SIAC
Porter's raring to go at Fort Valley State
For the past two football seasons, the
Ft. Valley State football program has pro
duced sub-par seasons. Sub-par because the
proud Wildcats have always been a top con
tender in the SI AC and the NCAA Divisiof!
_ There are more than a few colleges4hat
wouldn't minding having .500 seasons like
Ft Valley has had. During Porter's nine year
tenure, folks around the Georgia town have
come to expect the best. The Wildcats are
"During my first two years
back as a coach, I couldn't
completely immerse myself
into it. I still had thoughts
about the heart in the back
of my mind. But this year,
things are going well and I'll
be totally involved again."
-- Doug Porter
"In looking back on it now, I can see
where being out only emphasized my desire
to return, even after being out for a year."
Porter returned to his passion in '87, but
the results for his teams weren't the same as
Wildcats' fans had come to expect. To begin
with. Ft. Valley had more, youthful faces on
both sides of the ball, especially on defense.
Then 3(^year coaching veteran Alphonso
sive people are more comfortable in what
they're supposed to do and that should make
a big difference for us;"
Porter confessed that his health was
always a lingering thought when he returned
even though he had full medical clearance.
"During my first two years back as a -
coach, 1 couldn't completely immerse myself
into it. I still had thoughts about the heart in
aren't already doing that," he said. "But, in
order to make the playoffs, you have to do
more of that. For this conference, that means
playing teams in the Gulf South and the
CI A A, for instance,"
The Wildcats' coach points out that
?playing the better schools in other confer
ences serves as a reference point for the
folks that are members of the playoff selec
mm
63-27-2 in the Porter era.
Only three years ago, Ft. Valley was the
terror of the league. They took no prisoners
and played the kind of give no ground
defense that had opponents cringing before
the opening kic^off.
In '85, the Wildcats were ranked as high
as No. 2 in Division II. Their only loss being
a seven point defeat at the hands of No. 1
ranked Central State.
Valley State's "Blue Death" defense led
the nation in a wagon load of categories and
that unit helped the team to make the NCAA
playoffs. No other SIAC team has received a
bid to post-season play since then.
But then something nearly catastrophic
happened.
Porter suffered a heart attack and was
forced to take an extended leave of absence
in order to recuperate sufficiently. He was
gone for a year.
In the meantime, assistant coach Gerald
Walker took over and Ft. Valley finished at
7-3. Still, Wildcats football was not the same
without Porter's presence.
At one point, it wasn't clear when or if
Porter would ever return to coaching. Physi
cians felt it was best to take a wait and see
approach, while carefully monitoring his
recovery .
The time off was not easy for Porter. He
had always been involved in football both as
player as coach. Removing himself from the
game, though very necessary, was still not
an easy adjustment to make.
"It was a tremendous adjustment for me
to make," Porter said. "It was my first time as
an adult that I hadn't been associatated with a
football team either as a player or as a coach.
Saturdays during the season were particularly
difficult for me. Things worked out for me
during my recuperation period and I was able
to come back. If the doctors had told me that
it wouldn't be wise for me to come back, I
would have taken their advice.
Vamcr retired.
Varner was the architect of the "Blue
Death" defense, the units that year after year,
pounded opponents into submission with
fierce and relentless abandon. His departure
created a void that was difficult to compen
sate for.
At that point, Walker was called on to
take over. And it was transition all the way.
Walker, well-schooled in offensive strate
gies, had to take charge and become familar
with his personnel and vice versa.
"We had a lot of inexperienced people
on defense," Porter added. "We didn't uphold
our tradition for defense. We couldn't stop
people in crucial situations during games -
especially against the good teams - and that
hurt us."
But after two years, Walker has become
more comfortable in his role. Porter has also
become more at ease in his ability to handle
being the head coach for a football program
that is expected to win year in and year out
"We should be a better this team this
season," Porter said. "We're more experi
enced, particularly on defense. Our defen
the back of my mind. But this year, things
are going well and I'll be totally involved
again."
Being totally involved, he explains,
means doing more of the things that he is
accustomed to doing as the team's head men
tor. Visits to the players' dormitories and
more time spent in breaking down and ana
lyzing game films are a major part of that.
In addition, he's reduced his teaching
load and some of his responsibilities as the
school's athletic director. There's also more
authority being delegated among the mem
bers of the Ft. Valley coaching staff and the
coach feels very much at ease with that
arrangement.
As the last SIAC coach to take his team
to the NCAA playoffs, Porter has some solid
insights into why his home conference has
been nixed of playoff appearances since his
team made the playoffs three seasons ago.
Porter asserts that teams have to
increase their efforts to schedule inter-con
ference games in order to enhance their
chances to play in post-season contests.
"It's not that teams in our conference
Photo by Craig T. Greenlee
tion committees. People tend to choose
teams they already know about it So even if
a team is 9-1 and hasn't played any team that
committee members aren't familar with, that
team's chances of making the playoffs are
reduced.
"People on those committees use that as
a measuring stick," he continued. "You have
to do well in inter-conference play, but you
don't always have to win to guarantee your
self a playoff spot. The team may lose, but if
that team is competitive against a good team
that committee people know about, it helps
you out all the more."
Porter uses the year his team made the
playoffs as a prime example. The Wildcats
played No. 1 Central State, but lost by seven
points. Because the Marauders are a known
commodity and Valley played them tough,
playoff committee members felt they were a
team of high caliber that deserved to be in
the playoffs.
They got the bid.
Doug Porter is back and he's raring to
go.
?Darryl Zimmerman