Indiana University Athletics
BTN Believer
8/6/2018 8:57:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Howard Griffith didn't become a believer just by spending Monday in Bloomington.
The Big Ten Network football analyst already had faith in new Indiana athletic performance gurus David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea before the BTN crew made its annual junket to IU.
Griffith's son Houston Griffith – reportedly already vying to break into Notre Dame's secondary rotation as a true freshman – trained previously under Ballou and Rhea's auspices at IMG Academy in Florida.
"He knows them well," Griffith, the former Illinois standout, said of his son's knowledge of Ballou and Rhea. "He loves those guys. As far as motivating guys, getting them to train, and using science to do it, it's the new approach.
"I saw the difference, in just a few months, in what my son looked like and was able to do. Indiana fans – and I know these players – are excited to have somebody like (Ballou and Rhea). Because it's really going to help them in all areas, as far as speed, strength."
Griffith saw signs of the same sort of physical transformation among the Hoosiers as he'd seen in his son.
"I was really interested to see what, physically, these guys were going to look like," he said. "It looks like it's really working. Physically, I think they look really good. It's just a matter of continuing to build.
"Obviously, recruiting is a big part of that. If you continue to recruit at a high level, giving these guys (Rhea and Ballou) clay to work with, so to speak, I think things get good."
For things to really get good, the improved strength, speed and recruiting have to impact play positively on Saturdays to create more victories.
"At the end of the day, it has to translate to the field," Griffith said. "And I know the things that (Ballou and Rhea) do, as far as their training, translates to the field. We haven't seen it here, yet, but you have to be excited just looking at the numbers (from the offseason workouts).
"They wouldn't be doing this stuff just to get strong. They're doing it so it's functional, so that when you get out on the field, you're ready to go. It's going to be fun to watch."
Griffith credited IU and its athletics administration for supplying resources for progress in conditioning athletes. Beyond referencing the new south end zone facility at Memorial Stadium in that regard, Griffith applauded the money spent to not just hire Ballou and Rhea but to also provide their required tools.
"Good people are hard to find," Griffith said. "I think this is one of those things that is just going to continue to build, continue to get better. Throughout the country, not everybody is doing it. I think you have to take your hat off to Indiana for putting the resources behind it. It's not cheap.
"I think it's important, if you have the resources. Schools that have unlimited resources can obviously pour it in. Not every school has that opportunity.
"But, again, it goes back to the administration being able to see what's important, and when you can see a difference. I can only imagine, when you see the results on the field, now, all of a sudden, that budget gets
even bigger. And it spreads not just through football but all of the athletic department. And that's the goal. You've got to be able to see those results."
FOUR FRESHMEN
The NCAA rule change allowing freshmen to play in as many as four games and still retain a redshirt season was a prime topic of conversation Monday.
BTN's Dave Revsine tweeted:
"Just spent a few minutes with (IU head coach) Tom Allen mid-practice. Really interesting to discuss new RS (redshirt) rule and how it impacts roster management. Essentially have divided Frosh in 3 categories: will play, might play more than four games, need RS (but could 4 or fewer)."
Griffith acknowledged the new rule could especially help programs trying to build depth, such as IU:
"I think it's great. Here's what I think is the key to it. Now if you're a freshman -- as opposed to years past (when) it was 'Well, I'm redshirting and I'm on the scout team' – now you never know when you're going to get called up, when you're going to get that opportunity.
"So, to me, it heightens everyone's alert. You can get on the field. And it should make your team better because you're going to have these freshmen pushing, pushing all season, not just a couple of weeks in camps … you're not as interested if all you're doing is looking at cards (of scout team plays) all day."
Griffith was asked if, during his quick perusal Monday at IU, if any freshman Hoosiers had already caught his eye.
"Well, I've seen a couple of guys. The quarterback (Michael Penix Jr.), well, the upside is without question," Griffith said. "He's going to be fun to watch as he continues to develop. The tough thing is that he's a freshman and has some veteran guys in front of him, but you can see the upside. So it's just a matter of him continuing to get comfortable. It just depends if he can sustain throughout camp.
