I'm pulling double duty for The Advocate today writing a feature on Kuerschen and then heading to the Alario Center for a story on Melvin Frazier's charity hoops event. With no practice tomorrow, I will post something about today's practice then.
Here's a quickie: They had the pads on today so the workout was more physical than the others. The receivers did not have a great day holding on to the ball, but the energy was good. Willie Fritz really likes freshman center Sincere Haynesworth, although he noted his previously perfect snapping was not as sharp with pads on. Haynesworth got reps with the second and third-team groups and appears like a guy who can earn time this year if there is room, either at center and guard.
They blew two whistles at the end of each play, and I'll let Fritz explain what that's about. He's been doing it for a long time.
Here is Fritz from today:
"It was better. We're still learning how to practice. We just have to keep coaching them up. Some of the groups play harder than other groups do. The physicality, we're trying to define what we're looking for. I've been doing this two-whistle deal since 1987. What we're really trying to get is the first whistle is everybody going a million miles an hour, but when that first whistle blows, we're trying to limit the contact then other than trying to strip the ball or tag off with your hand on their hip. Otherwise there's not any more contact going on, but we're accenting running the ball. Some guys are doing a better job of that than others. Some coaches are doing a better job coaching than others."
How have the grad transfers looked?
"Oh, they are awesome kids. I had a new one with Christian Montano today. I was watching him and he had his mouthpiece dangling from his face mask. I ran up to him and I told him you've got to put your mouthpiece in prior to the play. He smiled at me and he had his green mouthpiece in and he said that's my backup mouthpiece, so he's pretty smart. I've never had a guy do that one,. He isn't going to screw up."
Haynesworth is lining up at center right now. What are your early thoughts on him?
"I'm really impressed. He's a big, thick kid. He's got good strength. I've watched some of our guys try to bull rush him in one-on-one pass rush and they have a tough time moving him. He's a guy we might play at guard as well. We're going to keep him there at camp at center for at least another week. He's good. The first couple of days he was a really accurate snapper and then we put the pads on he got a little bit throwing it around, but in high school he was a very accurate snapper, too.'
Here's a quickie: They had the pads on today so the workout was more physical than the others. The receivers did not have a great day holding on to the ball, but the energy was good. Willie Fritz really likes freshman center Sincere Haynesworth, although he noted his previously perfect snapping was not as sharp with pads on. Haynesworth got reps with the second and third-team groups and appears like a guy who can earn time this year if there is room, either at center and guard.
They blew two whistles at the end of each play, and I'll let Fritz explain what that's about. He's been doing it for a long time.
Here is Fritz from today:
"It was better. We're still learning how to practice. We just have to keep coaching them up. Some of the groups play harder than other groups do. The physicality, we're trying to define what we're looking for. I've been doing this two-whistle deal since 1987. What we're really trying to get is the first whistle is everybody going a million miles an hour, but when that first whistle blows, we're trying to limit the contact then other than trying to strip the ball or tag off with your hand on their hip. Otherwise there's not any more contact going on, but we're accenting running the ball. Some guys are doing a better job of that than others. Some coaches are doing a better job coaching than others."
How have the grad transfers looked?
"Oh, they are awesome kids. I had a new one with Christian Montano today. I was watching him and he had his mouthpiece dangling from his face mask. I ran up to him and I told him you've got to put your mouthpiece in prior to the play. He smiled at me and he had his green mouthpiece in and he said that's my backup mouthpiece, so he's pretty smart. I've never had a guy do that one,. He isn't going to screw up."
Haynesworth is lining up at center right now. What are your early thoughts on him?
"I'm really impressed. He's a big, thick kid. He's got good strength. I've watched some of our guys try to bull rush him in one-on-one pass rush and they have a tough time moving him. He's a guy we might play at guard as well. We're going to keep him there at camp at center for at least another week. He's good. The first couple of days he was a really accurate snapper and then we put the pads on he got a little bit throwing it around, but in high school he was a very accurate snapper, too.'