Josh Anderson, Dakota State University's football coach, has heard the rumors. People tell him some of his new recruits might not make it, and some players from last year's squad may not come back to the Trojans' roster.
Anderson isn't worried.
"My staff and I are not going to be focused on things outside of our control," said Anderson. "The only thing we can focus on is attitude and effort."
Anderson has more than three weeks to pick his players for the first game against the University of Minnesota-Morris on Sept. 12.
With players scheduled to arrive on Aug. 23 for fall camp, Anderson's biggest concern is making sure players are eligible to play when they arrive in Madison.
"It's important to the dot the I's and cross the T's. Making sure the guys know where to go and be eligible to play is going to be a big priority for my staff and I," said Anderson.
Besides eligibility, injuries are among Anderson's biggest worries.
"We don't have the luxury of depth," said Anderson. "At each program I'm at, that's what I preach: injuries and eligibility."
While Anderson has put a lot of work into non-football operations, the 1994 Madison High School graduate is happy with the current status of DSU football.
"Flat out, the way hings have turned out, it has been a lot of fun. It's been hard work, but a lot of fun," said Anderson. "When fans come to the games, I want our guys to work hard and make people proud of DSU football."
Anderson has reached out to the community through the DSU Football Classic golf tournament at the Madison Country Club on Aug. 1.
While Anderson would have liked more golfers in the first annual scramble, the support from the community made the North Dakota State graduate happy.
"The support we got was really great. Virtually all of our revenue was profit, and that's a big help," said Anderson. "It will be bigger next year."
Anderson said that his assistant, Kenny Hayes, did a great job of organizing the golf outing.
While out on the golf course, Anderson, a former All-Conference South Dakota-Iowa player, did think about the '09 football season.
"It was August. I'm just anxious to yell a little bit and go through that process with this new team," said Anderson.
The 2008 Arizona Republic Small Schools Coach of the Year at Payson Hugh School, Anderson said that he has not predicted a record for the 2009 Trojans.
"No need. If we can control the things we can control, we're going to be successful," said Anderson. "Are we going to have a battle? Absolutely. But the battle is going to be against our attitude and effort. We have the ability to win the conference and win every game. Can we? Yes."
In order to prepare the players for the nine regular-season games, Anderson said that his practices are going to be harder than the actual games.
"When they get on the field, the game will seem slower. That's what you want," said Anderson.
The tough practices will also show the DSU coaches how players respond to different situations.
"We got a lot of good athletes coming in, and we got a lot of athletes coming back, so nobody is guaranteed a spot on the field. It will be earned," said Anderson.
Anderson has assured his players that the best players will play.
"The cream will rise to the top. Some guys will impress and work hard; others won't," said Anderson.
He also indicated that he might play some players both on offense and defense, if need be.
With Anderson's many duties, including coach, mentor, fund-raiser and full-time recruiter, he plans to bring Trojan football to a higher level.
"I know the town of Madison and DSU, and there is a lot of passion with the folks surrounding them. This year's journey is going to be challenging but very rewarding," said Anderson.
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