I’m sitting in the Caven-Williams indoor practice facility, my back against the wall, delighted in the echoes of spring football. “Black 80, Bronco, Bronco, White 8, Down set, hut.” Gotta love that sound.
Quarterbacks in black, offense in its worn white and the defense in that faded orange, just helmets, jerseys and shorts today. New uniforms are great, but practice jerseys last years.
Surprise, surprise, Titus Young wears No. 1, but no one has taken No. 4 yet. With the sparse departures of a handful of seniors, very few number changes are expected. No one has taken Richie Brockel’s No. 40.
David Cushing (DL, Caldwell High, No. 68) is in camp. Michael Atkinson has a taped right ankle, but he’s working out. Derek Hill anyone? Sure, sure, No. 86 (walk-on true freshman WR, Carson, Calif.).
I’m usually all in stitches about the new guys, but this spring, this season is all about developing the players already on board. How will the redshirts from last season fare?
It looks like Young, Jerrell Gavins (No. 10) and Ebenezer Makinde (No. 37) are the frontrunners to replace Kyle Wilson on punt return. Gavins is my favorite at boundary corner.
Raphiel Lambert is now working out with the running backs. Tyler Jackson is still listed as a safety but is working with the receivers. They’re trying to find ways they can move up the depth chart, even if that means changing positions.
It’s wet and nasty outside, but in here it’s chill and dry.
Spring ball is all about restarting the work ethic instilled in this team all last season (the last 10 years). I wonder if it will come easier or harder for this team. Will the comfort in the system make this the best spring training period in history, or will complacency rear its sneaky little head?
There is no room for error here. Detractors to the team/family/unit/position/legacy don’t seem to exist in this dome. Returning starters litter the field, but the youth movement is maturing and few positions are safe. No one wants to be the last guy in line, the last one to a station, the one who drops a ball (set of 10) or misses an assignment, fumbles a snap. To overtake a position, one must be nearly flawless. There are open spaces in the depth chart, chances to move from the number threes to the twos, to be the guy behind the curtain, waiting for the wish granted. There is no preferential treatment. Everyone runs every drill.
If this team desires to fulfill the expectations of fanatics and theoreticians, it must improve (through leaps and bounds, blocks and bombs). It sounds demanding to beg perfection for a football team, but that’s old hat for this team.
Some guys I’m looking at are Aaron Burks and Geraldo Hiwat. I want to know if these receivers can go from raw to rare.
I’m also taking a good look at Byron Hout, making the move from defensive end to linebacker.
Play of the day? Easy Pease-y. It’s Chris Potter, who made a spinning 1-handed grab in drills, toe-tapping both feet. I know it’s practice, but that was one the best catches I’ve ever seen.
Day one is in the books. The energy inside the indoor was electric, but tempered. But the same rules apply. You jump offsides, the defense does up-downs. You turn the ball over, you run. This is football, and a new season is born.
