JMU Transfers and Veteran Hoosiers Try to Instill Winning Mindset at IU

Image: Indiana Athletics

Written By Nick Gonzales

As the Hoosiers’ first game approaches, the excitement builds among fans and players. There has been a lot of hype about Curt Cignetti coming to this program and the players he brought to Indiana through the transfer portal, and this Saturday, we will get a taste of a new era in IU Football with Cignetti leading the charge. With the season approaching, a lot of people want to know how players are adopting the mentality that JMU players and coaches brought to Bloomington and on Tuesday, James Carpenter (Redshirt Senior + transfer from JMU) and Mike Katic (Redshirt Senior +) shined a light on that mentality during their media availability on Tuesday.

James Carpenter gave some good insight on how the team has been doing during camp and how they are preparing for this season. By now, you probably know that Cignetti is a winner and plans to continue to win as the Hoosiers head coach, but how do they bring a mentality of winning to a program that has struggled in recent years? How do you instill that mentality into other players who are used to losing? By surrounding yourself with winners, you start to understand that you can win.

“Well, there's a lot of older transfers that came in and they come from winning programs so just having a bunch of guys that know how to win and know that feeling of winning. The weeks go by quick when you win, everyone is having a good time so we want to keep that up and I'm really excited for the season.” Katic said on Tuesday. 

Everyone wants to win, but not everyone can. You have to be disciplined and never give up when it may seem impossible. Coach Cig is making sure players recognize this and preparing them to go out there and ball out on Saturday.

As a veteran player who is entering his sixth season for the Hoosiers, Katic understands most what it’s like to lose. He also understands how it feels to win during the time he spent with former IU QB Michael Penix during the 2020 season. There are going to be highs and lows in practice and in a game, but you can’t focus on that or else it’ll affect your mindset. It’s important to stay focused, because if they let their focus waiver, it could negatively impact the team.

“Just flush it and move on.” Katic replied with some of the advice he gives to the other guys.

James Carpenter seems to have a similar ideology of how he and the other transfers brought in that mindset to IU. 

“It's just that mentality, that mindset of never backing down, having that confidence, that aura about you. Coach Cignetti he's about it, he kind of comes down to us and coming here trying to preach that to the guys that have been here, I think has been a big thing. I just think kind of having that confidence, that aura about us that we're going to go out there and win.” Carpenter stated on Tuesday.

Carpenter believes that big things are coming to Bloomington and he’s excited to be a part of it. He is looking forward to being a part of this new era of Indiana Football led by Cignetti. We won’t know if taking on this mentality will actually translate to wins until we see how the team plays this Saturday against FIU. Until then, the excitement builds in Bloomington.