"Reese (Taylor, Indiana's 2017 Mr. Football from 6A state champ Ben Davis, who is currently at cornerback) is obviously a guy. We know what he can do. Stepping into that corner position, I like what he can do.
"The athleticism (overall in the freshman class) – Indiana's not always had that here. They're doing a better job of recruiting, which is important. Which you've got to be able to do. Coupling that with the redshirt rule, I think that's going to make everybody better."
IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord added some quick observations about Penix – who threw a pretty touchdown bomb to Whop Philyor early in Monday's session – and Taylor.
"I think (Penix) has great confidence in himself and he has great poise," DeBord said. "But he's still learning. We've got some new things for training camp, so he's still learning just like everybody else is.
"(Taylor) is an explosive player. Reese is very explosive. Defense and whatever else he plays, special teams, et cetera. Very explosive player, very smart player. He's a very good football player."
DeBord also apparently took note of freshman running back Stevie Scott, who bowled over a defender on a run near the end of practice.
"There are a lot of freshmen and all of our freshmen are getting reps," he said. "I can't say there's one or two or whatever. Today (Scott) had a really good day.
"Those (true freshman) guys, I don't know if you could imagine, but it's like walking into Spanish class first day and never having one class of it. Everything's different. Terminology is different. The plays are different. They're all learning and today he had a really good day.
"But this is a great freshman class. Great people, great players and very athletic and tough football players. It's a great class."
ELIJAH EXITS
IU's 2018 freshman class is minus one player now, with Allen announcing cornerback Elijah Rodgers departure Monday.
"We've had one of our teammates who's chosen to leave the program for personal reasons, Elijah Rodgers, one of our freshmen," Allen said. "We appreciate him – and the way he helped us in recruiting as he was coming here. Just didn't work out for him. Wish him nothing but the best."
J-SHUN SHINES
Fifth-year senior wideout J-Shun Harris II, who has rehabilitated three ACL knee injuries during his IU tenure, already looks as if he's full go. He took in a crossing pattern pass Monday from grad transfer quarterback Brandon Dawkins and then took it to the house.
"Well, No. 1, this entire football team has great respect for him," DeBord said, "with what he's gone through injury-wise and to be back out here. He gives great effort and he made plays today. Our football team loves that kid."
Allen said there are no post-surgery limitations on what Harris could supply the team this fall.
"Watching him practice here, you see he's made a lot of plays at the receiver spot," Allen said. "As long as his knee holds up, we'll use him as much as we can.
"Obviously, punt returner is such a huge role for us and he did such a great job there, so that's a constant. But if he can physically handle playing receiver, then we'll play him as much as we can."
YEP, IT'S FALL CAMP
During some scrimmage sets – with limited contact, as IU's first day with full pads is Tuesday – senior Mike Majette hit the turf after a nice run up the middle and the ball popped free.
It probably wasn't technically a fumble, since the ground can't cause one, by rule. But Hoosier defenders still went after the football like piranhas that hadn't chomped anything meaty for a while.
"Take it away!" head coach and defensive coordinator Allen thundered about the ball to his defenders through his megaphone.
Then, without missing a beat, Allen admonished the offense, hollering: "Ball security!"
That sums up fall camp. If something is good for the defense, it's bad for the offense, and vice-versa. It makes it hard to gauge whether it was a good day for the team, overall.
But the consensus was that Monday was a good day for the offense.
WHO?
The first question asked of running backs coach Mike Hart post-practice referenced "Stevie Smith," a name not on IU's current football roster.
The reporter asking the question simply had a synapse misfire and was intending to inquire about freshman back Stevie Scott.
That same reporter may or may not be the author of this article.
But former Michigan Wolverine standout Hart was open-minded enough to acknowledge a former Michigan State Spartan:
"Steve Smith is a basketball player."
