Orange Gridders Complete Day Two
8/5/2007 6:34:01 PM | Football
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Preseason camp is heating up for the Orange. After two days on the field head coach Greg Robinson is pleased with the conditioning of his squad and their approach to practice.
“Two days of real good, intense work,” Robinson said after the practice session Sunday afternoon. “I’ve liked that we’ve had some good heat to work in. I think it has challenged the team and kind of tells us where they’re at conditioning-wise. I’ve like the way we have gone about work for two days with no pads. I think our guys are doing a good job.”
Robinson said he has watched the progress of the incoming freshmen. Four members of the class who were listed as dual position players when they signed their National Letters of Intent are working exclusively on one side of the ball, including Randy McKinnon and Max Suter playing safety rather than running back and Chaz Cervino and Da’Mon Merkerson in the wide receiving corps rather than defensive back.
“Now that I’ve had two days to watch (the freshmen), I’ve liked the way they have been brought along by our older players throughout the summer,” Robinson said. “I think the older players have done a good job. I think some guys look pretty comfortable for the most part.”
On Monday the players will add shoulder pads to the shorts and helmets they wore for the first two days of practice.
“The NCAA has you set up in a way that the first two days there are no pads so you have to be strategic in the way you run the offense and what you’re doing on defense because you are working very hard to eliminate collisions and to play in a way that isn’t all about aggressiveness, as it is about execution and showing the understanding of the offense and the defense,” Robinson said. “Tomorrow we get to go put on shoulder pads and helmets and all of a sudden you can add a little bit more tempo of contact to the practice and that goes for two days.
The team will suit up in full pads for the fifth practice session this coming Wednesday.
“We’ll have a short yardage scrimmage of not many plays, but we’ll have enough so when we say scrimmage that’s live,” Robinson said. “Then we get into two-a-day mode where we go one practice in pads and we’ll go the next practice in what I call shells – shoulder pads and shorts. You change your emphasis a little bit in those practices to accommodate the attire you’re in. So that’s how it is and we work as we’re going through training camp we work very hard to cover a lot of different situations – to try and do all you can to familiarize your team for game like situations.”
Sophomore Delone Carter learned today that he can begin jogging as part of his rehabilitation from the dislocated hip he suffered during 2007 Spring practice. Prior to practice Robinson shared the news with the team.
“Delone got a nice report from his doctors that they think that he can began a slight jogging mode,” Robinson said. “I haven’t spoken to the doctors, but I have to believe that’s a good sign that they are pleased with the way the healing process is going. Now you have to be smart about how you’re going about things. We have talked to a lot of different people around the country and we’re going to be very conservative in our approach to bring him along.
“I know to Delone it is very encouraging. I wanted our team to know that because they were on that field last spring and everybody associated with this football team could feel it and they have watched him fight through the adversity. They have been there to help him. He’s been there to help them. I wanted to make sure to share it with the rest of the team – they have strong feelings for Delone. That was all it was [the huddle before practice]. I just wanted [the team] to be alert – they didn’t know about it. Delone just found out an hour before.
“The ‘Hope Meter’ (for his return next year) is a lot stronger. I think as an athlete that’s all you need to know. It’s likely now – I think is the way that Delone would think of it. He just kind of has to take it one step at a time.”
