Volstorm
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Spring Practice Update
- Thread starter Volstorm
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March 14, 2005
Phillip Fulmer Spring Practice Media Conference
"It is a little bit different having this press conference three days after the start of spring practice, but we did this out of respect with everybody's schedule and the SEC Tournament. With that, we are glad to have it. But we were extremely excited to get started last Thursday (March 10). Under the NCAA rule, we had the two days in shorts Thursday and Friday. Saturday was our first full day in pads.
"I was really pleased with how the kids came out and worked and with the leadership that we seem to be developing really fast. A number of young guys got their first taste of really being counted on to be a part of the team. It was a good start for us the first three days.
"I know the coaches and players as well as the fans and the media have a level of expectation about this football team. We are excited and anxious to see what we can do. We have a good number of experienced players returning, which is always the most important factor in determining if we are going to have a good football team. We have a number of starters returning on both sides of the ball. As I said, there are a lot of expectations, which I like. I had much rather be in that situation than where people don't expect you to be that good.
"The quarterback position is so different than last year at this time. There was no significant continuity at all. There were flashes of good play and stuff, but Rick and C.J. were both learning and getting their feet under them.
"It is just amazing how much difference a year makes in the understanding those kids have for our offense and how easily it is to flow through practice with veteran quarterbacks. Obviously all three of them, Rick Clausen, Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge, have done good things on the field for us, and we expect all three of them to be good players.
"All three of them have things they can work on. Randy Sanders did one of the finest coaching jobs last year of anybody I have been around in a long time in getting his position ready to play, as it turned out three-deep.
"We are reaping the benefits of that this spring. That battle will continue through the spring, and we will see at the end of spring practice just how we want to start the summer. Personally, I would like to have a guy that would be our starter the first practice for the start of two-a-days. We will see how all of that shakes out as we go along. But we are fortunate to have those three guys in our camp.
"Obviously a lot of what we do will be built around an outstanding running back, in Gerlad Riggs, who had a really fine year last year. Watching him run in spring practice with confidence, power, and speed has been good the first three practices. We need to keep him healthy and find a couple of guys hopefully, to complement him as we go along.
"When we have had our best teams, we have had more than one running back who has been able to carry the load. As we are at a lot of positions, we trying to build depth. Ja'Kouri Williams is an exciting young guy with a great attitude. Arian Foster is a slashing kind of running back. I think both of them will be good coming out of the backfield in the passing game.
"They have a ton of work to do just from the fundamental standpoint, assignments and techniques, all of those things that they have to do to get better. The great thing about it is that they all seem to be very, very willing. David Yancey has a role to play for our football team, and then we will look at the freshmen when they get in here and see where they can help us. I am not discouraged at all about where we are and what we have coming in at the running back position.
"Much as we have done in the past, we have tried to marry the fullback and tight end positions. It has worked out great for us this year, because we don't really have that many healthy bodies at tight end. It won't be unusual at all to come out to practice and see Cory Anderson lined up at tight end or Chris Brown lined up at fullback. That is very much an interchangeable position. We have done that in the past and it puts a lot of pressure on the defense, as far as personnel calls and that kind of thing; because we can change and be different than what they might think.
"We are going to grow in that area between Anderson, David Holbert, and Brown. And when we get Brad Cottam, Justin Reed, and Jake Finlayson back to 100 percent we ought to be good at that position.
"The offensive line last year was a key to our success, and again I think Jimmy Ray Stephens did a great job with that group of kids by being able to overcome injuries and having to move a number of people around and still be efficient. We will anchor the line around Cody Douglas, Aaron Sears, Rob Smith, and will have to see who else comes to the forefront there. Albert Toeaina picked up where he left off as he has had three outstanding days, again two of those days in shorts.
"Football is played in pads so hopefully he can be consistent and get that done. The key for us is the development of our young guys in the offensive line, because that is a very physical position. There will be injuries but Ramon Foster, EricYoung, David Ligon, Anthony Parker, Steven Jones, and Cameron Mayo (f we can get him back out on the field) and Ell Ashe all have taken on the role of trying to be a starter by being able to push themselves where they can help our football team and be called on if somebody gets injured or they beat somebody out. That is the kind of attitude you want.
