More linemen, returning starters a good sign for Buffs
There may be snow on the ground, but for the Buff football team, spring is just around the corner.
Spring football, a month of practice during the spring semester that culminates in a spring football game, is a chance for all players enrolled at CU to start trying out for starting positions. The spring football camp starts March 17, and will end with the game on April 19 at Folsom Field.
“The good thing about spring football is that it’s good for unknown young players to show their stuff,” Greg Brown said, an assistant coach for the Buffs. “All jobs are basically open, and we’ll let the competition unfold and let the chips fall as they may.”
Last week, college sports Web site www.Rivals.com posted the pre-spring football camp eligibility chart for CU. Among the names on the list of eligible players who will be competing for their job is redshirt freshman quarterback Cody Hawkins, who started for the Buffs last season.
During the 2007 spring camp, Colorado was low on offensive linemen, which made offensive drills harder to run as a full team. Despite the small number of players to help train the offense, quarterback Hawkins was still given enough protection by the offensive line to throw for 2,693 totals yards and 11 touchdowns on the season.
Brown, who is the defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach, said he was impressed with the team’s ability to overcome the o-linemen deficit, and this season they will not have such an obstacle.
“As the defensive staff, we gave our hats off to the offensive staff for designing a practice regiment that worked,” Brown said. “It’s going to be a huge difference this year for everyone since we have an array of offensive lineman to choose from for practices.”
Do not expect to see Darrell Scott or most of the other newly signed players in spring camp, though.
Spring football camp is restricted to players currently enrolled at CU, so most of the new recruits will not be able to practice with the team. Linebacker Lynn Katoa graduated early from high school and is currently enrolled at CU, so he will be practicing with the team.
“The only new players that will be there are those players who joined in January,” Brown said. “Generally the new players won’t come up until they have graduated high school.”
Brown said the team is going to focus on all-around improvement this spring.
“The easiest way to put it is to summarize Coach Hawkins’ philosophy for the team,” Brown said. “What Hawkins is always saying is that no matter if we did well or not, we have to improve and become better than we were.”
Brown said the entire football program, coaches and players alike, are urging students and the community of Boulder to come stand shoulder to shoulder and support the Buffs on April 19.
“Prominent programs like Nebraska and Alabama are constantly filling the stands,” Brown said. “Our goal is to have the same and build enthusiasm. By showing up, students will be helping put another brick in the wall and help bring this CU program back to prominence. The more student and campus involvement we have, the faster CU will be back in its right spot.”
Players could not be reached for comment.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Philip Fisher at Philip.Fisher@colorado.edu.
