Over The Pylon

Oh Captain, My Captain.

One of the most important things for a football team looking to establish a sense of identity, a sense of pride, and most importantly, a buy in from those in the locker room is the selection of team captains. Now that spring practice is officially over and the coaches are significantly hands off until fall practice, it becomes the responsibility of those on the team to ensure the work is being done and the progress being made. As of tonight, who will have that responsibility for the Cardinals is now official.

To the release we go…

Ball State first-year head football coach Pete Lembo has announced that five student-athletes have been selected as team captains for the 2011 season in a vote by their teammates and coaches.

Sean Baker, Kreg Hunter, Adam Morris, Briggs Orsbon and Andrew Puthoff will serve as the Cardinals’ team captains this season.

“We are confident these five student-athletes will lead and represent our football program well both on and off the field,” Lembo says. “They have been assets during the coaching transition and have earned the respect of their teammates. These guys all have outgoing personalities that will enable them to connect with the wide spectrum of players in the program. I look forward to working with them in the weeks and months to come as we continue preparations for the 2011 season.”

Baker, who also served as a team captain in 2010, was an All-Mid-American Conference Second-Team selection last season and won Ball State’s John Magnabosco Award as the team’s most valuable player. The safety set the career interceptions record for the Cardinals last season as a junior with 16.

Hunter, an offensive lineman, started five games and played in eight last season, but suffered an ankle injury and missed four contests. Hunter had started all 12 games and 15 straight prior to the injury.

Morris, a defensive tackle, started all 12 games last season and tallied a career high four tackles at Central Michigan and vs. Akron. He managed at least one tackle in 10 games and was credited with his first career sack at CMU.

Orsbon, a wide receiver, was a 2010 ESPN Academic All-District choice and owns a 4.0 grade-point average on Ball State’s 4.0 scale. He started all 12 games last season and has started 22 consecutive contests, while appearing in all 38 games in his first three seasons.

Puthoff, a defensive end, started all 12 games last season and played both defensive end and tight end. He made his first career interception at Central Michigan last year and tallied a career high nine tackles at Toledo.

Back to back on the captain game for Souleater makes me giddy. The fact that Briggs Orsbon is getting recognized for his work on and off the field is refreshing. Kreg Hunter will be perhaps the biggest key to success this season as the offensive line is the unit that will ultimately decide the fate of the 2011 Cardinals. Adam Morris and Andrew Puthoff anchor a defensive line that I expect will turn heads in the MAC. To have these five recognized for their contributions and given a leadership role for the younger players to emulate makes me even more excited for the coming year than I was. Congrats to all.

Go Cards!

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