Army coach Rich Ellerson is reverting back to the captain system of 2010 for the upcoming season.
Ellerson said junior defensive end Jarrett Mackey, who was named legacy captain by the 2011 senior class, will be joined by game captains (different members of 2012 senior class) for the first seven or eight weeks.
“My mindset going in is our seniors are going to serve in leadership roles then we will chose captains down the stretch once we’d had a chance to go around the block a few times,” Ellerson said. “Inevitably, we are going to be looking at the last four or five games, at that point in time, the challenge will be clear. ‘This is what we have to do. These are the challenges the team faces. This is the challenge that the schedule presents. Now, that we’ve been at this for a while, who are the guys that we want to lead us downthe stretch.’”
Ellerson said he has, “an extraordinary senior class and we need to give those guys an opportunity to all fulfill a leadership responsibility. The entire class does. That’s the nature of the institution.”
Last season, Steve Erzinger was named the legacy captain. The team picked two season-long captains (Max Jenkins and Andrew Rodriguez) in the preseason to join Erzinger.
Army’s 2012 25-member, senior class includes three-year starting quarterback Tretn Steelman, cornerback Josh Jackson, a two-year starter, slotback Malcolm Brown and Frank Allen, another two-year starter.
“Jarrett, of course, is the chairmen of the board, we are going to have rotating responsibilities through those first game weeks,” Ellerson said. “Those guys will know going into the summer what the schedule is.”
