Detroit’s own Wayne State University Warriors football team is making some serious history.Wayne State has always been a vehicle and incubator for exceptional athletes and scholars, but right now the football team is taking center stage with their collective effort on the fields of play.
Led by head coach Paul Winters, the Warriors are now one game from competing in the Division II championship game following the selection committee’s decision to bypass Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) champion Hillsdale.
The Wayne State did not shed any tears for that decision, especially after what happened to them last year. The Warriors were left out of the Division II playoffs by the NCAA selection committee because they claimed their strength of schedule was not as strong as those picked ahead of them.
The Warriors have shown the selection committee that their faith in them this year is justified. Being a sixth seed in their six-team region, the Warriors (11-3) won at St. Cloud State, Nebraska-Kearney and last weekend they overcame the defending national champion Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, 31-25.
Wayne State, a team that has never played in the NCAA Division II playoffs before this year is poised to ease on down to North Carolina Saturday contest Winston-Salem (13-0) in the semifinals.
No matter if the Warriors win or loss Saturday, Winters a two-time GLIAC Coach of the Year (2006 and 2008), produced in 2009 the most wins in a season (8) and conference (7), and, became the first team in school history to be ranked in the AFCA poll.
Then he followed that 2009 season up with a 2010 campaign that saw his squad finished the season ranked 12th, its highest finish in the coaches poll. And the Warriors finished the regular season 9-2 and set school records for wins, conference wins (eight) and points scored (347).
Winters, 51, is dealing with reports that claim he is being courted by his former city and alma mater, Akron. In Akron he played high school football and matriculated to the University of Akron where he became the school’s seventh all-time leading rusher and was named 1980 UA Athlete of the Year. He has also spent nine years at the University of Akron as running backs coach/offensive coordinator.
When Wayne State Director of Athletics Rob Fournier selected Paul Winters to become the school’s 19th head football coach in 2003, the university had only five winning seasons in 20 years.
Fournier knew Winters abilities noting that “Paul had all the qualities” Wayne State has identified as necessary for a football coach. “He has a proven record of success in working with student-athletes both on and off the playing field,” Fournier said.
One theme the Warriors have implemented since Winters took over the team is that his team is opportunistic on defense and special teams, and methodical with purpose on offense.
The university agrees as it has built new coaches offices and meetings rooms behind the stadium, and a multi-purpose indoor building is set to open next month. The building includes tennis courts, an indoor track, and enough room for the football team to conduct practices. Perennial GLIAC powers Grand Valley and Hillsdale have also taken notice at what is happening at the Detroit school on Woodward Avenue.
Winters is finding a way to recruit stellar student/athletes. Four of his young men have made All-Region. Seniors wide receiver Troy Burrell and left tackle Joe Long earned First Team All-Region honors and were the top vote-getters at their position. Senior safety Jeremy Jones also was named to the First Team All-Region. Senior running back Josh Renel earned Second Team All-Region honors.
Winters is getting better talent each season and he has acknowledged that he expects more for his players. “I felt like last year we arrived,” Winters said. “I really thought this year we were the best team in the league, but we lost three games by a total of 12 points. It was a matter of us, not the opponents. I think we are at a point in the program where we can sustain excellence.”
Leland Stein can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @LelandSteinIII
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