Thursday (8/18/11) AFTERNOON practice report
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:03 pmLive updates at practice are prohibited. By the time you read this, the players are headed to the locker room. (Spooky, isn't it?)
• 69 players took the field for special teams drills.
• K Brian Farkas getting some work on kickoffs, most of which reached the end zone (although they were kicking from the 40, not the 30).
• After kickoff (and return) drills, team moved to punt drills. One thing that jumps out: the speed getting downfield shown by PR Cole Beasley's personal bodyguards/blockers: DL Aaron Davis, LB Byron Brown and DE Cameron Smith.
• While much of the team was involved with punt drills, the WRs (at least those not on the punt drills) were on the side of the field. They split into two rows a few feet apart, with one guy at the end, waiting for passes fired from (wait for it, ponywhupp9202 and MiracleOnMockingbird) ... the JUGS machine. As the ball sailed towards its would-be target, the other players formed a human gauntlet of players, waving their arms at the ball, to simulate the distraction of having DBs swatting at the ball. Several WRs did a nice job of maintaining their concentration, including Darius Johnson and Keenan Holman, who I didn't see drop a single ball.
• More kickoff drills (now from the 30): Farkas and Loftus alternating kicks ...
• Catch of the day? WR Bobby Waid was getting some work in catching passes from ... ponywhupp9202's and MiracleOnMockingbird's favorite mock-QB device. After catching one pass, he casually tossed the ball back to Keenan Holman, who was operating the machine. Without moving his head, Holman reached up and behind his head, like reaching for a lightswitch in the dark, and snared the ball with one hand. Nothing about it resembled anything that would happen on a football field ... but it was really impressive, nonetheless.
• The offense came out on the field after special teams work for a few minutes ... and headed back in after a few minutes. Defense is still out there...
• Lot of standing around and talking (or listening) with defensive coordinator Tom Mason ... who just turned the players loose. Practice over.
• 69 players took the field for special teams drills.
• K Brian Farkas getting some work on kickoffs, most of which reached the end zone (although they were kicking from the 40, not the 30).
• After kickoff (and return) drills, team moved to punt drills. One thing that jumps out: the speed getting downfield shown by PR Cole Beasley's personal bodyguards/blockers: DL Aaron Davis, LB Byron Brown and DE Cameron Smith.
• While much of the team was involved with punt drills, the WRs (at least those not on the punt drills) were on the side of the field. They split into two rows a few feet apart, with one guy at the end, waiting for passes fired from (wait for it, ponywhupp9202 and MiracleOnMockingbird) ... the JUGS machine. As the ball sailed towards its would-be target, the other players formed a human gauntlet of players, waving their arms at the ball, to simulate the distraction of having DBs swatting at the ball. Several WRs did a nice job of maintaining their concentration, including Darius Johnson and Keenan Holman, who I didn't see drop a single ball.
• More kickoff drills (now from the 30): Farkas and Loftus alternating kicks ...
• Catch of the day? WR Bobby Waid was getting some work in catching passes from ... ponywhupp9202's and MiracleOnMockingbird's favorite mock-QB device. After catching one pass, he casually tossed the ball back to Keenan Holman, who was operating the machine. Without moving his head, Holman reached up and behind his head, like reaching for a lightswitch in the dark, and snared the ball with one hand. Nothing about it resembled anything that would happen on a football field ... but it was really impressive, nonetheless.
• The offense came out on the field after special teams work for a few minutes ... and headed back in after a few minutes. Defense is still out there...
• Lot of standing around and talking (or listening) with defensive coordinator Tom Mason ... who just turned the players loose. Practice over.
