Just got done talking to Jammie Kirlew, a senior defensive player on the 2009 squad. He, as expected, is extremely optimistic about the season ahead.
Kirlew said he understands why the public turned against the IU football team last year. He did not use injuries as an excuse. Instead, he said poor execution and inconsistent leadership caused the infamous 3-9 record. (NOTE- when he says leadership, that doesn't attribute to Lynch and the coaching staff. There were some players who visibly weren't giving it their all.)
Under his senior leadership, Kirlew said every player has to play with tons of intensity and 110%. The lack of fundamentals will not be tolerated, he explained.
Kirlew did note some players are making critical strides. He told me the coaching staff is implementing a lot of changes on both sides of the ball. He hopes people will look past ugly 2008 and hop onto the 2009 bandwagon.
Stay tuned for a more in-depth discussion about Kirlew and the IU football team in Wednesday's IDS.
-Leno
