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Johnson Pleased With Effort As Squad Returns To Practice After Spring Break 3/17/2004
Johnson Pleased With Effort As Squad Returns To Practice After Spring Break Practice 7 of Spring Practice — Head Coach Bobby Johnson left the John Rich Practice Facility Tuesday night pleased with the tempo his Commodores showed in their first practice in more than a week. The two-hour, 30-minute session featured individual position drills, fundamental instruction, and team teaching. The drill ended with a lengthy 11-on-11, non-tackling workout. “I was very pleased with the practice, especially coming off a week away from the field,” Johnson said. “I thought we had good tempo, and really practiced hard and fast.” “We have a lot of guys pushing each other to become better football players. Our team improves as each player gets better. That’s been one of the most positive things to happen this spring,” the head coach added. On offense, tailback Norval McKenzie (Sr., Powder Springs, Ga.) had an excellent practice, making defenders miss on several rushing attempts. If congratulatory handshakes from coaches are an indication, offensive guard Mac Pyle (Jr., Adairsville, Ga.) had another in a string of impressive outings. Other interior linemen earning praise were guard Brian Kovolisky (Sr., Clark, N.J.) and center Chris Williams (R-Fr., Glynn, La.). Several defenders made individual plays during the 11-on-11 session. Cornerback Bill Alford (Sr., Brunswick, Ga.) opened the drill with a diving interception while safety Darnell Martemus (R-Fr., Cleveland, Ohio) concluded the session with a jarring tackle of tailback Tim Miller (So., Detroit, Mich.). Others among the defensive unit making plays were defensive tackles Ralph McKenzie (Jr., Southfield, Mich.) and Ray Brown (So., Jackson, N.J.), and linebacker Jonathan Goff (R-Fr., Stoneham, Mass.). Parker Gets Look at Wide Receiver Parker showed elusive speed and good hands during the practice. On one reception over the middle, Parker made three defenders miss on a first-down play. “I was very impressed, especially being his first practice at the position. There were a lot of positives to Lorenzo’s performance,” Johnson said. Should Parker find playing time on both sides of the line, he would become the Commodores’ first regular two-way player since Jimmy Williams in 1997-98. Parker has started 17 games at cornerback in his three-year career. Protecting the Quarterbacks Though Cutler and Bright are missing some of the full contact, both are benefiting from extra work this spring. While Cutler’s passing accuracy has been sharp throughout the spring, Bright has used the extra repetitions and close supervision of quarterbacks coach Jimmy Kiser to showed marked improvement. Upcoming Practice Schedule |
