If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

But try this time at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich.

Sixteen players on the Lakers transferred there after attending another college. Half of those players come after already playing with Division I programs.

For every transfer, various factors play out in the decision to switch to Grand Valley State. But a theme emerges, one that shows that this Division II program has become an outlet for football players to receive a second chance.

The program offers a new opportunity not only to play, but to win. And with two NCAA Division II national championships in the past three years, it has kept its recruiting promise.

‘They pick out certain kinds of kids,’ Brendan Finnerty, a sophomore defensive back, said. ‘I’m not sure what quality it is, but they’re picking the right type of kids. The atmosphere draws players here.’

Lakers head coach Chuck Martin said he and his coaching staff look for distinguishable qualities. Martin wants the best players he can receive. Most of them are Division I caliber players. Through various circumstances, though, many of them fall through the cracks and become overlooked.

Sometimes they are plagued with injury. Sometimes they play behind a much better player and as a result spend most of their college football career sitting on the bench and hoping for better days to come. But Martin doesn’t just pick up Division I rejects, so to speak. He wants strong players in the classroom as well.

‘When we recruit kids, we talk about what our expectations are going to be,’ Martin said. ‘A lot of people try to recruit kids and try to tell them how much we love them. When we recruit kids, we tell them that we think they’re good, but then they have to figure out if they fit our program.’

Many players want to fit into this program. Grand Valley recently built a new football stadium and installed a new Jumbotron on its scoreboard. The coaching staff has implemented a no-huddle spread offense that relies on many different receivers, which gives a lot of players more chances to catch the football.

In Finnerty’s case, he used to play at Saginaw Valley State – another Division II program and an archrival of the Lakers. Finnerty never liked the Cardinals’ team camaraderie. He felt his teammates created a cutthroat environment where everybody was out to get one another. Because he transferred within Division II, Finnerty had to sit out a year when he transferred in 2004.

Finnerty’s brother, Cullen, transferred to Grand Valley State from Toledo in 2002, two years before Brendan would transfer. In 2003, the Cardinal prepared for an upcoming match against the Lakers. Tim Finnerty, Brendan and Cullen’s father, said that the Saginaw Valley State coaching staff made Brendan sit out that week of practice because they feared he would trade game preparation secrets with his brother.

‘They treated him a little different than the rest of the players,’ Tim Finnerty said. ‘He felt uneasy there.’

Cullen Finnerty felt the same way when he played at the University of Toledo.

‘When you’re playing high school football, everyone is friends and they all hang out,’ Cullen Finnerty said. ‘I was in a shock. It was a different atmosphere. A lot of guys didn’t talk or like one another. But when I got (to Grand Valley) it was like high school. Everyone is cool with one another.’

Cullen Finnerty played behind standout quarterback Bruce Gradkowski at Toledo, which didn’t help matters either. Bill Murray, the Finnertys’ high school coach at Brighton High School in Michigan, said the Rockets’ coaching staff thought Cullen showed development but lacked a strong arm. And with exception to a devastating injury or sudden talent deflation, Gradkowski would stay on the field.

After redshirting at Toledo in 2001, Cullen Finnerty switched to the Lakers and took a medical redshirt due to problems with his foot. He didn’t lose a year of eligibility, though. The NCAA permits Division I players to transfer to Division II schools and still retain five years of eligibility, including a redshirt.

Once Cullen transferred, he experienced immediate success. Just two years in the quarterback slot, Cullen threw for 47 touchdowns and 6,506 yards. This season, the Lakers started off with impressive 30-10 and 61-10 victories over Ferris State and Gannon, respectively, and are aiming for their third Division II national title in four years.

‘We have the idea that, if you’re doing something, you’re going to do it at the best of your ability,’ Lakers head coach Chuck Martin said. ‘If you don’t have a great place to attract kids, you’re not going to have the quality of the team to attract of those kids.’

Buffalo (+24.5) at Syracuse; Saturday 3:30 p.m. ESPN Regional

Syracuse will continue last year’s tradition of showing an embarrassing display on national television opening week and then rebounding the next week over lowly Buffalo. Syracuse’s proudly-proclaimed West Coast Offense will produce more than a few screen and shovel passes this week. And the Orange will have a much easier time converting those forced fumbles into touchdowns.

Pick: Syracuse 31, Buffalo 3

Notre Dame (+7.5) at No. 4 Michigan; Saturday 12:00 p.m. ABC

First-year head coach Charlie Weis led the Fighting Irish to a strong start with a 42-21 victory over No. 23 Pittsburgh last week. Notre Dame will continue to bring that Patriot-perfect offense against Michigan, but the Wolverines will exploit the Fighting Irish’s depleted defense. Eight of Notre Dame’s defensive starters have departed from last year.

Pick: Michigan 35, Notre Dame 28

No.2 Texas (-7.5) at No. 6 Ohio State; Saturday 8:00 p.m. ABC

The Buckeyes have a number of receivers to choose from in their spread offense. But the Longhorns use zone blitzes and zone coverages backed by a strong defensive line and secondary. To make matters worse, the Buckeyes will need to worry about Vince Young, arguably the Big 12’s most dangerous quarterback.

Pick: Texas 21, Ohio State 17

South Carolina (+17.5) at No. 13 Georgia; Saturday 3:30 p.m. ESPN

No team can lose as much as Georgia did and not miss a beat. And with a new coach in Steve Spurrier, who knows a thing or two about turnarounds, South Carolina will try for the upset victory over the Bulldogs. But with the Gamecocks’ sloppy play against Central Florida, it shows they’re not yet ready for a huge win this early in the season.

Pick Georgia 27, South Carolina 17

No. 5 LSU (-7.5) at No. 20 Arizona State; Saturday 8:45 p.m. ESPN

LSU will finally step on the football field after missing its season opener due to Hurricane Katrina. LSU is loaded with talent in the backfield and returns seven defensive starters from a unit that ranked first in scoring, rushing defense and total defense. Arizona State brings a strong receiving game but lacks a rushing attack.

Pick: LSU 14, Arizona State 7

Published on September 4, 2005 at 12:00 pm