"We were very efficient offensively last year in our long drives. I think the key to that has certainly been pounded home to our team. Last year, it was to stay close to normal down and distance most of the time. We got very few penalties, and I think we only had a total of nine penalties in six games at home, and a few more on the road, and didn't give up very many sacks on the year.
"The down and distance stayed in our favor, or at least even. We did not have a lot of lost fumbles, but we had way too many interceptions and are going to work on that. We want to be dynamic offensively, yet still be efficient and not put ourselves in bad positions. To do that requires an incredible amount of discipline, mental toughness, experience, as well as the talent, and that is what spring practice is all about.
"At wide receiver, I am really happy about Chris Hannon, Robert Meachem, Jason Swain, Bret Smith and C. J. Fayton because they have been really efficient. I hope one or two of them will come out and be dynamic for us. But at least we have five guys who have played. What I am interested in seeing from that group is a guy that is going to come to the front and be a vocal leader like Tony Brown was, who will call on the guys to be physical and all of those things.
"We will see who else develops along the way. Josh Briscoe is off to a heck of a start and is going fast. It has only been three days in the spring and along with the bowl practice, but I think he may be able to help us this fall. I am encouraged about that. We'll see where Bill Grimes is and any of the freshmen will have a chance to play a role as well.
"Defensively, what a great job last year John Chavis and his staff did holding it all together. There were great efforts against Georgia and Alabama, and a great effort against Notre Dame even though we didn't win the game, that truly allowed us to win the east.
"We started the season with the youngest defensive front in the conference by far, lost Kevin Simon, and yet they held it together and did a super job. The defensive line did a lot better as the season went on, our linebackers played well, as Omar Gather came in and played exceptionally well for Simon. Jesse Mahelona looked like an All-America, Justin Harrell ended up the MVP of the Cotton Bowl, and Parys Harrelson played very consistently for us. I am excited about our defensive front as to what we have now, and what we can be as we continue to develop.
"In the secondary, we had two corners who stepped up and followed Jason Allen's lead. We still have a lot to do back there to be even close to what Coach Chavis, the defensive staff and myself, want us to be on defense. We are looking hard at building on our strengths in our defensive front and our linebackers. As I said on offense about depth, it is huge for us for Robert Ayers, Antonio Reynolds, LaRon Harris, and Demonte Bolden to develop enough over the spring, summer and the fall to be able to be put into the mix to help us. Again, it is a physical position and they will need to get involved.
"We need to build our depth at linebacker with Daniel Brooks, Jarod Mayo, Ryan Karl and getting the freshmen into the fold as quickly as we can. We are still trying to find those starters at safety.
"I thought Roshaun Fellows and Jonathan Hefney did a really good job of trying to be where they are supposed to be, and to be physical back there. Jason Allen is our anchor. We need more consistency and depth at that position to allow us to be the kind of defense we want to be. Coach Chavis will tell you that we gave up way too many big plays last year and we must address that with tackling, techniques, assignments in our coverages, and then get the playmakers on the field. Get the guys who can go make a play on the ball, run somebody down from behind if we have to, because we were very fortunate last year with the number of big plays that we gave up.
"In the kicking game, Britton Colquitt is off to a good start. Saturday was his first real full-speed kicks behind full-speed protection. Obviously, we need him to be an important factor in what we are doing. James Wilhoit will be fine as we go along. But I can't assume anything, so we are looking to develop some depth at the kicker position. Also, whoever comes in to be the holder is going to be crucial for us. Casey Woods and Britton are both working there now and we are going to look at some other guys.
"In the return game, we are looking for somebody who has some dynamics with the football in his hands. It is amazing how the blocking is a lot better, and the attitude, and things get done when somebody makes somebody miss. We sure didn't have that, so we are looking forward to improving that.
It is crucial for us to develop from a team standpoint. We have talked a lot about with them already. We have some great leaders on this team who have brought the enthusiasm and the vocal energy to the practice field. That's good.
"We have some young ones who need to hear that, get into the fold and follow the leadership of the guys that are out there. We have ability and everybody needs to find their role, and, as a staff, we need to find the role of our team. We need to mature both on and off the field and be accountable to each other as a team.
"We need to work like heck on our chemistry and team spirit, which I like a lot right now. It is carrying over right now from last year. So far, it has been a fun bunch of guys to coach and be around. Friday it was about as cold as of a practice I have been apart of and nobody out there even blinked. That is the kind of attitude that you need to help us a long the way."
