news-record.com

GREENSBORO — All through the long, hot summer, N.C. A&T’s football players worked out under the watchful eye of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The bigger-than-life Nobel Prize winner watched every practice from a values.com billboard along Route 29. The slogan next to his photo read: “Peace. Pass it on.”

Truth is, there has been precious little peace around the Aggies’ program since head coach Bill Hayes was forced out after the 2002 season.

The seniors on this year’s team suffered through back-to-back 0-11 seasons followed by a 3-9 record last year. Now they’re playing for their third head coach in four years.

And yet, to a man, they’re optimistic about the coming season for two reasons:

* New head coach Alonzo Lee, an enthusiastic leader, has worked miracles as a defensive coordinator.

* Along with his enthusiasm, Lee has brought along an infusion of young talent to the Aggies’ roster.

“Coach Lee brings a certain swagger with him,” senior defensive end Jarrell Herring said. “It’s just a no-nonsense swagger, a know-we’re-going-to-win swagger.”

Know we’re going to win? From a team that went 1-7 in the MEAC last year and was picked to finish eighth in a preseason poll?

“That stuff’s all based off last season,” Herring said. “We finished 3-8 (sic). Who wouldn’t pick us eighth? We’ve got to go out and prove them wrong.

“I think we’re going to win this year. People are going to be surprised with this run we make.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise so far has been Lee. A defensive coordinator for 12 seasons, his defenses have ranked No. 1 in the MEAC five times.

But there he was in practice, a burly, light-on-his-feet left-hander working one-on-one with the Aggies’ quarterbacks, fine tuning the offense.

“Our quarterbacks coach (Mike Morand) did an internship in the NFL,” Lee said, “… so I had an opportunity to really work with the quarterbacks. It was just a few wrinkles that I wanted to make sure that were installed because they were wrinkles that hurt me as a defensive coach.”

Senior quarterback Carlton Fears will run those wrinkles as the undisputed leader of the Aggies’ offense. A part-time player last season, Fears completed just 37.8 percent of his passes.

But that was then, and this is now.

“Carlton has really come on as a dominating factor in our offense. That’s why I can confidently say I really believe we have a high-scoring offense,” Lee said. “I really feel we have a 35- or 40-point offense.”

That would be a remarkable turnaround, considering the Aggies scored more than 35 points once in 12 games last year, and more than two touchdowns just four times.

But this year’s group can run. Newcomer Mike Mayhew, a sophomore, has won the starting tailback job with his speed and moves. Another speedster, freshman Dontavious Payne, “is right behind him,” Lee said. Junior Nigel Tomlin averaged 5.5 yards per carry in a backup role last season, and bruising junior college transfer Tony Coles adds power to the speedy backfield.

Another freshman, speedy wideout Larry Raper, will get a chance to play in the Aggies’ already young receiving corps.

Senior tight end Brett Fisher returns after sitting out last season, and he likes what he has seen so far.

“The biggest difference,” Fisher said, “is we’re not going out there saying 'I hope we win this game’ anymore. Now it’s 'how many points are we going to win by.’ It’s much different.”

Lee inherits a veteran defense anchored by preseason all-MEAC picks Tyre Glasper at defensive end and Andre Thornton at linebacker. But newcomers hold six backup spots on the depth chart and will be counted on to play.

“We have some young guys that will make a difference for us,” Lee said. “No doubt about it: We’re going to play them, and they’re going to have to grow up early.”

Lee said the group grew together during training camp.

For what it’s worth, Desmond Tutu appeared to like what he saw from atop the billboard overlooking A&T’s practice field.

The archbishop is smiling broadly in the giant photo.

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