Indiana University Athletics
HOOSIERS PRACTICE IN PADS FOR FIRST TIME: "THUD" PRACTICE
3/30/1998 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOOSIERS PRACTICE IN PADS FOR FIRST TIME: "THUD" PRACTICEBloomington, Ind. -- The Indiana University football team practiced in pads today for the first time this spring in a "thud" contact session (one in which tacklers do not take the ball carrier to the ground.) The Hoosiers will have a full contact practice on Wednesday and will conduct their first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, April 4, beginning at approximately 10:45 a.m.
"Today was a thud practice" said head coach Cam Cameron. "It was one of four thud practices that you have to have where you don't take anyone to the ground. I thought the tempo was good. For a first day in pads there were a lot of positives but, as I said the other day, we've still got a long way to go."
Cameron on moving senior DT Bryan Bobay back to defense after playing tight end/fullback in 1997: "We'll find out more Wednesday when we go live. The thinking there, I told Bryan, is that we would like to put him in a position to play his senior year at a position where he can play every down. If we kept him at that fullback/tight end position he'd be splitting time with Gall, who's our fullback, and Maxwell at tight end. Then you are looking at playing only 50 percent of the time. He liked the idea and we're going to try to make the most of it."
Cameron on the move of sophomore Marcus Floyd from wide receiver to tailback: "The true test of that move will be Wednesday because we are going to have a situation scrimmage that will be live and then Saturday's scrimmage that will be live. We'll find out if he can hang onto the football but he's got some natural ability to run the ball and he's learned how to catch the ball pretty well."
Cameron on defensive personnel: "Some of these guys have improved so much over the winter. (Sophomore DL/LB) Tony Brown for example tested out in our Hoosier Challenge strength contest as one of the strongest players on our team and we may wind up moving him down inside. A guy like (redshirt freshman) Devin Schaffer has shown a real knack at an early age to learn a lot and our flex position is probably the most complex position on the field. We're going to try him in there. (Vince) Lidy is an extremely sharp kid so he gives us an opportunity to move him around. In the defensive line we're still in the early stages of some experimentation so I wouldn't conclude too much too quickly."
Injury Report: DB Curtis Randle El (hamstring; did not practice); WR O.J. Conner (groin; did not practice); OL Nate DeArmond (suffered sprained ankle during Monday practice); RB Glynn Johnson (hamstring injury during Monday practice); WR Joshua Ellis (broken 5th finger on left hand during Sunday's practice, limited reps); DT Damian Gregory (broken arm in game 10 last season; limited reps); DB Justin Smith (hernia operation during middle of March; will return to practice in mid-April.)
Go to the Football Press Release INDEX
