By MIKE ORGAN, Staff Writer
Coach says many injuries cost Tigers an OVC title
Tennessee State quarterback Antonio Heffner is healthy again, and if he can improve his game management skills he could lead the Tigers to the OVC title.
It hurts James Webster to talk about injuries. Especially the ones Tennessee State encountered last season.
It hurts the Tigers coach because he hates to blame injuries for shortcomings.
But if so many of TSU's key players hadn't been hurt, Webster believes the Tigers would have come even closer to winning the Ohio Valley Conference title last year than they did.
If the Tigers avoid injuries this year, then they expect again to be in the hunt for the conference title.
TSU headed into the final game with a shot at the championship, but lost at Eastern Kentucky 20-3 and finished behind UT Martin and Eastern Illinois, which tied for first.
''All that needs to happen for us to contend for the title is for us to stay healthy,'' Webster said. ''It wasn't so much that it was an inordinate amount of injuries last season, but I've never been anywhere where you had so many injuries to key people.''
TSU stars started falling early. First it was starting offensive tackle Avern Alexander in the first series of the first game who was lost for the season with an ankle injury.
In the second game, North Carolina transfer Mike Mason, the team's best receiver, went down with a knee injury.
Late in the year quarterback Antonio Heffner suffered a shoulder injury, which never fully healed.
The list went on and on and included linebacker Kalvin Baker, a transfer from Florida and the leading tackler at the time, who hurt his knee.
''All teams have injuries, I realize that,'' Webster said. ''But it was just the fact that it was to key people for us.''
No let-up
Keeping key players healthy is a priority this year, but Webster won't back off from the heavy demands he places on his team.
''I'll never be easier on a football team; that's not in my vocabulary,'' Webster said. ''All of those guys got hurt in the games; they didn't get hurt in practice. So I'm not worried that it was anything we were doing in practice.''
Not only is Heffner healthy again, he says he is prepared to be the leader the Tigers needed last year.
''Last season I was just out there, and my teammates were depending on me because of what they had heard about me,'' said Heffner, who transferred from South Carolina. ''Now everybody knows what I can do. They expect me to be their leader on and off the field.
''We're more of an experienced team this year, we know what to expect in the OVC, and we believe we can win a championship.''
Coach says many injuries cost Tigers an OVC title
Tennessee State quarterback Antonio Heffner is healthy again, and if he can improve his game management skills he could lead the Tigers to the OVC title.
It hurts James Webster to talk about injuries. Especially the ones Tennessee State encountered last season.
It hurts the Tigers coach because he hates to blame injuries for shortcomings.
But if so many of TSU's key players hadn't been hurt, Webster believes the Tigers would have come even closer to winning the Ohio Valley Conference title last year than they did.
If the Tigers avoid injuries this year, then they expect again to be in the hunt for the conference title.
TSU headed into the final game with a shot at the championship, but lost at Eastern Kentucky 20-3 and finished behind UT Martin and Eastern Illinois, which tied for first.
''All that needs to happen for us to contend for the title is for us to stay healthy,'' Webster said. ''It wasn't so much that it was an inordinate amount of injuries last season, but I've never been anywhere where you had so many injuries to key people.''
TSU stars started falling early. First it was starting offensive tackle Avern Alexander in the first series of the first game who was lost for the season with an ankle injury.
In the second game, North Carolina transfer Mike Mason, the team's best receiver, went down with a knee injury.
Late in the year quarterback Antonio Heffner suffered a shoulder injury, which never fully healed.
The list went on and on and included linebacker Kalvin Baker, a transfer from Florida and the leading tackler at the time, who hurt his knee.
''All teams have injuries, I realize that,'' Webster said. ''But it was just the fact that it was to key people for us.''
No let-up
Keeping key players healthy is a priority this year, but Webster won't back off from the heavy demands he places on his team.
''I'll never be easier on a football team; that's not in my vocabulary,'' Webster said. ''All of those guys got hurt in the games; they didn't get hurt in practice. So I'm not worried that it was anything we were doing in practice.''
Not only is Heffner healthy again, he says he is prepared to be the leader the Tigers needed last year.
''Last season I was just out there, and my teammates were depending on me because of what they had heard about me,'' said Heffner, who transferred from South Carolina. ''Now everybody knows what I can do. They expect me to be their leader on and off the field.
''We're more of an experienced team this year, we know what to expect in the OVC, and we believe we can win a championship.''
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