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GREENSBORO -- On a day when debt-ridden Greensboro College named an acting CEO to help find a new chancellor, across town the Pride's senior leaders wanted to talk about X's and O's under their new head coach.

The head coaches and eight players from Greensboro, Guilford, N.C. A&T and Elon all gathered for the Greensboro Sports Commission's Football Kickoff at the coliseum Tuesday.

And although the economic outlook remains bleak, all 12 men at the podium shared an outlook of hope for the season ahead.

"I try not to think about it too much," senior safety Andreas Platt said of the financial threats facing his school. "It's a little scary, but the best thing I can do right now is focus on going to class and playing football."

Football will look much, much different at Greensboro this season under new head coach Randy Hunt and new offensive coordinator Jimmy Teague.

"We're all going to feel like freshmen," senior quarterback Michael Caparaso said. "Even the seniors are going to be feeling like freshmen because we're starting over."

Caparaso said the Pride's offense had been "one-dimensional" in the past, but under Teague's tutelage it should be much more balanced and feature more misdirection.

GUILFORD: The Quakers will look much different this year as well -- and so will their home field.

Guilford installed a Field Turf playing surface at 2,200-seat Armfield Athletic Center this summer. Running back Justin Parker can't wait to try it out in a game.

"There's more spring to it, and it makes you faster," Parker said.

Parker leads a revamped offense that plays without the school's all-time passing leader -- Josh Vogelbach -- for the first time in four seasons.

"We had a good four-year run with that group," coach Kevin Kiesel said. "Now it's up to these guys. It's their time."

N.C. A&T: There's eager. There's really eager. Then there's Alonzo-Lee-eager.

The Aggies new head coach, who built Morgan State's defense into one of the best in the nation, is obviously excited to start the season.

He's added energy to spare to A&T's program.

"We're working hard, and we can't wait for that first game," Lee told the crowd. "We're going to leave the buses at home and jog down I-40 to play Winston-Salem (State)."

The crowd laughed. But players Tyre Glasper and Carlton Fears only smiled.

ELON: Once upon a time, quarterback Scott Riddle, a former News & Record high school player of the year, threw 50-odd passes per game as a freshman under then-new coach Pete Lembo.

Those days are gone. And Riddle, now a junior in his third year as the starter, will gladly sacrifice stats for wins.

"We'd get a lot of quick scores," Riddle said, "but we'd also get a lot of three-and-outs. We just kept our defense on the field too long."

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com