The Big Ten Network football analyst already had faith in new Indiana athletic performance gurus David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea before the BTN crew made its annual junket to IU.
Griffith's son Houston Griffith – reportedly already vying to break into Notre Dame's secondary rotation as a true freshman – trained previously under Ballou and Rhea's auspices at IMG Academy in Florida.
"He knows them well," Griffith, the former Illinois standout, said of his son's knowledge of Ballou and Rhea. "He loves those guys. As far as motivating guys, getting them to train, and using science to do it, it's the new approach.
"I saw the difference, in just a few months, in what my son looked like and was able to do. Indiana fans – and I know these players – are excited to have somebody like (Ballou and Rhea). Because it's really going to help them in all areas, as far as speed, strength."
Griffith saw signs of the same sort of physical transformation among the Hoosiers as he'd seen in his son.
"I was really interested to see what, physically, these guys were going to look like," he said. "It looks like it's really working. Physically, I think they look really good. It's just a matter of continuing to build.
"Obviously, recruiting is a big part of that. If you continue to recruit at a high level, giving these guys (Rhea and Ballou) clay to work with, so to speak, I think things get good."
For things to really get good, the improved strength, speed and recruiting have to impact play positively on Saturdays to create more victories.
"At the end of the day, it has to translate to the field," Griffith said. "And I know the things that (Ballou and Rhea) do, as far as their training, translates to the field. We haven't seen it here, yet, but you have to be excited just looking at the numbers (from the offseason workouts).
"They wouldn't be doing this stuff just to get strong. They're doing it so it's functional, so that when you get out on the field, you're ready to go. It's going to be fun to watch."
Griffith credited IU and its athletics administration for supplying resources for progress in conditioning athletes. Beyond referencing the new south end zone facility at Memorial Stadium in that regard, Griffith applauded the money spent to not just hire Ballou and Rhea but to also provide their required tools.
"Good people are hard to find," Griffith said. "I think this is one of those things that is just going to continue to build, continue to get better. Throughout the country, not everybody is doing it. I think you have to take your hat off to Indiana for putting the resources behind it. It's not cheap.
"I think it's important, if you have the resources. Schools that have unlimited resources can obviously pour it in. Not every school has that opportunity.
"But, again, it goes back to the administration being able to see what's important, and when you can see a difference. I can only imagine, when you see the results on the field, now, all of a sudden, that budget gets
even bigger. And it spreads not just through football but all of the athletic department. And that's the goal. You've got to be able to see those results."
FOUR FRESHMEN
The NCAA rule change allowing freshmen to play in as many as four games and still retain a redshirt season was a prime topic of conversation Monday.
BTN's Dave Revsine tweeted:
"Just spent a few minutes with (IU head coach) Tom Allen mid-practice. Really interesting to discuss new RS (redshirt) rule and how it impacts roster management. Essentially have divided Frosh in 3 categories: will play, might play more than four games, need RS (but could 4 or fewer)."
Griffith acknowledged the new rule could especially help programs trying to build depth, such as IU:
"I think it's great. Here's what I think is the key to it. Now if you're a freshman -- as opposed to years past (when) it was 'Well, I'm redshirting and I'm on the scout team' – now you never know when you're going to get called up, when you're going to get that opportunity.
"So, to me, it heightens everyone's alert. You can get on the field. And it should make your team better because you're going to have these freshmen pushing, pushing all season, not just a couple of weeks in camps … you're not as interested if all you're doing is looking at cards (of scout team plays) all day."
Griffith was asked if, during his quick perusal Monday at IU, if any freshman Hoosiers had already caught his eye.
"Well, I've seen a couple of guys. The quarterback (Michael Penix Jr.), well, the upside is without question," Griffith said. "He's going to be fun to watch as he continues to develop. The tough thing is that he's a freshman and has some veteran guys in front of him, but you can see the upside. So it's just a matter of him continuing to get comfortable. It just depends if he can sustain throughout camp.
