September 9, 2004

Bobby Ross ready to live the Army life

Army knew what it was getting into when it hired Bobby Ross this offseason.

Coached Georgia Tech to a National Championship and undefeated season in 1992.
A college coaching career that included stints as the head man at The Citadel and Maryland.
A winner in Detroit in the NFL.

The better question to ask was, did Ross know what he was getting into at Army?

According to an interview Ross did with the Associated Press, he's pumped, primed and ready to re-enter the coaching ranks at West Point.

Here are some excerpts from the AP

Ross says he has missed the competition and camaraderie of football, as well as the chance to help young players develop, on and off the field.

"I'm enjoying it here and I'm enjoying these players," he said. "The wild-eyed excitement they show is fun to me. And they really do care. They feel like they have something to prove. That's a real strong motivation for me."

Ross has replaced Berry's relaxed manner with a hard-nosed approach that demands players correct mistakes immediately.

"The biggest difference is in discipline," said fifth-year senior guard Adam Wojcik. "Coach Ross brings intensity to the field. If you make a mistake, it's corrected right away on the field instead of waiting until after you watch the film. It's going to be done right, right now."

While much is the same for Ross, he's also taking on some new challenges.

Students at the academy regularly take 18 to 21 credits a semester. Many football players at other colleges take the NCAA minimum of 12 hours, Ross said. And West Point's military obligations demand every student get out of bed at 5 a.m.

Those factors mean Ross's cadets are students first, football players second.

"These are not things I didn't expect," Ross said. "We cannot and will not use that as an excuse."

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