NORMAL, Ill. – After a long summer of work in the weight room and conditioning on the field, the Illinois State football team gathered together Friday morning at Hancock Stadium for its first workout of the fall in preparation for the season opener at NIU on August 31.
Practice Highlights:
- The team could not have been met with better weather for the first day of fall training camp, as the offensive and defensive units took the field in helmets only during the NCAA mandated acclimation period.
- Practice began with a quick install period for the offense and defense on opposite ends of the field, before a team stretch led to a special teams circuit.
- During the special teams period, punters JT Bohlken and Sam Fenlason took turns kicking to several returners, including Luther Kirk among others … snappers Paul Monaco and Joey Malinowski also got crucial work in during this time working with the punters … several of the running backs, including freshmen Nigel White and Pha'leak Brown took turns taking kicks off the JUGS machine to simulate kickoff returns.
- An individual period followed and then the focus shifted to the first of two 7-on-7 session … the first and second team units took one half of the field, while the third and fourth team squads, led by Jack Baltz and Britton Morris, respectively, worked on the opposite half of the turf.
- Brady Davis was 4-for-7 in the initial drill, with connections to Cole Blackman and Eric Rogers … Bryce Jefferson was also 4-for-7 in the drill, with completions to Blackman and Robert Gillum … the defense also had its opportunities, as Jarrell Jackson recorded a breakup and Clayton Isbell added an interception from his safety spot.
- The blitz drill and perimeter drills followed and focused on the running game, with backs James Robinson, Jeff Proctor, Kevin Brown and the freshmen crew of Cole Mueller, White, and Brown all splitting time.
- The defense owned the second 7-on-7 session as Charles Woods, Devin Taylor, Kirk and Jackson each added breakups and Kenton Wilhoit tallied an interception off a tipped pass.
- The team period wrapped things up, with a heavy focus on the running attack … Robinson and White each had several big gains in the drill and Proctor also picked up a 20-plus yard gain before the play was whistled dead … Stephen Halusan came down with the highlight of the day, a leaping grab over a pair of defenders for a 25-yard gain near the sideline … defensively, Jackson and Taylor each tallied breakups and Romeo McKnight was credited with a sack on a play that also would have resulted in an interception by Woods had the whistle not blown.
Thoughts From Coach Spack:
"I've been impressed with this team's work ethic all spring and summer, and that showed today when they came out ready to compete. These first couple days of practice are a grind for these guys and prepare them well for when we put on the pads for the first time next week and have our first contact periods. We try to make practice hard on them early in the year, so as the year goes on the games and practices are much easier and they can focus on playing fast. There's a lot of learning going on out there, but I am impressed with the depth and speed of this group and look forward to seeing how they improve on this effort in practice two tomorrow."
Camp News & Notes:
- New year, different jerseys for the units as the offense came out in white jerseys as opposed to their normal red practice garb while the defense sported the red tops instead of its usual white jerseys.
- Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Famer D.A. Weibring stopped by practice to watch some Redbird football, as he is in town to get updates on a bunker renovation project at the University golf course that bears his name.
Up Next:
The Redbirds return to the field Saturday at 8:30 a.m. for practice No. 2. For updates, photos, and video from 2019 Redbird Football Fall Camp, follow the team's official Twitter (@RedbirdFB) and Instagram (isuredbirdfb) accounts and log onto GoRedbirds.com.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
