ADAM CONLEY INTERVIEW | PHOTO GALLERY
NORMAL, Ill. – A dicey weather forecast threatened to put a damper on the start of spring workouts for the Illinois State football team, but a brief window of dry weather allowed the Redbirds to complete their first practice of the spring Saturday morning at Hancock Stadium.
Overcast skies and a threat of rain greeted the Redbird players and coaches as they took the field for the first time as a group since ending the 2016 season in the first round of the FCS playoffs at Central Arkansas. The gloomy skies did not dampen the spirits of the players, however, as the team showed a lot of energy and enthusiasm in their first work of the spring.
"I liked the enthusiasm and the pace of practice today," ISU head coach Brock Spack said. "There was a little bit of rust, which is to be expected with the first practice, but it thought the focus and tempo was where we wanted it to be. It was a good jumping off point, but I challenged the players to come out tomorrow and be better than they were today and we will see how they respond."
The Redbirds took the field in helmets only and quickly moved into a team walk-through period, before the horn sounded and the team gathered to stretch as a group. A special teams circuit followed, as groups of players moved around the field working on different drills in a 10-minute session. The players then split into their individual position groups and worked for nearly a half hour on techniques and drills.
The first team session then took place, with the new-look offensive line of Drew Himmelman, Jared Rients, Tyler Brown, Chad Kanugh and Donavin O'Day coming together for the first time to block the veteran front led by Dalton Keene and Adam Conley. The first-team group led by quarterback Jake Kolbe focused on inside running schemes and running backs James Robinson, Artiss Henderson, Jordan Birch and Markel Smith did their best to find space before being stopped on first contact without pads on.
The 7-on-7 session followed, with Kolbe and Malachi Broadnax taking the majority of the snaps. Tight end Billy Bair was the favorite target, catching four passes during the session with a couple of acrobatic snags. The defense did get its hands on the ball, with Willie Edwards, Luther Kirk and Bryce Holm each having pass breakups, with Holm's landing in the arms of Ty DeForest for an interception.
In the final team session of the day, Bair continued to shine as did Henderson on a 30 yard run up the sideline before being pushed out of bounds. A sack by James Graham and an interception by Christian Uphoff off a tipped ball by DeForest served as the highlights for the Redbird defense, before practice ended with Sean Slattery and Zach Breen booting field goals through the uprights.
The Redbirds will return to Hancock Stadium Sunday for the second practice of the spring, with a 1 p.m. start scheduled. For live practice updates, photos and video follow the official Redbird Football Twitter account @RedbirdFB and log onto GoRedbirds.com for full coverage throughout the spring.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.¬¬¬¬
