Charger Changes Reflect New Tenor : New Coach Ross Is Firm but Positive in First Camp

SAN DIEGO —  After his first mini-camp practice, Dan Henning took exception to reporters’ questions and walked off.

After Bobby Ross finished his first and second press briefings, he thanked reporters for coming.

“He’s cool,” said running back Ronnie Harmon.

After four days of mini-camp, Ross remains unrattled as the Chargers’ new head coach. The receivers still drop the ball, defensive back Donald Frank got beat deep by lumbering running back Marion Butts, and Burt Grossman jumps offsides, but Bobby Ross is happy.

Or, as he says so often in his interviews, “I am not displeased.

He was billed as “Boss Ross,” the military disciplinarian, when he was hired to replace Henning. First impressions suggest this is no Mike Ditka.

He doesn’t yell. Four days of practice with the same group of players who went 4-12 last season, and he did not yell once. He watched his charges work, and he said, “Good. Good. Good. Good. Good.”

What he lacks in vocabulary, however, he makes up for in enthusiasm. He claps his hands a lot, pats players on the back, and showers them with “atta-boys.” It’s not clear if his team will win any more football games this year, but the Charger Girls are in for some cheerleading competition.

“I got an, ‘atta-boy,’ the first day,” linebacker Gary Plummer said, “and felt like a college guy again.”

Quarterback John Friesz completed a pass to Shawn Jefferson, and while that may be cause for celebration, Ross reacted like the play had clinched a playoff berth.

“I was coming back to the huddle and Ross was all excited and he stuck his hand out,” Friesz said. “I was surprised. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to shake my hand or slap it or what? So I sort of just gave him a thumb’s up.”

Al Saunders, former Charger head coach, liked to carry on like this at practice, too, but only when team owner Alex Spanos was in attendance.

“I have been very satisfied with what our team has done so far,” Ross said. “I can be a hard ass, but it all depends on what I see is needed. Right now I am not displeased. I turn, ask a player what play has been called, and he knows it. That’s what I’m interested in.”

This is no teacher turning his back to the class to do work on the chalkboard. He’s on top of the defense, knows the play being run on offense, and insists that those in reserve know the same.

“You see guys paying attention more,” cornerback Gill Byrd said. “He wants to make sure if you’re not getting a physical rep, you’re getting a mental rep. He’s harping on everything; it has to be done right. I like that.”

Ross jogged from drill to drill. If he liked what he saw, he pointed at a player, cocked his head to the side in recognition, and like a proud father, rewarded the player with a wink. And then he added, “Good. Good. Good. Good.”

“It’s fun to watch him,” linebacker Billy Ray Smith said. “He patted me on the top of the head once and then slipped me a biscuit.”

The cap is pulled silly tight down over the forehead, the legs are buckled forward at the knees and a whistle is in his mouth. He’s all football coach. His body wiggles with every twist and turn made by the ball carrier. When the whistle blows, the play is over. Botch the play, hear the whistle again, and rerun the play.

“Coach Henning’s philosophy was to let the players go through practice and coach them up in films afterward,” Friesz said. “Now it’s happening on the field, and re-enforced in the meetings.

“Coach Henning didn’t say anything when you did something poorly and he didn’t necessarily commend you when you did something good. I think Ross is trying to be real positive. Even if something is real bad, Ross will say, ‘that’s all right, we’ll get it next time.’ He’s trying to build a positive attitude. You know, the mental makeup of a team separates a close win from a close loss.”

After four days with Ross these guys must feel like they are seven-point favorites to win the Super Bowl.

“Everything is tremendously positive and that’s a huge difference,” Plummer said. “I haven’t heard Ross say anything negative since he’s been here.

“You’re still disciplining when you come up to somebody and point out a mistake in a positive way. That’s the difference this year. I’ve been amazed at the little things that have been pointed out so far, and the way in which it has been done. Guys feel good about making a change.”

Not everyone has swallowed happy pills. Several players refused comment on the change in leaders, while some reserved judgment.

“Henning was stand back and let it happen; Ross gets into it more,” said defensive lineman Burt Grossman. “Just two different styles.”

Ross allows his assistants to do the coaching, but he has hand on every facet of the game. He calls his players by their first name, and does so like a man who knows all there is to know about each of them.

“I like my players,” he said. “If I see something wrong, I’m going to call a player into my office and tell him. If I see something as a team that I don’t like, I might get them together quietly and make a point or two. I believe in positive re-enforcement; it’s the same way I raised my children.”

Wide receiver Erik Affholter went diving to the ground in an attempt to catch a pass, and while it was apparent to reporters that he had dropped it, Ross’ view had been blocked. “You caught that ball, Erik,” said an eager Ross as he ran to Affholter. “You did. You did. You did.”

Maybe you have what it takes to tell youngsters there is no Santa Claus, but not Affholter.

“I think practices are sharper; he’s on top of everything,” General Manager Bobby Beathard said. “He’s a worrier like (Washington’s) Joe Gibbs. Like Joe, he goes back and forth and is worried about every little thing. It’s nice to see someone like that; he doesn’t leave anything to chance.

“There’s also a firmness there. He’s not going to be screaming and yelling like Ditka, but he’s every bit as strong as that type of guy.”

He’s serious. “Very serious,” Harmon said, “but in a fun way.”

When Affholter made a leaping catch on the sideline, the offensive players applauded while the defensive players argued that he had landed out of bounds. Ross egged the players on by pointing to Channel 39’s Jim Stone on the sideline. “You make the call, Jim,” he said. “It’s up to you.”

When he was asked to describe a heel injury to Byrd, Ross likened it to one that might be suffered by a runner. “Of course, you wouldn’t know about that,” he said with a twinkle, while addressing a reporter.

“He’s a nice guy off the field,” said defensive line coach George O’Leary, who coached with Ross at Georgia Tech. “But don’t mistake niceness for weakness. I think he’s a strong, strong person on the field.”

Henning’s troops were criticized by management for lacking an attention to detail. Management took offense to the lackadaisical approach some players took to practice. They contend now that Ross will be more demanding.

“He’s not going to put up with miscues on or off the field,” said Billy Devaney, director of player personnel. “He doesn’t care who you are. No exceptions: It’s put up or shut up.”

All is well in April, however. The players are eager to impress their new commander, and everyone is fighting to hang onto their job. What happens come September?

“It’s going to be on Coach Ross,” Byrd said. “You can’t start to be inconsistent. Players see you say something, and then not stick to it, and then they start to think that maybe you’re not serious in other areas, too.

“Right now it’s just minicamp. There isn’t that sense of urgency. Everything is fine. When the fire gets turned up, that’s when we’ll see how everyone reacts. The regular season, that’s the key, and then we’ll see.”