Phillip Fulmer Spring Practice Media Conference
"It is a little bit different having this press conference three days after the start of spring practice, but we did this out of respect with everybody's schedule and the SEC Tournament. With that, we are glad to have it. But we were extremely excited to get started last Thursday (March 10). Under the NCAA rule, we had the two days in shorts Thursday and Friday. Saturday was our first full day in pads.
"I was really pleased with how the kids came out and worked and with the leadership that we seem to be developing really fast. A number of young guys got their first taste of really being counted on to be a part of the team. It was a good start for us the first three days.
"I know the coaches and players as well as the fans and the media have a level of expectation about this football team. We are excited and anxious to see what we can do. We have a good number of experienced players returning, which is always the most important factor in determining if we are going to have a good football team. We have a number of starters returning on both sides of the ball. As I said, there are a lot of expectations, which I like. I had much rather be in that situation than where people don't expect you to be that good.
"The quarterback position is so different than last year at this time. There was no significant continuity at all. There were flashes of good play and stuff, but Rick and C.J. were both learning and getting their feet under them.
"It is just amazing how much difference a year makes in the understanding those kids have for our offense and how easily it is to flow through practice with veteran quarterbacks. Obviously all three of them, Rick Clausen, Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge, have done good things on the field for us, and we expect all three of them to be good players.
"All three of them have things they can work on. Randy Sanders did one of the finest coaching jobs last year of anybody I have been around in a long time in getting his position ready to play, as it turned out three-deep.
"We are reaping the benefits of that this spring. That battle will continue through the spring, and we will see at the end of spring practice just how we want to start the summer. Personally, I would like to have a guy that would be our starter the first practice for the start of two-a-days. We will see how all of that shakes out as we go along. But we are fortunate to have those three guys in our camp.
"Obviously a lot of what we do will be built around an outstanding running back, in Gerlad Riggs, who had a really fine year last year. Watching him run in spring practice with confidence, power, and speed has been good the first three practices. We need to keep him healthy and find a couple of guys hopefully, to complement him as we go along.
"When we have had our best teams, we have had more than one running back who has been able to carry the load. As we are at a lot of positions, we trying to build depth. Ja'Kouri Williams is an exciting young guy with a great attitude. Arian Foster is a slashing kind of running back. I think both of them will be good coming out of the backfield in the passing game.
"They have a ton of work to do just from the fundamental standpoint, assignments and techniques, all of those things that they have to do to get better. The great thing about it is that they all seem to be very, very willing. David Yancey has a role to play for our football team, and then we will look at the freshmen when they get in here and see where they can help us. I am not discouraged at all about where we are and what we have coming in at the running back position.
"Much as we have done in the past, we have tried to marry the fullback and tight end positions. It has worked out great for us this year, because we don't really have that many healthy bodies at tight end. It won't be unusual at all to come out to practice and see Cory Anderson lined up at tight end or Chris Brown lined up at fullback. That is very much an interchangeable position. We have done that in the past and it puts a lot of pressure on the defense, as far as personnel calls and that kind of thing; because we can change and be different than what they might think.
"We are going to grow in that area between Anderson, David Holbert, and Brown. And when we get Brad Cottam, Justin Reed, and Jake Finlayson back to 100 percent we ought to be good at that position.
"The offensive line last year was a key to our success, and again I think Jimmy Ray Stephens did a great job with that group of kids by being able to overcome injuries and having to move a number of people around and still be efficient. We will anchor the line around Cody Douglas, Aaron Sears, Rob Smith, and will have to see who else comes to the forefront there. Albert Toeaina picked up where he left off as he has had three outstanding days, again two of those days in shorts.
"Football is played in pads so hopefully he can be consistent and get that done. The key for us is the development of our young guys in the offensive line, because that is a very physical position. There will be injuries but Ramon Foster, EricYoung, David Ligon, Anthony Parker, Steven Jones, and Cameron Mayo (f we can get him back out on the field) and Ell Ashe all have taken on the role of trying to be a starter by being able to push themselves where they can help our football team and be called on if somebody gets injured or they beat somebody out. That is the kind of attitude you want.
"We were very efficient offensively last year in our long drives. I think the key to that has certainly been pounded home to our team. Last year, it was to stay close to normal down and distance most of the time. We got very few penalties, and I think we only had a total of nine penalties in six games at home, and a few more on the road, and didn't give up very many sacks on the year.
