TUESDAY (July 1) CONDITIONING WORKOUT report
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:11 pmTUESDAY conditioning observations:
• Got there late today, so I didn’t see a whole lot. Counted 73 players in the afternoon session, many of whom were true freshmen working out with the team for the first time. New players in attendance included (but were not limited to – still figuring out who everyone is): quarterbacks Braden Smith, Bo Levi Mitchell and Winston Gamso; wide receivers Cole Loftin, E.J. Drewery, Cole Beasley, Bryce Lunday and B.J. Lee; running back Quincy Whittington; offensive linemen Sidney Nwangwu, Blake McJunkin; defensive linemen Kevin Grenier, Taylor Thompson, Torlan Pittman and Evan Huahulu; linebacker Victor Jones; and defensive backs Deyon McElroy, Keith Robinson, Chris Banjo and Ryan Smith.
• Because of my late arrival, I missed many of the drills, getting there in time to see the sprints that ended the session – not the most fascinating drills, to be sure. But then most of the players, including virtually all of the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, defensive backs and linebackers, stayed for an impromptu seven-on-seven session.
° Freshman jitters? Justin Willis fired a pass over the middle to Josh Bryant, who failed to make the catch … because freshman defensive back Chris Banjo flattened Bryant from behind a second before the ball arrived.
° Pass of the day: Mitchell threw a long pass into the end zone, out of the reach of all receivers and defensive backs. The ball bounced out of the end zone, where it was picked up and fired 60 yards back to the huddle … by defensive tackle Serge Elizee.
° Drop of the day: Drewery is physically impressive, and seems to run fairly well. On one play, he took a few steps forward, faked inside and spun to the outside to catch an out route from Willis … only to let the ball slip harmlessly through his hands.
° If Elizee had the heave of the day, the nicest fastball of the session belonged to Mitchell, who found Terrance Wilkerson on a deep post route, about 40 yards downfield. Mitchell hit him in stride with a strike that never got 10 feet off the ground.
° All four quarterbacks made some good throws, including walk-on Gamso, who fired deep to Wilkerson in the back of the end zone after safety DeMikel Shankle slipped on the play.
° Catch of the day: Drewery made up for his butterfingers act toward the end of the session, racing past McElroy down the sideline and leaping over – way over – him to pull in a deep pass on a corner route, drawing howls of congratulations from Willis, Emmanuel Sanders among others.
° Catch of the day – Part II: Drewery was at it again moments later. Starting on the right side of the field, he blew past McElroy again and cut inside on a deep post route to haul in a perfect strike from Smith at the goal line.
• Got there late today, so I didn’t see a whole lot. Counted 73 players in the afternoon session, many of whom were true freshmen working out with the team for the first time. New players in attendance included (but were not limited to – still figuring out who everyone is): quarterbacks Braden Smith, Bo Levi Mitchell and Winston Gamso; wide receivers Cole Loftin, E.J. Drewery, Cole Beasley, Bryce Lunday and B.J. Lee; running back Quincy Whittington; offensive linemen Sidney Nwangwu, Blake McJunkin; defensive linemen Kevin Grenier, Taylor Thompson, Torlan Pittman and Evan Huahulu; linebacker Victor Jones; and defensive backs Deyon McElroy, Keith Robinson, Chris Banjo and Ryan Smith.
• Because of my late arrival, I missed many of the drills, getting there in time to see the sprints that ended the session – not the most fascinating drills, to be sure. But then most of the players, including virtually all of the quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, defensive backs and linebackers, stayed for an impromptu seven-on-seven session.
° Freshman jitters? Justin Willis fired a pass over the middle to Josh Bryant, who failed to make the catch … because freshman defensive back Chris Banjo flattened Bryant from behind a second before the ball arrived.
° Pass of the day: Mitchell threw a long pass into the end zone, out of the reach of all receivers and defensive backs. The ball bounced out of the end zone, where it was picked up and fired 60 yards back to the huddle … by defensive tackle Serge Elizee.
° Drop of the day: Drewery is physically impressive, and seems to run fairly well. On one play, he took a few steps forward, faked inside and spun to the outside to catch an out route from Willis … only to let the ball slip harmlessly through his hands.
° If Elizee had the heave of the day, the nicest fastball of the session belonged to Mitchell, who found Terrance Wilkerson on a deep post route, about 40 yards downfield. Mitchell hit him in stride with a strike that never got 10 feet off the ground.
° All four quarterbacks made some good throws, including walk-on Gamso, who fired deep to Wilkerson in the back of the end zone after safety DeMikel Shankle slipped on the play.
° Catch of the day: Drewery made up for his butterfingers act toward the end of the session, racing past McElroy down the sideline and leaping over – way over – him to pull in a deep pass on a corner route, drawing howls of congratulations from Willis, Emmanuel Sanders among others.
° Catch of the day – Part II: Drewery was at it again moments later. Starting on the right side of the field, he blew past McElroy again and cut inside on a deep post route to haul in a perfect strike from Smith at the goal line.
