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Johnson Pleased With First Full-Pad Practice Thursday 3/17/2006 On Campus in Vanderbilt Stadium – The Commodores moved closer to full-contact action with their first practice of the spring in full gear Thursday afternoon. Head Coach Bobby Johnson put the Commodores through a 90-minute workout that focused on fundamental drills, then concluded with a brief 11-on-11 session where contact was permitted, but tackling was prohibited. As the team moves closer to full-contact scrimmage practices in the coming days, the head coach liked what he saw from the Commodores during their first full-pad practice. “Considering it was our first day (in pads), I was pleased with what we got accomplished,” Johnson said. “It’s obvious to me that we have a lot of guys that are eager to get to work. We have a great deal of work to do, but we can definitely build off this practice. “At the same time, it was one of those difficult practices on the players because of the (non-tackling) limits. We’re going to learn a lot more about our guys when we’re practicing with full contact, but our staff can definitely build off this practice,” the head coach said. The defense impressed during the final, 11-on-11 segment. Three returning linebackers — Kevin Joyce, Jonathan Goff and Marcus Buggs — made defensive stops to end offensive possessions. A pair of returning starters, defensive tackle Theo Horrocks and safety Reshard Langford, also produced hits that drew the attraction of coaches and teammates. Earlier in the practice, Goff and sophomore cornerback Josh Allen made outstanding individual defensive plays during team passing drills. Solid Receiving Corps Early indications suggest Johnson’s squad might feature one of Vanderbilt’s deepest and most athletic receiving corps. During segments of the practice devoted to the passing game, a bevy of receivers have impressed coaches and teammates. The corps is led by Earl Bennett, coming off one of the best receiving seasons ever by a freshman in the Southeastern Conference, and Marlon White, who entered Spring Practice in superb shape and intent on making his final year a successful one. Sophomore George Smith also appears more confident with each practice, coming off a breakthrough 2005 season. Several others are pushing the three top returnees. Sophomores Bryant Anderson and Sean Walker have been consistent, while redshirt freshmen Alex Washington and Justin Wheeler have shown an abundance of talent, each making some of the top catches early in the opening practices. Two other redshirt freshmen, Larry Simmons and Chris Reinert, also have some promise. Working Out for the NFL Nine former Commodore players, including All-SEC quarterback Jay Cutler and linebacker Moses Osemwegie, will work out for NFL scouts Friday at the Rich Practice Facility. Every NFL franchise is expected to be represented when the activity gets started Friday morning with official measurements in the football weight room. The event includes agility and strength tests, 40-yard dash timing and position drills. Cutler, who impressed scouts earlier at the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl workouts, will throw to three former targets, wide receiver Erik Davis, tight end Dustin Dunning and 2004 graduate/wide receiver Brandon Smith. Others expected to participate are cornerback Andrew Pace, safety Kelechi Ohanaja, defensive tackle Ralph McKenzie, receiver Ronnie Swoopes and linebacker Otis Washington. Practice Schedule After practicing three consecutive days, the Commodores will take off Friday. The squad is expected to return to the practice field on Saturday. |