"The down and distance stayed in our favor, or at least even. We did not have a lot of lost fumbles, but we had way too many interceptions and are going to work on that. We want to be dynamic offensively, yet still be efficient and not put ourselves in bad positions. To do that requires an incredible amount of discipline, mental toughness, experience, as well as the talent, and that is what spring practice is all about.
"At wide receiver, I am really happy about Chris Hannon, Robert Meachem, Jason Swain, Bret Smith and C. J. Fayton because they have been really efficient. I hope one or two of them will come out and be dynamic for us. But at least we have five guys who have played. What I am interested in seeing from that group is a guy that is going to come to the front and be a vocal leader like Tony Brown was, who will call on the guys to be physical and all of those things.
"We will see who else develops along the way. Josh Briscoe is off to a heck of a start and is going fast. It has only been three days in the spring and along with the bowl practice, but I think he may be able to help us this fall. I am encouraged about that. We'll see where Bill Grimes is and any of the freshmen will have a chance to play a role as well.
"Defensively, what a great job last year John Chavis and his staff did holding it all together. There were great efforts against Georgia and Alabama, and a great effort against Notre Dame even though we didn't win the game, that truly allowed us to win the east.
"We started the season with the youngest defensive front in the conference by far, lost Kevin Simon, and yet they held it together and did a super job. The defensive line did a lot better as the season went on, our linebackers played well, as Omar Gather came in and played exceptionally well for Simon. Jesse Mahelona looked like an All-America, Justin Harrell ended up the MVP of the Cotton Bowl, and Parys Harrelson played very consistently for us. I am excited about our defensive front as to what we have now, and what we can be as we continue to develop.
"In the secondary, we had two corners who stepped up and followed Jason Allen's lead. We still have a lot to do back there to be even close to what Coach Chavis, the defensive staff and myself, want us to be on defense. We are looking hard at building on our strengths in our defensive front and our linebackers. As I said on offense about depth, it is huge for us for Robert Ayers, Antonio Reynolds, LaRon Harris, and Demonte Bolden to develop enough over the spring, summer and the fall to be able to be put into the mix to help us. Again, it is a physical position and they will need to get involved.
"We need to build our depth at linebacker with Daniel Brooks, Jarod Mayo, Ryan Karl and getting the freshmen into the fold as quickly as we can. We are still trying to find those starters at safety.
"I thought Roshaun Fellows and Jonathan Hefney did a really good job of trying to be where they are supposed to be, and to be physical back there. Jason Allen is our anchor. We need more consistency and depth at that position to allow us to be the kind of defense we want to be. Coach Chavis will tell you that we gave up way too many big plays last year and we must address that with tackling, techniques, assignments in our coverages, and then get the playmakers on the field. Get the guys who can go make a play on the ball, run somebody down from behind if we have to, because we were very fortunate last year with the number of big plays that we gave up.
"In the kicking game, Britton Colquitt is off to a good start. Saturday was his first real full-speed kicks behind full-speed protection. Obviously, we need him to be an important factor in what we are doing. James Wilhoit will be fine as we go along. But I can't assume anything, so we are looking to develop some depth at the kicker position. Also, whoever comes in to be the holder is going to be crucial for us. Casey Woods and Britton are both working there now and we are going to look at some other guys.
"In the return game, we are looking for somebody who has some dynamics with the football in his hands. It is amazing how the blocking is a lot better, and the attitude, and things get done when somebody makes somebody miss. We sure didn't have that, so we are looking forward to improving that.
It is crucial for us to develop from a team standpoint. We have talked a lot about with them already. We have some great leaders on this team who have brought the enthusiasm and the vocal energy to the practice field. That's good.
"We have some young ones who need to hear that, get into the fold and follow the leadership of the guys that are out there. We have ability and everybody needs to find their role, and, as a staff, we need to find the role of our team. We need to mature both on and off the field and be accountable to each other as a team.
"We need to work like heck on our chemistry and team spirit, which I like a lot right now. It is carrying over right now from last year. So far, it has been a fun bunch of guys to coach and be around. Friday it was about as cold as of a practice I have been apart of and nobody out there even blinked. That is the kind of attitude that you need to help us a long the way."
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