North Carolina Football Association (NCFA)

Greensboro:
In his third season as Greensboro's head coach, Robert Walker, saw his team go from being a potential playoff team to the worst team in the league.  

Greensboro comes into the 2009 draft a bit frustrated about what went wrong last year, but hoping to take advantage of the number one pick to make something happen for the future.  None of their rookie picks had an impact last season, but they are all still on the roster.  This year they will be looking for some help on the defensive line and some real speed to add to their defensive backfield.  Reginald Oneill or Joe Wirth are considered to be the most likely first round picks by Greensboro, but coach Robert Walker says it comes down to who he thinks can have an impact.  "We could use help at any position, so anyone that we think can come in and have an impact this season will get our attention," Walker said recently in a sit down interview.  "We were shut out three weeks running last year, twice at home.  Everyone knows that we want to play a tight game built around ball control and defense.  We can't afford to give up points, but more than that we have to be able to control the tempo of the game, and last year we just couldn't do it.  Teams were able to run on us and we were unable to keep any offensive momentum going."  

A lot of fans looked to the troubles Greensboro had at QB.  Bradford Kokotan and Jason Fisher both struggled throwing 11 interceptions to only 5 TDs, but Walker doesn't think it is that simple.  "Fisher and Kokotan can't help guys get open.  I'm
not excusing their poor play, but it was really a full collapse on the part of the offensive players not just on the part of our quarterbacks."  Walker points to the fact that he was forced to play Butch Calloway last year at FB simply because Giles Dixon showed an inconsistency to block on either run or pass plays.  "I respect the hell out of Butch, but he and I both know that with him in there we are limiting our chances to produce big offensive plays.  He just doesn't have the explosiveness of Giles, and Giles either needs to step up this year or we are going to have to reexamine his place on this team."  

Walker also pointed to the disappointing play of his defensive line and especially Whitney Gadson.  "We brought Whitney in to have an impact on other teams and to be honest he got picked on last year.  The defense as a whole needs some real work, but I expect these linemen to do better this year."  There doesn't seem to be a lot of line help in the rookie draft this year, but Walker says he's been watching NCFA2 closely, and hoping to find someone who can come in and help spark something.

If Walker is unable to turn Greensboro around it could be the end of his job, his third team in the NCFA and very likely his last as a head coach.  

---

Want to be your own boss? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.