August 13, 2015

Two-Minute Drill: Monotony?

The second week of Fall Camp is here. Eight practices have come and gone and Thursday’s session got started off with a jolt of energy as the Jayhawk defensive line welcomed a new face in graduate transfer defensive tackle, Corey King. King, who battled injuries during his time playing at Miami (Fla.), is poised to be a strong contributor at a position in need of depth. He played in 12 games as a Hurricane, including one start—while posting 14 tackles.

To break up the monotony of camp, Kansas head coach David Beaty went back to some of the tactics he implemented during spring football. Let’s face it, Fall Camp is about improving every day and preparing your team for what’s ahead during the season. There is very little time to waste. In the case of Kansas football, there is a lot of work to be done. But at the end of the day, you have to also have some fun.

At about the halfway point through practice, the team was divided into two random squads and the several players on each team were called out to attempt to field punts. In what was intended to be a friendly competition ended up as a down-to-the-wire affair with several memorable catches and unfortunately some unforgettable drops.

The competition was filled primarily with linemen and with that the stakes rose. Every catch was made with a high level of difficulty and the drops somehow made a routine catch seem obsolete.

After the two teams battled back and forth and came in a dead heat, it was up to some staff members to settle the score. Director of player personnel and student-athlete support Troy Kema helped lead his squad in dramatic fashion as he not only caught the punt, but he sprinted to victory with his team running behind him.

For those of you keeping score at home, here is the breakdown of the punt fielding battle:

Heroes: OL D’Andre Banks, DT Kapil Fletcher, OL Mesa Ribordy, DT Taylor Stine, Troy Kema, Zach Yenser, Justin Springer, Ervin Young

Goats: OL Jordan Shelley-Smith, OL Clyde McCauley III, DT Daniel Wise

After the much needed break, the Jayhawks dove back into 7-on-7, going straight back into grind mode. The last half of practice consisted of both 7-on-7 and some live action 11-on-11. While both sides of the ball saw several players step up, the coaching staff was pleased with the play of freshman wide receiver Chase Harrell and sophomore tight end Ben Johnson on offense and linebacker Joe Dineen, Jr., and safety Tevin Shaw on defense.

Reports Fall Camp Archive Camp Central
8/5 – Football is Back!
8/6 – Substitutions?
8/7 – The Little Things
8/8 – Media Day
8/8 – Thru the Lens
8/10 – Back to Work
8/11 – Physical
8/12 – Adjustments
8/13 – Monotony?
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