When new coach Connell Maynor and his staff at Winston-Salem State started recruiting after taking over, the job wasn't easy.
How do you convince recruits that things will get better coming off a 1-10 season?
But Maynor and his assistants found some believers, including linebacker Antonio Gates, who signed with WSSU after two seasons at a junior college.
"There was a new coach and new coaching staff, and the program was basically starting over," Gates said of his decision. "And when I came down here to visit, just the environment and everything fit in with me and what I was looking for."
Gates, a senior, is now a part of a defense that has been at its best toward the end of the season.
Defensive coordinator Kienus Boulware has assembled a unit that loves to get after the quarterback. And he'll be counting Gates and others to do just that Saturday when WSSU plays California (Pa.) at 1 p.m. at Bowman Gray Stadium in the second round of the Division II playoffs.
Gates, who went from East Coweta High School in Georgia to Louisburg College, also drew recruiting interest from Morgan State, Virginia State, Elizabeth City State and Clark-Atlanta two years ago.
He said getting used to the new coaches last season took time.
"Last year we had the new coaches, and everybody was trying to fit into the system, but this year everybody who is back knew the system and bought into the program," Gates said. "The togetherness is there."
Maynor says that Gates' strength is his versatility. Gates can drop back in coverage, blitz and stop the run. At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, he's fast enough to cover a tight end or a running back coming out of the backfield.
"Those guys that came here from junior college and had just two years did take a chance on us," Maynor said. "All we could do is sell them on what we can do and about how some of us were successful at other places.
"They had to believe in us, and they did."
On Saturday, the Rams (11-0) will face a pocket passer in 6-5 Pete Lalich. Gates expects a challenge but also pointed out that the Rams did well against other drop-back quarterbacks in defeating Chowan and UNC Pembroke.
"There really is not that much of a difference except that we don't have to worry about him running much," Gates said of Lalich. "Usually in the CIAA, there are more running-types of quarterbacks, so you had to be conscious of that. But he's not going to run, and he really just wants to pass it."
The offense has grabbed much of the attention this season for the Rams, who average 43.5 points a game, but the defense has been just as good, allowing 15.3 points. The imbalance doesn't seem to bother Gates.
"It's always like that — the offense always gets the attention because fans want to see points on the board," Gates said. "But the saying goes, offense wins games but defense wins championships."
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