There is a new theme around Wake Forest football for followers to dig into. New head coach Jake Dickert explained the concept of how he is building a new image for the program and why it is in the dark. The coach and members of the Demon Deacons met with the media Wednesday at ACC media days in Charlotte, NC.
Bringing A New Theme To Wake Forest
Dickert, from the podium, talked about the concept of “Built in the dark.” Dickert described it as having to do with work ethic. “Built in the dark is a belief that true greatness is forged in the unseen moments,” he said. “The dark is a place where no one is watching. There’s no crowd, there’s no cameras, there’s just commitment.” He added that the dark, for his team, does not have the same meaning that it has for others. “The dark is a scary place for most because it’s unfamiliar and it’s uncomfortable, but at Wake Forest, we embrace those moments. It doesn’t scare us, it strengthens us.”
Dickert said the players have bought into it since he first discussed it with them back in January. As his evidence, he brought running back Demond Claiborne, defensive backs Davaughn Patterson, and center Devin Kylany to media days. To a man, they spoke about a new level of work ethic expected from Dickert. “It’s more than a statement and it’s more than a mantra, it’s a way of living,” Kylany said. “If we want to win on August 29th and if we want to win on Saturdays, that starts before the kickoff. That starts with the early mornings, the late nights, the film sessions, the going to sleep at the right time, the eating the right foods, all that stuff will help us win on Saturday.”
Claiborne’s Commitment
In talking about the commitment of the players, Dickert brought up, on multiple occasions, the decision by Claiborne to stay at Wake after the coaching change. “It takes guys just like this, guys like Demond that put a stake in the ground and said, I want to be here at Wake Forest, not just for the football but the value it creates for me and my life and my future,” Dickert said.
Dickert met with the star running back within a couple of hours of his introductory press conference as the new head coach back in mid-December. Claiborne was asked what was said in that meeting and what it meant to him that Dickert had put such a priority on keeping the running back at Wake.
“I think when me and Coach Dickert met, it was solely off of can he help me on the personal aspect of life. A lot of coaches during that time, when Coach Clawson stepped down, were calling my phone asking if we could give you this amount of money to come here or if we could do this for you. Coach Dickert came, and his message was, ‘How can I help you as a man off the field?’ So that’s something that stuck out to me. When I first met him, I hit the ground running. I wanted to make a statement with him, and we made it happen,” Claiborne said.
The Case For Hard Work
Dickert also addressed some of the monumental changes going on in college athletics. Among them is the reduction and potential elimination of walk-ons as schools have to get to roster reduction numbers in the coming years. The case for walk-ons was sitting on stage right next to him in Anderson, a one-time walk-on who was now a scholarship all-conference player and captain of the team. “Nick Andersen bet on himself. He bet on the belief in what he could do and what he could accomplish, and to lose some of those stories I think is one of the tougher parts of our game,” Dickert said. And he added that the roster positions provide a bigger picture opportunity for many. “Opportunity is big, and unfortunately, we’ve lost a lot of those opportunities in college football.”
Anderson talked about life from walk-on to team leader. “I’ve been very, very blessed to have so many great coaches. I couldn’t be standing here today without all of them, without all the people in my life. So truly grateful for those that have helped me get to where I am now.”
Camp opens next Tuesday in preparation for the season opener August 29th against Kennesaw State. Dickert used the new theme to prime the pump with the fan base. “We can’t wait to see Deacon Nation out at the August 29th football game. We look forward to building something really special with everybody, because the work you don’t see in the dark creates the moments that we all never forget.”
Main Image: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
