HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Without fail, when spring football practice begins the dreaded “P” word that coaches dread and excites fans, is tossed around when describing the team for the coming season: potential.
Review Marshall’s 2016 spring roster and there is plenty of potential on the field, but converting that potential into real results this fall is the challenge Doc Holliday is issuing his team over the next five weeks.
“The one thing you try to do in the spring, is you challenge certain players to play to their measurable and we did that a year ago with Gary Thompson,” said Holliday. “Every year you have certain players that you want to try to get to play up to what their measurable are, their potential. That’s what spring is all about.”
Thompson went on to finish second in Conference USA last year with nine sacks. Now, Holliday is hoping for similar results from players such as Deon-Tay McManus. After hauling is 422 yards receiving and six touchdowns in 2015, McManus fell short of expectations in 2016. McManus caught just one touchdown pass and had just 334 yards receiving.
“We had eight great weeks of wintering conditioning,” said Holliday. “I thought our guys worked extremely hard for that eight week period. Now, we’re starting the next phase which is the actual football part of it.”
For McManus and the rest of the Thundering Herd, what Holliday and the rest of the coaching staff expects is no secret.
“There’s one thing about athletics,” said Holliday. “In today’s world, you get rewarded for hard work in athletics. Sometimes in the real world out there, you don’t get rewarded for working your tail off. You get penalized.
“But in athletics you don’t. You work your tail off – guess what? – you can win a championship. You go out there and you make a lot of money you get rewarded by paying higher taxes. What the hell is that all about?”
Marshall has the potential to be a great team in 2016, but potential doesn’t get the Herd in position to play for a C-USA title.
“We expect to be great.”