Army
Army

Army Team Report

Updated: April 25, 2012 10:28 EST

This was not the way to start bouncing back from a 3-9 season.

Coach Rich Ellerson, hoping to start the turnaround from a 2011 that stalled the re-growth of the program, had a problem in the spring: keeping enough healthy bodies on the field to get enough done.

There was plenty of work accomplished. There were even early morning practices that could find their way onto the fall schedule. But there were injuries, capped by quarterback Trent Steelman's reported arthroscopic knee surgery just prior to the spring game.

Example? The Times Herald-Record (Middletown, N.Y.) reported no fewer than 10 running backs missing spring time with injuries.

We don't have to tell you how important the running back spots are to the option.

The injuries were not believed serious, but guys were missing time, and this is supposed to be an area of strength for this team at this time.

"There are some guys that just have a hard time being healthy," Ellerson told the newspaper. "I don't think that's the nature of this particular group, but that's what I am concerned about.

"It doesn't matter how many good players that you have if they are always hurt. If they were all healthy every day, we would have a challenge getting them the requisite amount of reps. That certainly was a problem this spring."

One of the guys Ellerson always seems to be worried about is Jared Hassin, who followed a strong first season by dealing with a lingering back problem in 2011. When he's right, he's a powerhouse for this team.

As is Steelman, who had been an ironman befitting his last name before running into injury problems late last season.

There were more than 20 players missing from the spring game down at Fort Benning in Georgia, showing the injury bug had hit more than the offensive backfield.

--QB Trent Steelman, who turned from ironman to slightly injury prone down the stretch last season, was on crutches at the end of spring, reportedly after arthroscopic left knee surgery. There was no word on any potential problems for the fall.

--Now-former LB Andrew Rodriguez was the Sullivan Award as the AAU's pick as the nation's most outstanding athlete. He is the third Army recipient, but the first since Doc Blanchard and Arnold Tucker won it back to back in 1945 and '46.

"This award is a tribute to all the people who have helped me throughout my life, especially my family," Rodriguez said. "I had the opportunity to play for all the servicemen and servicewomen who watched us every week. That's who my teammates and I played for, and this award goes out to them."

--Assistant coach Joe Ross left the profession to enter the corporate world and was quickly replaced by Luke Thompson, who will work with special teams and fullbacks.

"Joe was a recruiting dynamo," coach Rich Ellerson told the Times Herald-Record (Middletown, N.Y.). "He made the Midwest one of our best recruiting areas. We have big shoes to fill. We probably can't fill all of the things that Joe brought to the program."

--Army played its annual spring game at Doughboy Stadium at Fort Benning, Ga., with coach Rich Ellerson saying before taking his team down there, "You know, you come from our football world, you step onto Fort Benning, and it's the same values, same metaphors. It just made too much sense.

"It'll feel as much like a game as anything you can do in the spring, with the makeup of the crowd, traveling to the game. My instincts say this is going to be a memorable moment."

--Showtime/CBS received four sports Emmy Award nominations for the "A Game of Honor" series that focused on the 2011 Army and Navy football teams.

--The Black Knights open the 2012 season at San Diego State on Sept. 8.

--Army and Boston College have swapped home dates, with BC now coming to West Point Oct. 6 and the Knights playing at BC the following season. The addition of BC gives Army a seven-game home schedule that also includes Air Force, Northern Illinois, Temple, Kent State, Ball State and Stony Brook.

KEY QUESTIONS: The object of any option offense is to keep the quarterback healthy enough to run it. Trent Steelman had been automatic at that but had injury problems at the end of last season and was shut down early in the spring. A key is developing backups and the Knights seem to be OK in that department, with the coaches really liking Angel Santiago's speed. But while the quarterback situation is interesting, the defense trying to stop people and the offense not fumbling the ball away are things that will follow the Knights into the 2012 season.

SPRING MOVERS:

QB Angel Santiago -- Will Trent Steelman have a battle on his hands for the starting job?

"There are some things that Angel does as well or better than Trent," coach Rich Ellerson told the Times Herald-Record (Middletown, N.Y.). "There's potential that he can evolve and put some pressure on that position. He's got extraordinary quick feet and I just think there's a little bit of a confidence (issue) with letting the ball go and confidence in pitching the ball aggressively on the option."

