After a 2011 season in which the Yellowjacket football program went through a major overhaul, Head Coach Jeff Douglas and his staff appear to have the team headed in the right direction. "Last season was a struggle," said Douglas about the 2010 campaign. "Now however, our staff has had the opportunity to put in place the infrastructure we want, spend a full year together as a staff and recruit the type of player that fits our program."
Douglas added, "We're really looking forward to this season and the strides I think we've made will show. It's going to be an exciting year of Graceland football," finished Douglas.
Offense
Revamping a stagnant 2010 offense has probably been the most difficult task for Coach Jeff Douglas and his staff. The offense will again be under the tutelage of 2nd year Offensive Coordinator Richard Davis. Coach Davis is a former Arena League 2 head coach that brings a high-powered up tempo approach to the offense.
Under the direction of offensive line coach Erik Coffey, the o-line is an area in need of major improvement for the Jackets. Although Graceland will have returning starters Dialo Wells and Donald Moore to anchor Coach Coffey's line, the need for depth and experience was a major area of concern for the coaching staff this past off-season. Newcomers Parker Grundman, Wendell Williamson and Jon Cortez should bring much need help up-front for the Jackets to go along with the experience of the returners.
The quarterback reigns will be handed over to NCAA division II transfer, Matt Fink. Fink brings athleticism, accuracy and a strong arm to the position and should really help bring stability to a position that, in 2010, was ever changing.
In the backfield, Graceland will have several talented players to choose from. Between returners Dirinna Uwakwe and Nate Collier and NCAA division II transfers Jeff Kline and Reggie Ramey the battle for the running back position should be a fun one to watch.
The Graceland receiving core returns the greatest number of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Senior receiving tandom Ricardo Johnson and Brandon Williams lead the corp and they will be joined by several fresh faces including Des Moines North star, Isaac Newsome.
Defense
The strong suit of last year's team was without a doubt the defense. Heading into his second season at the helm of the Jacket defense is former Florida State Seminole standout, Dominic Robinson. Robinson's defense played solid, smash-mouth football last year and was consistently ranked in the top half of NAIA team defenses.
Returning up front and anchoring the defensive line are William Fisher-Sims and Isaiah Williams. Williams played for Hoover HS in Hoover, Alabama, and was featured on MTV's "Two-A-Days" while in high school. Newcomer Evan Curruthers is also expected to contribute.
The linebacking crew for the 2011 football squad is solid. GU is returning all-conference performers Chad Belt and Tyler Hosfield along with talented backer, Jason Brown who really splashed onto the scene last year for the Jackets making a huge impact.
The area defensively that Graceland continues to improve on the most is its defensive secondary. Returning strong safety Dorian Smith and cornerback James Andrews provide the most experience. Highly touted, Texas native Eric Escamilla should also see significant time for GU. Escamilla is an all-state performer from the Brownsville area.
Following three consecutive difficult seasons, Graceland head coach Jeff Douglas is really hoping the full year of cohesiveness inside the program as well as the talented recruiting class coming in helps the Jackets turn the corner. This year's Jacket team is determined to do just that.
