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Miami, FSU Seeking To Change Losing Ways

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By TIM REYNOLDS

Associated Press

Published: July 22, 2008

GREENSBORO, Ga - . Bitter rivals can think alike. Case in point: The way Miami and Florida State players are starting to demand more from themselves in an effort to get back to their winning ways.

Both schools - unbeknownst to the other - added player leadership committees this past offseason, hoping they will spur a turnaround from the mediocre records each has posted in the past two seasons. The basic tenet of both is that veteran players are the clear and active leaders of the locker room, trying to ensure that everyone is working together toward common goals and not burdening coaches with those tasks.

Florida State, which has a separate leadership council to decide lesser issues such as which warm-up music to play before games, chose about 11 players to serve as their committee members; Miami selected seven to serve after the entire roster was polled.

"It's only going to make a program that much better," Florida State defensive end Everette Brown said Sunday at the ACC football kickoff. "You hear so much talk about getting Florida State back to the top, Miami back to the top. It has to start somewhere. And everything is in the now. What we do now as a program is going to affect us throughout the whole season. And with players taking ownership of the team, there can be nothing greater than that."

Coaches couldn't agree more.

Florida State's Bobby Bowden said last week that he'll demand players be more responsible for themselves, especially after an academic scandal that hung over the team last season, in which the Seminoles finished with their second consecutive 7-6 record.

And Miami coach Randy Shannon said he's in favor of players doing things like this, and was quick to point out that in some respects, it's already had a positive impact on his program.

"It shows that people look up to you, but it's also a big responsibility," Miami offensive lineman Jason Fox said. "You can't let your teammates down. They're like family. So when something's wrong or something needs correcting, it's your responsibility now."

Florida State's player reps include Brown, Tony Carter, Darius McClure, Myron Rolle, Antone Smith, Ryan McMahon, Dekoda Watson, Derek Nicholson and quarterback Drew Weatherford, who found it interesting that Miami added a similar initiative.

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