Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Put on Full Pads For Fourth Spring Practice
3/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
 Coach Wilson | Coach Joseph | Allen | Dutra |  Photo Gallery
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana football team held their fourth spring practice of 2015 on Tuesday morning. This practice was the Hoosiers second in full pads since the offseason break, and head coach Kevin Wilson said it felt good to get re-acclimated to full contact football.
"There was a lot of rust getting started. We did our first full go of tackling, which will build into our Thursday practice," Wilson said. "I liked some things, but it needs to build, and we're going to look to finish strong on Thursday."
Wilson is pleased with how the first four practices have gone early in the spring, especially with the leadership of the upperclassmen.
"We've got a good vibe on the team," said Wilson. "I think our older players are maturing and having fun as leaders. They're energetic about being out here and working in practice."
Watch the full post-practice interview with coach Wilson here:
POSITION PROFILE: SAFETIES
IU assistant coach Noah Joseph is entering his second year with the Hoosiers as the safeties coach and defensive recruiting coordinator. Joseph shared his thoughts after practice, and like Wilson, he's ready to see where the team is at on Thursday.
"It went okay, but it was inconsistent," Joseph said. "As a defensive guy, it's not what we want. With the pads on, we have to figure out a way to be more physical out there."
Joseph also discussed his position group. He said that at this stage in the season, nobody's spot is guaranteed.
"We're playing around with the rotation, getting guys in there and seeing what they can do," Joseph said. "We're trying to build a culture in our unit of being very physical and better fundamentally."
When asked about improvements he'd like to make to his position group in the preseason, Joseph had a couple of key goals.
"We have to be much better tacklers, especially in the open field," Noah said. "We also have to be more explosive in creating takeaways."
Watch Coach Joseph's full interview after IU's fourth practice here:
Indiana defensive back Antonio Allen started all 12 games for the Hoosiers last season, leading the defense with 74 tackles and earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. Allen's main takeaway from the fourth practice was that the unit needs more consistency.
"We've got to be more explosive and make more tackles," Allen said. "We missed a lot of tackles today."
Allen's criticism so early in the preseason is a sign of his maturity and leadership amongst his position group, a role that he's more than willing to embrace.
"I have to teach the younger guys, but I still feel like I'm young," Allen said.
Watch the full interview with Allen here:
Hoosier defensive back Chase Dutra returns to the Cream & Crimson after a freshman year where he saw playing time in all 12 games. Dutra led the Hoosiers in interceptions with three last season, and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten freshman honors. Dutra, like his coaches, was glad to shake the rust off after a long offseason.
"It's kind of a different feeling, getting used to hitting again," Dutra said. "It felt good to get back out there, and today was our first section of full-go, which felt good."
Dutra is only a sophomore, but he has embraced a leadership role due to the youth in his position group. That said, Dutra believes he has some personal improvements to make in order to be the best player he can be for the Hoosiers.
"I know I have to be more vocal, and a better communicator overall," said Dutra. "We're considered young, but we have to step up and take on that leadership role."
Check out the full interview with Dutra after practice here:
CREAM & CRIMSON SPRING GAME IN 18 DAYS
The Hoosiers kick off the 2015 Cream & Crimson Spring Game at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18. They will also host a Little 500 pre-bash evening open scrimmage on Thursday, April 23.
