Proposed parish pipeline provides promise
May 3, 2011
Rebecca Cheramie
May 5, 2011
They say first impressions last a lifetime.
If that’s the case, three former Nicholls State football players who are now in the NFL will be enamored with coach Charlie Stubbs forever.
Former Colonels standouts Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Robinson and Washington Redskins cornerback Kareem Moore all returned to Thibodaux during the team’s final spring scrimmage to get their first glimpse at the team under its second-year coach.
And when it was all said and done, the trio all left John L. Guidry Stadium beaming about the direction the program is headed.
“Sometimes changes are necessary,” Moore said. “Hopefully everything is changing for the better and hopefully those guys can get on the right track and have a heck of a season. From what I saw today, I think that’ll be the case.”
One of the reasons why the players say they are impressed with Stubbs is his organizational skills.
Nicholls practices are scripted almost to the second and Stubbs micromanages time better than most coaches.
“The first thing I noticed is it’s very organized,” Robinson said. “It was organized when I was here, too, but it’s like it’s just on a higher level. And that’s something good to see. It’s getting better every year.”
Webb agreed and said from better time management, the team is able to focus more on dotting I’s and crossing T’s in their scheme, which he believes is the key to winning close games.
“I just love the way that he has it all organized,” Webb said. “The whole facility, the whole football team, I guess he turned it around and I’m liking it. I’m in with it.”
Aside from the preparation, the biggest difference between now and when the players were in Thibodaux is the offense.
Robinson was a little-utilized wide receiver in the heavily run-oriented triple option attack. Webb’s athleticism was used as a two-way player who spent some time playing quarterback in the system.
Both players say they believe this scheme change is for the better.
“It’s way different,” Robinson said. “They run that spread offense now that everyone’s talking about. When I played, we ran the triple option, kind of a boring offense. But I had to do what I had to do. I wish we’d have thrown it around a little more when I played, though.”
“It’s working. I don’t know too much about the spread. All I know is the triple option,” Webb said with a laugh. “But it seems like he’s moving the ball with it. That’s all Nicholls really needed was to score a couple more touchdowns, you know, because their defense is usually on point. I’m just enjoying it man. I’m excited about what they are doing.”
Once they got on campus, Stubbs welcomed all three players with open arms, inviting each to give a speech to the team prior to the close of spring to give them pointers about what they should look out for in the upcoming season, both on and off the field.
Stubbs said he was able to do that because of the players’ ability to lead a winning lifestyle in both athletics and in day-to-day life.
“I invited Lardarius and Antonio to speak to the team on Saturday morning and share their thoughts, not just on the athletics’ aspect, but also about doing right and taking care of their academics,” the coach said. “It was a great message because it echoes the things I’m trying to teach our players as they develop and mature.”
That ability to come home and be welcomed with open arms was what each player said was the most important thing to them, because they didn’t expect initially to be received so warmly by a coach they never played for.
“Yeah, he fully embraced us, man. It’s like we were his players,” Robinson said. “He’s a good coach. He’s really going into the community and he’s showing that love.”
Webb took it a step further and said he envies the current team for being able to play for such a well-established coach.
“I love him. I wish he were my coach,” Webb said. “Not taking nothing from Coach Thomas, because I wish he were my coach, too, but I wish we had Coach Stubbs when I was here. I like him, great guy, great resume, he’s been around. What else better do these kids need than him? So hey, he’s got it, he’s the man.”
All of the warm and fuzzy moments aside, a coach’s job is to win, and Nicholls believes Stubbs will do that, too in their second season with the coach.
All three players believe the program is on firm footing for the foreseeable future.
“Hopefully they can build on the season that they had last year, especially at the end and come back and have a winning season,” Moore said. “They have the right guy in place to make it happen.”
At the team’s spring scrimmage, three former Nicholls football players returned to show their support for the team and new coach Charlie Stubbs. Pictured (from left) are Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Robinson, Stubbs and Washington Redskins cornerback Kareem Moore. LISA NEAL
