After months of examination, review, and preparation, Ray Tellier and his staff are finally able to see the results of the 2000 recruiting process put into play.
The team of coaches, headed by Tellier, dissected and perused the records, tapes, and talents of hundreds of potential athletes in search of Columbia football class of 2004. Some 39 first-years made the cut and have been showcasing their skills on the field at Baker for the past three weeks.
Coach Tellier is most pleased that this season's recruiting class as a whole shows proficiency at many positions.
"Right when we got them onto the field, we could see that we had strength in the wide receiver position, a core of linebackers, and two very good quarterbacks. We also noticed that there was depth at tailback and a number of solid linemen," Tellier said.
Tellier understood that these first practices might not reveal all of the players' true potentials.
"As first-years, the players would have [had] a rather choppy practice schedule due to their Orientation obligations, and this might affect some of their play," Tellier said. As the season moves toward league play, Tellier will continue to make decisions about where the new players will suit up.
As per the usual procedure, this multi-talented bunch will have a chance to further hone its talents during JV games, played right after the varsity. After two or three JV games, the players' performances are assessed, and many suit up for the varsity team. There are, however, some members of this year's recruiting class who might have a chance to help out the varsity team right away.
Travis Chmelka is one of the recruits who may compete on the top level right away. The first-year wide receiver brought two balls into the end zone for the Lions in their first scrimmage of the season against Dartmouth two weekends ago. Chmelka is pleased with his early success and attributes it to having "worked hard over the summer."
Chmelka describes the transition from high school to college football as a change that required him to make certain adjustments to his approach to the game. "College football involves a lot of strategy. It is just as much mental as it is physical," he said.
Running back Ayo Oluwole, from Old Tappan, N.J., is another Lion who has stepped up to give the team early help. Finally, a lot of constructive competition and eventual success is expected from the two first-year quarterbacks, Steve Hunsberger and Roy Altman. The rivalry between the two players should increase their levels of competition so that both Lions are always on top of their games over the next four years.
This new group of talent is excited to don its light blue as the 2000 football season opens. Chmelka has positive feelings about the upcoming season as he regards his fellow teammates as "skilled individuals" and the team as "having a lot of depth." Since the recruits make up a little over a third of the 110-man squad, it is important that the recruiting class complements the talent of the more experienced and established Lions.
So far, this year's class seems to embody the perfect addition.