Walk-ons impressing new Florida A&M coach

WRs coach Ernie Mills was a UF and Steelers star

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Early in his collegiate coaching career, when he was an assistant at Johnson C. Smith University, one of Ernie Mills’ elder peers gave him some advice that has become a major part of his approach.

“He said any coach can coach the best player on the field, but to measure yourself as a coach and to get better as a coach is coaching the guy who might be the walk-on,” Mills said. “I took that to heart because I was just coming from the NFL and had never thought about the worst talent on the field, because in the NFL everybody had talent.”

Mills is finding that wisdom to be especially useful at FAMU, where he is helping Earl Holmes establish his program. Mills, who spent the last six seasons as receivers coach at Jacksonville University, said he is giving his non-scholarship players the same opportunities as the ones who are supposed to be more talented.

Keeping the playing field even will help him determine who will give the Rattlers the best chance to win, he said.

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