The first day of football practice at Illinois State found two former defensive players moving to offense. Michael Garner, formerly an outside linebacker, and Vito Golson, once a safety, have taken the step across the line of scrimmage.
Garner, a junior from Chicago has moved to H-back, the hybrid position that somewhat combines the duties of a fullback and tight end, while Golson, a sophomore from St. Petersburg, Fla., is working out at wide receiver.
These are both post-spring moves so were just getting our first looks at these guys in these positions, said ISU head coach Denver Johnson. We are hopeful that these moves will be permanent. We feel we have some needs in those positions that those two young men can address for us.
Garner missed last season after suffering a knee injury in the 1998 campaign. Golson, who transferred to Illinois State last summer from Central Florida, played extensively last season and was particularly solid down the stretch. He had six tackles and a blocked punt in the playoff game at Georgia Southern.
At 6-3, Golson will be one of the tallest receivers on the team.
Johnson said his team is healthy for the most part. Several members of the team are slowed by pulled hamstrings. The most notable of those is cornerback Armando Andrade, who ranked second in the Gateway last season in pass deflections with 12.
ISU began its two-a-day drills Wednesday and will continue in that mode through Aug. 21.
