From headset to helmet

The Columbia Stingers' head coach and defensive coordinator Corey Miller gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself."

Miller, a former South Carolina football player who spent nine years in the NFL, will ditch his coaching attire to suit up for the Stingers' Saturday night game against divisional foe the Green Cove Lions. The coach said he plans to play multiple positions including linebacker, the position that he played during his notable career at USC.

"I'll bounce around," Miller said. "I'll play a little quarterback, a little linebacker and defensive end. You know, it's going to be fun."

Miller's decision to take the field on certain plays couldn't have come at a better time as the Stingers (0-4, 0-0 Atlantic Conference - Southeast) are off to a sluggish start during their inaugural season in the National Indoor Football League. The team has lost by an average of nearly 23 points per game this season and has surrendered 15 turnovers in the past two games.

Saturday's contest could potentially be the turning point for either team as both squads hope to put one in the win column.

Green Cove (0-1, 0-0 AC-Southeast) looks to rebound from last week's 72-6 walloping by the undefeated Greensboro Revolution. The Stingers' last game was a 39-26 loss to that same Revolution squad, a contest in which Columbia quarterback Kent Merideth had a less-than-stellar performance. The 6-foot-2, 218-pound product of North Greenville College completed less than 31 percent of his passes for a mere 126 yards and threw seven interceptions in the match.

"Offensively, we've just got to score points and protect the football," Miller said regarding the Stingers' four-game losing streak. "Realistically, looking at film, we should be 3-1, but we turn the football over."

In addition to poor ball protection, Miller said the team's lackluster performance thus far can be attributed to ineffective quarterbacking.

"Our quarterback play has not been good at all, and we're grooming some guys like quarterback Brandon Sims, who's the guy who will probably be our starter, but he's been hurt," Miller said.

Though the head coach will primarily be a spot player, Miller is optimistic that his presence on and off the field, as well as the addition of 10 to 12 new players to the roster, can help motivate his team to achieve its first win of the season.

"It's going to be fun, and I'm hoping people come out and support it," Miller said. "We're going to get this thing turned around."

The game is set to begin at 7 p.m. in the Colonial Center.