NORMAL, Ill. – After missing Sunday's practice due to the spring snowstorm in Normal, the Illinois State football team returned to the turf at Hancock Stadium to work through its second practice of the spring. Still waiting for warmer temperatures and sunshine, the Redbirds did not let the cold, cloudy and damp conditions affect their enthusiasm and will to work.
Practice Highlights:
•   For the second time, players took the field in just helmets as part of the acclimation period before pads go on Thursday
•   During individual position drills, coaches focused on technique above all things and worked closely with players to work on fine tuning their mechanics and focusing on the details
•   Once again, a pair of 7-on-7 periods were held as quarterbacks Jake Kolbe and Malachi Broadnax took the majority of the snaps
•   The big play of the session came when Kolbe connected with redshirt freshman receiver Andrew Edgar on a deep post as Edgar leaped over two defenders to come down with the catch
•   Back after earning All-America honors as part of the Redbird indoor track team, wide receiver Kentre Patterson made a pair of impressive grabs and flashed that speed that qualified him for the NCAA championships in the hurdles
•   During the perimeter drill, running backs James Robinson and Markel Smith tested the defense and outside linebackers Tyree Horton and Decxavier Kelly-Martin recorded TFLs, as did interior lineman Steven Podkulski and end Jason Harris
•   Harkening back to his high school days, defensive lineman Austin Galindo took his turns in the PAT/field goal session along with kickers JT Bohlken and Cooper Zogg making several of his attempts
Thoughts From Coach Spack:
"As a staff, we have really tried to simplify things on both sides of the ball early in camp. I think we tried to complicate things at times last year, and I wanted to strip things back and just let these guys play fast and loose. So far, I think they are doing that through the first two days despite not having the best conditions out here. We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to get done, but I'm encourage with what I've seen and I look forward to putting the pads on them Thursday and having some contact drills."
Camp News And Notes:
•   Due to the schedule changes because of the weather last weekend, the team will fit in a Friday practice at 3:30 p.m. and wrap up the week with a regularly scheduled 9 a.m. practice on Sunday
Up Next:
ISU returns to the field Thursday at 3:30 p.m. for practice No. 3 of the spring. For live updates, photos, and video from 2018 Redbird Football Spring Camp, follow the team's official Twitter account @RedbirdFB and log onto GoRedbirds.com.
GoRedbirds.com: Â Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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