HBfly^BfB^^^^B B V B B B^ fl B B B ^K. ^P^wSmpv ... JMaBK * ^ J fl B H fl ** ^^B *v mmmm mem mmm King Green, a transfer from Iowa State. But James Graham and Reggie i Rucker also see considerable playing I time. ) Defensively, Bethune-Cookman has t had its share of problems. I "We have a couple of big guys up "I think I'm an intense coach ant These guys don 7 have any quit in th the way they play." A front that anchor the defeiise," says s Little. "But we need more quickness. \ We've played a lot of young guys on * defense because of some early injuries. { "I'm pleased with , our effort, 1 though," Little says. "We have some hustling football players on defenseiV- 1 msmsmmmmmmmmm nOK CCLLEBE il> ???J???? I r 'T m4jfB V ' JB i 'j 14 A \k Tk r& / B . ^| Bp j/ff j0 i BRB^B BrVV PI ? | The Teachc Coach Lar plenty to smil< record-se Bernard Hawk i Perhaps the biggest change between "S :he team Bethune-Cookman put on the us football field two years ago and this us gear's team is pride, a quality that Litie radiates and that apparently is con- Be agious. . iftj "Coach Little really motivates us,*" ar? fr< i that I have an intense team. ch em. You can see the intensity in tic "I ? Larrv Little ^ m; iays Hawk, the Wildcats' offensive m; eadepr-^We've always had talent, but thi t tdok Coach Little to change our at- wl itude about winning. He knows how* tet :o give us a lift when we need it. yo "He has taught us to set goals and bu IQ, after thwn.'I . sjsiys Hawk.. di< DCT/ CCVKW mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtrnm \ _i" a. jf&kH I H fej '! "' i.- J; '-: ^p U 0^0^j/^f^ * r ^HT^Hp itKJ j^H SMM * ir, The Student V ry Little, below left, has 5 about in '84, including tting junior quarterback (photos by Joe Daniels). Mjmcumes wnen we re aown He 11 tell 41 about his playing days and it'll get all fired up." Though Little says his job at :thune-Cookman is to produce winn% football teams, he also says there e other lessons to be learned away ym the gridiron. MI want all my guys to have good aracter," says Little, whose arulate voice belies his massive frame. 'm not just a coach for now, but eir coach for life. "Football has helned me disrinlinp /self," he says. "It has helped me * aintain a certain coolness when ings don't go my way, and that's tat I try to teach my players. I try to ich them how to carry themselves as ung men. We have a good rapport, it they know that I'm a strict icip|in?rian-" ... . ... . .< ^ ... .. * * % % % v r S
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Nov. 22, 1984, edition 2
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