WRs Patrick Laird and E.J. Tucker -- Emerged as starting wide receivers, with the position based more on blocking than pass-catching in the option. Sophomore-to-be Chevaughn Lawrence was also in the picture.

"Packy Laird and E.J. Tucker are tough sons of guns. They catch the ball," coach Rich Ellerson told the local newspaper. "They block their tails off. They continue to be the standard bearers in terms of toughness, resiliency and consistency. ... (Chevaughn's) an extraordinary athlete who made some really good plays with the football in his hands and in the spring game in particular did a nice job of blocking, which was something that he didn't have a background with. It was great to see him come out, knocking some guys out of their shoes."

FS's Tyler Dickson and Thomas Holloway -- Both moved to other positions as coach Rich Ellerson looks to restructure the defense to keep from getting burned by the big play. Dickson was working at cornerback and Holloway at rover.

The defensive line -- A.J. Mackey, the most-experienced lineman, left the team, but coach Ellerson likes the players trying to pick up the slack, saying, "We have some guys back playing the positions that they should be as opposed to being forced into service elsewhere. ... That's (the defensive line) where a good defense starts. We are looking like we made some great gains."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We're going to have some rock stars there. That's great. Hopefully, it won't change the experience for our guys dramatically, but it does raise the butterflies that are going to be associated with this. There are going to be as many distractions associated with this as there will be for any game in October. That's really a benefit for us. This is a great indication what it's going to feel like and what we'll expect you to look like on a Saturday. This is a happy coincidence. It wasn't my intention, but I think it's going to be good for us." -- Coach Rich Ellerson on the spring game being played at Fort Benning, Ga.

2012 OUTLOOK: The Black Knights are trying to bounce back from a 3-9 season that included some terrible play away from home, and also included a whopping 26 turnovers. Some key players were lost and others are coming back from injury, but coach Rich Ellerson liked the work his team did in spring camp. A certain key is the health of quarterback Trent Steelman, who has been battling injuries since late last season. The defense gave up too many big plays last season and lost important performers. The running back positions, always important in the option, appear to be deep, led by Raymond Maples and Larry Dixon. There's still a long way to come back from 3-9, but the schedule doesn't look like a killer.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: QB Trent Steelman was shut down near the end of spring ball and word surfaced that he had arthroscopic knee surgery. Backup Angel Santiago, he of the quick feet, got important reps and could fight Steelman for the job in the fall. Raymond Maples leads a talented group of running backs that helped Army lead the country in rushing in 2011 and a key here could be whether FB Jared Hassin can stay healthy. When he's right, he's a good one, but he wasn't right last season.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Black Knights gave up seven touchdown passes of 36 yards or more last season and the defensive backfield has been rebuilt. The Knights were also weak against the run and there are new faces up front. In other words, there's work to be done on the defensive side of the ball. There are eight starter backs, but one of them isn't rover Steve Erzinger, the team's leading tackle, who will be missed. Also missing is experienced nose guard A.J. Mackey, who left the team, and linebacker Andrew Rodriguez. Justin Trimble takes over for Erzinger

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: K Alex Carlton has to be replaced, with his backup from 2011, Eric Osteen, back and sophomore Billy Fisher in the picture.

TOP NEWCOMERS:

QB A.J. Schurr -- The Army Prep starter last year could be part of the quarterback picture in 2012 but has a depth chart to climb.

ATH Elijah St. Hilaire -- An athlete who switched his commitment from Akron to Army and is listed as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com.

RB Jevon Elmore -- Ranked as the No. 10 recruit in his state by Rivals, he scored 12 touchdowns as a high school senior, including three on defense and two on special teams.

DT Jack Hanley -- It's always good when Army can swipe one from Air Force, and that's what happened with this kid, who comes to West Point after changing his mind on Air Force. The word is the 6-3, 265-pound Hanley can step right in and help the defensive line.

"(Air Force) didn't show me as much love as Army did," said Hanley. "I felt more wanted at Army."

ROSTER REPORT:

--The Black Knights were missing more than 20 players for their spring game at Fort Benning, including QB Trent Steelman.

--NG A.J. Mackey left the team.

--Junior-to-be Joe Crucitti has moved from running back to wide receiver, but he was also hurt in the spring.

--Former centers Will Wilson and Momo Kine have moved to left tackle, Wilson now having gone from center to guard to tackle while at West Point.

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