Feb. 16, 2015
Camp Close-Up | Mason Interview
On campus in Nashville – The Commodores opened what is believed to be the earliest Spring Practice in program history with an energetic session Monday morning.
With sleet piling up outside, 77 Commodore prospects worked briskly for 90 minutes in the Indoor Practice Facility, focusing on individual fundamentals, scheme installation, special teams and conditioning.
Derek Mason, overseeing his second Spring Ball at Vanderbilt, was pleased with the overall effort and focus of the student-athletes.
“I thought the guys had great energy and practiced with high tempo,” Mason said. “It’s pretty much exactly what I wanted to see from this team on the first day.
“We want to practice hard and practice smart this spring, and make the most of all 15 opportunities. We accomplished that today,” the head coach added.
The Commodores will return to action Wednesday morning, and are scheduled to hold practices on Friday and Saturday later this week.
Getting Spring Started Early
Vanderbilt’s Spring Practice features the earliest start date in program history. The closest in recent years came in 2004 when Bobby Johnson opened spring drills on Feb. 19.
Mason has a facility asset that Johnson lacked – Vanderbilt’s $30 million Indoor Practice Facility and Multipurpose Center – in making the decision to move practices earlier in the calendar. Mason has said most of the team’s weekday practices will be staged in the indoor venue.
Duke is the only other team from a Power 5 school underway with spring drills.
Playing New Positions
Four Commodores saw action at new positions Monday. Ladarius Banks, a former defensive lineman, took several repetitions at fullback. Darrius Sims, a cornerback and receiver last year, worked out with the tailbacks. It also appears that Blake Fromang has returned to offensive tackle, and Sean Dowling has moved from offensive tackle to tight end.