UMass DE Stanley Andre adjusting seamlessly to new position http://w w w .masslive.com/umassfootball/index.ssf/2012/08/umass_de_stanley_andre_adjusti.html
August 26, 2012
Michael Beswick AMHERST — There’s a name that keeps coming up when discussing defense with coaches from the University of Massachusetts football team. Ask anyone involved with the defense, whether it’s head coach Charley Molnar, defensive coordinator Phil Elmassian, or defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo, who has stood out in camp and the name Stanley Andre comes up like a buzzword at corporate seminar. Up until the day the Minutemen began spring practice in April, Andre was a middle (mike) linebacker. In the blink of an eye, he was defensive end. “Maybe approximately As UMass transitions to a new era, Stanley Andre is transitioning to a new position. two hours prior to when we were going to start practice, we realized we had a real void at defensive end, and Coach (Elmassian) decided to take him, because he was the starting Mike, and move him down,” Sollazzo recalled. Before Elmassion made the move however, he wanted Andre’s blessing. “I called Stanley in and I asked him, because it’s usually the kid has to say yes to it to really make it work,” Elmassian said. “We were going back and forth with it. I told him that I wanted to make sure he was comfortable with it. And he was, and that’s how unselfish he is.” Talking to Andre, you can see how unselfish he really is. In the first 90 seconds of an interview, he mentioned the word team six times. “It was shocking at first, but I knew I had to do it for the team,” Andre said. “Anything that revolves around the team, I must do.” According to the coaching staff, Andre has taken to his new spot quickly. The list of praise from Molnar couldn’t have been much more complete. “He plays like he was a defensive end his whole life,” Molnar said. “He doesn’t shy from contact, he can really hold the point, he is super strong, he uses his hands very well, gets great push in the pocket, has enough speed to get around the edge — he’s really dual purpose, he can rush the passer and he’s also strong against the run.” Sollazzo concurred with Molnar’s assessment. “Where he’s come in such a short span of time is really a credit to him and his work ethic, and his
discipline and his desire to get better,” Sollazzo said. “He’s done an excellent job and he’s playing at a very high level.” Moving players from position to position is something Elmassian says he used to do at Virginia Tech under coach Frank Beamer, who is the Football Bowl Subdivision’s active all-time wins leader with 251. “At Virginia Tech, Frank does the same thing to get speed,” Elmassian said. “Take linebackers, make them ends, take ends make them tackles.” Andre’s move created a bit of a void at linebacker, but Elmassian said the staff’s focus was to get strong up front first. Andre, a Dorchester native, is listed a 6’2”, 240 pounds, but Molnar said he’s put on at least ten pounds since spring practice. Ultimately, though, the biggest challenge isn’t a physical one, according to Elmassian. “Attitude, you’ve got to want to do it. He’s so unselfish it wasn’t an issue,” he said. “That’s all it is.”