Albany State: Grateful, not entitled

MACON — The championship rings sparkled under the lights Wednesday at SIAC Football Media Day.

For Albany State seniors Derrick Drayton, Cameron Watts and De’Avery Weeks, the jewelry represents more than last season’s conference championship. It also serves as a reminder of the responsibility they now carry.

When the Golden Rams report for preseason camp Aug. 4, the three veterans will be the only returning starters from last year’s SIAC championship team.

New head coach David Bowser is counting on them to help lead a roster replacing nearly an entire starting lineup.

“The standard has been set for more than 20 years,” Bowser said. “I am excited to lead these young men that understand what Albany State football means to this university and this community. We have some important returners coming back that will help with leadership.”

Bowser arrived in Albany knowing he had inherited one of Division II football’s most successful programs. He also understood that winning tradition alone won’t carry the Golden Rams through another season.

That’s why he has adopted a simple message for his team.

“Grateful, not entitled.”

Replacing almost an entire starting lineup leaves little room for assumptions.

Every position must be earned.

Every role must be embraced.

For Bowser, gratitude and accountability will define this year’s team just as much as talent.

“We’ve had 70 to 75 guys out here working this summer,” Bowser said. “That shows commitment and dedication. They love being together and working together, and when you have that you can get to the next level.”

Bowser believes chemistry may become one of Albany State’s greatest strengths.

“With that commitment, they play hard for each other and work to make sure they don’t let each other down,” he said. “The standard is the standard, but we are also grateful, not entitled.”

Watts, a senior linebacker from Tyrone, said the roster may look different, but the expectations inside the program remain unchanged.

“I like the pieces we have,” Watts said. “The coaches, the players, the community. I’ve got a good feeling. This is a different team, but we have set the same standard, so we have to push to be better.”

Weeks, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior defensive lineman from Jacksonville, Fla., said leadership now falls squarely on the returning veterans.

“The standard is the standard,” Weeks said. “It is up to us to make sure that we level up our roles.”

The Golden Rams enter the season with lofty expectations despite returning only three starters.

Albany State was ranked No. 3 in last week’s inaugural NCAA-sanctioned Black College Football Poll but was projected to finish fourth in the SIAC’s Predicted Order of Finish released during Media Day.

Bowser has acknowledged that replacing so many experienced players naturally creates uncertainty. He also believes the culture established during the summer will help bridge that gap.

Summer workouts have concluded, and the next chapter begins Aug. 4 when the Golden Rams open preseason camp in Albany.

The season opener follows Aug. 29 in Tallahassee, where Albany State will face FAMU, former Golden Rams head coach Quinn Gray and former Albany State quarterback Isaiah Knowles.

For Bowser, the challenge isn’t defending last year’s championship.

It’s building the next one.

And he believes that journey starts with three veterans wearing championship rings—and an entire team embracing a simple philosophy.

“Grateful,” Bowser said, “not entitled.”