ASU Rams on No. 9 preseason ranking: ‘We are blessed’

ALBANY, GA — The Albany State football team stepped onto the practice field Tuesday as one of the Top 10 Division II teams in the nation, but coach Mike White said he isn’t even thinking twice about the preseason honor.

The Rams are tied for ninth in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Division II Preseason Coaches’ Poll, which was released Monday. ASU ended last season ranked fourth in the national poll. This season, the Rams received 379 votes and are tied with Bloomsburg (Penn.) to start their 2011 campaign.

Several ASU players echoed their coach’s belief Tuesday that rankings — especially those in the preseason — matter very little.

“The rankings really don’t matter,” senior running back Darryl Carey said. “We come out here and work hard every day and expect to be a good team. When we come out here on this field, we practice hard, we work hard in the offseason, we have some great coaches, and we are blessed to be on the field.”

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