"Reese (Taylor, Indiana's 2017 Mr. Football from 6A state champ Ben Davis, who is currently at cornerback) is obviously a guy. We know what he can do. Stepping into that corner position, I like what he can do.
"The athleticism (overall in the freshman class) – Indiana's not always had that here. They're doing a better job of recruiting, which is important. Which you've got to be able to do. Coupling that with the redshirt rule, I think that's going to make everybody better."
IU offensive coordinator Mike DeBord added some quick observations about Penix – who threw a pretty touchdown bomb to Whop Philyor early in Monday's session – and Taylor.
"I think (Penix) has great confidence in himself and he has great poise," DeBord said. "But he's still learning. We've got some new things for training camp, so he's still learning just like everybody else is.
"(Taylor) is an explosive player. Reese is very explosive. Defense and whatever else he plays, special teams, et cetera. Very explosive player, very smart player. He's a very good football player."
DeBord also apparently took note of freshman running back Stevie Scott, who bowled over a defender on a run near the end of practice.
"There are a lot of freshmen and all of our freshmen are getting reps," he said. "I can't say there's one or two or whatever. Today (Scott) had a really good day.
"Those (true freshman) guys, I don't know if you could imagine, but it's like walking into Spanish class first day and never having one class of it. Everything's different. Terminology is different. The plays are different. They're all learning and today he had a really good day.
"But this is a great freshman class. Great people, great players and very athletic and tough football players. It's a great class."
ELIJAH EXITS
IU's 2018 freshman class is minus one player now, with Allen announcing cornerback Elijah Rodgers departure Monday.
"We've had one of our teammates who's chosen to leave the program for personal reasons, Elijah Rodgers, one of our freshmen," Allen said. "We appreciate him – and the way he helped us in recruiting as he was coming here. Just didn't work out for him. Wish him nothing but the best."
J-SHUN SHINES
Fifth-year senior wideout J-Shun Harris II, who has rehabilitated three ACL knee injuries during his IU tenure, already looks as if he's full go. He took in a crossing pattern pass Monday from grad transfer quarterback Brandon Dawkins and then took it to the house.
"Well, No. 1, this entire football team has great respect for him," DeBord said, "with what he's gone through injury-wise and to be back out here. He gives great effort and he made plays today. Our football team loves that kid."
Allen said there are no post-surgery limitations on what Harris could supply the team this fall.
"Watching him practice here, you see he's made a lot of plays at the receiver spot," Allen said. "As long as his knee holds up, we'll use him as much as we can.
"Obviously, punt returner is such a huge role for us and he did such a great job there, so that's a constant. But if he can physically handle playing receiver, then we'll play him as much as we can."
YEP, IT'S FALL CAMP
During some scrimmage sets – with limited contact, as IU's first day with full pads is Tuesday – senior Mike Majette hit the turf after a nice run up the middle and the ball popped free.
It probably wasn't technically a fumble, since the ground can't cause one, by rule. But Hoosier defenders still went after the football like piranhas that hadn't chomped anything meaty for a while.
"Take it away!" head coach and defensive coordinator Allen thundered about the ball to his defenders through his megaphone.
Then, without missing a beat, Allen admonished the offense, hollering: "Ball security!"
That sums up fall camp. If something is good for the defense, it's bad for the offense, and vice-versa. It makes it hard to gauge whether it was a good day for the team, overall.
But the consensus was that Monday was a good day for the offense.
WHO?
The first question asked of running backs coach Mike Hart post-practice referenced "Stevie Smith," a name not on IU's current football roster.
The reporter asking the question simply had a synapse misfire and was intending to inquire about freshman back Stevie Scott.
That same reporter may or may not be the author of this article.
But former Michigan Wolverine standout Hart was open-minded enough to acknowledge a former Michigan State Spartan:
"Steve Smith is a basketball player."
Players Mentioned
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