Perseverance provides duo a special view of turnaround

If heart and persistence have been key attributes for Southeast Missouri State University's football team this season, the same holds true -- perhaps double -- for fifth-year seniors Ryan Roth and Justen Meyer.

Roth and Meyer, the lone holdovers from Southeast's previous coaching staff, have persevered longer than any other Indians to reap the rewards of what is now happening with the program.

After going 8-4 for their best Division I-AA record last year, the Indians (5-6, 5-2) can win a share of their first Ohio Valley Conference title and earn their first I-AA playoff berth by beating Jacksonville State (7-3, 6-1) in Saturday's regular-season finale at Houck Stadium.

"When we took over, a lot of guys left and continued to leave, but those two didn't," Southeast fourth-year coach Tim Billings said. "We changed a lot of things, but they stuck it out, they believed in what we were doing. They've been quality players and good leaders for us."

Roth, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive end, has been one of the Indians' top down lineman the past two years and is among the OVC's premier defenders this season with five quarterback sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.

"It's pretty amazing what's happened with the program," Roth said. "Saturday really can't get here quick enough for us."

Meyer, a 6-5, 295-pound offensive tackle, has been a three-year starter and part of an emerging line that has turned into one of the team's strengths over the past two years.

"Senior day, the last game at Houck, and it's for the championship," Meyer said. "It can't get any better than that."

Off to a bad start

As good as things seem now for Roth and Meyer, the close friends and roommates almost didn't even make it past their first one-on-one meeting with Billings.

As freshmen in 1999, Roth lettered while Meyer redshirted as the Indians went 3-8, marking their fourth straight season of four wins or less. Coach John Mumford resigned and Billings was brought in after 10 years as an assistant at Marshall.

But shortly after Billings and his staff assumed control of the program, Roth and Meyer got into hot water with the new coach.

"Justen and I got in trouble for wreaking havoc in the dorm and coach Billings was told about it," Roth explained. "It was pretty much our first one-on-one meeting with coach Billings and that wasn't too pretty. It was definitely scary. Here coach Billings was holding our college future in his hands."

The worst fears of Roth and Meyer -- being dismissed from the program -- never materialized. Not that they avoided punishment, however.

"We had to come run and clean the football office on Friday nights," Roth said, laughing. "But things got better after that. Justen and I both learned our lessons."

That wasn't Meyer's only close call with leaving the program.

"Before coach Mumford left, before we knew who was hired, I was going to transfer. I hated losing," Meyer said. "But when coach Billings got here, coming from Marshall where they had just gone 13-0, he and his staff made it believable, that we could get it turned around here."

Roth had the same kind of feeling.

"Probably the biggest thing, we knew coach Billings would come in here and make the changes he promised," Roth said. "He talked about all the championships and big games he'd been involved in and said we could do it here. I had faith this would happen."

No overnight sensation

But the turnaround didn't happen overnight. Billings' first team, in 2000, went 3-8 as Meyer was a backup redshirt freshman and Roth converted from tight end to defensive end after having originally come to Southeast as an offensive lineman.

Meyer broke into the starting lineup as a sophomore in 2001 and made honorable-mention all-OVC while Roth redshirted because of an ankle injury -- but things only got a little better for the Indians when they went 4-7. However, it was apparent to the pair that the talent level was beginning to increase.

"You could see that things were changing," Meyer said.

Change came in a big way last year as the Indians broke through with an 8-4 record for their first winning season since 1994 and their most victories since 1969. Southeast tied for third in the OVC at 4-2 as Billings was voted conference coach of the year.

Roth and Meyer both played major roles in last season's turnaround. Roth made second-team all-OVC as he led the Indians in tackles for loss with 13 and recorded five sacks. Meyer was again honorable-mention all-OVC.

And now the Indians, who began the season 0-5, are one win away from school history. Persistence has paid off for the only current Indians not recruited by Billings' staff.

"We watched a lot of people we were friends with quit but we kept working and fed off each other," Meyer said. "As unbelievable as it seems, I really thought this would happen."