Kansas Football Runs Through First Spring Practice Sunday
March 28, 2010
VIDEO: Gill |McDougald |Opurum |Harris
LAWRENCE, Kan. – A day later than expected due to weather conditions, the Kansas football team ran through its first spring practice under the direction of new head coach Turner Gill Sunday.
The Jayhawks headed out to the field and worked out for two hours and 15 minutes in 58-degree weather Sunday.
“It is a great day for us to get started,” Gill said. “Spring football practice – it is a great day for our coaches to finally get a chance to see our guys do some things on the football field and get a chance to evaluate and see where we are at.”
The head coach said the first-year staff will be doing a lot of evaluating during the first week of practice before making any major personnel decisions.
“We want to have everybody to go out and show their skills,” Gill said. “We are not going to make a lot of changes in the next few days.”
The players were eager to take to the field Sunday. They used the offseason to get bigger and stronger and now have the opportunity to impress a new coaching staff.
“Everyone has been waiting for a chance to display everything that they learned in the off-season,” said sophomore-to-be running back Toben Opurum. “Everyone got a lot bigger. People are getting faster and stronger. We developed our bodies physically and now we get to get on the field and take it out there.”
Senior-to-be Chris Harris, a regular in the secondary for the last three seasons is adjusting to a new way of doing things.
“It was fun to get back into it and learn new stuff and new schemes,” Harris said. “It was fun to come out here and see how the coaches coach and get used to it. They have thrown it out there that everyone is at the same level. Everyone has a clean slate so everybody is competing for positions right now.”
Gill announced before practice that linebacker Vernon Brooks is no longer on the football team after violating team policy. Brooks left the team during the 2009 season before being re-instated this semester.
The Jayhawks will return to the field for practice Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday to complete their first week.
Kansas football fans can follow the Jayhawks on the internet through KU’s official website, as well as get behind the scenes looks through the official Kansas football blog.
