Fresno State Athletics
Photo by: Kiel Maddox
'Dogs open Spring Football under Tedford
3/27/2017 4:00:00 PM | Football
Head Coach Jeff Tedford - Post-practice interview (3.27.17)Sophomore QB Chason Virgil - Post-practice interview (3.27.17)Junior WR KeeSean Johnson - Post-practice interview (3.27.17)Photo Gallery (3.27.17)
The Bulldog football team took to the practice field for the first of 15 spring practices on Monday
FRESNO, Calif. – With a new head coach in place, enthusiasm and excitement filled Bulldog Stadium on Monday morning as the Fresno State football team took to the practice field for the first of 15 spring practices under Jeff Tedford. The team was without pads, in helmets only, as they move through the acclimatization period.
"It's great to be out here," said Tedford. "To get out here and see them in action. A lot of kinks for sure. Everybody is getting used to how we practice and what our system is and things like that. But good energy and the guys worked hard.
"It's the first day with just helmets on so it is difficult to evaluate anything. We'll go in and watch the tape and look at certain things and continue to improve every day. When the pads get on it will be more like real football."
There will be plenty to digest for the players as they work through the next five weeks. Not only new game plans and formations, but how to practice for an entirely new coaching staff. And that will remain the objective through the spring – learn how to work together and get better each day with it.
"Being a new staff and the team getting used to us and our coaching style, our drills, our expectations, all those things are really important," said Tedford. "By the time spring is through, I would anticipate that everybody understands the drills and what's expected of them."
Through the players' eyes, they are motivated and ready to go.
"It's been a smooth transition," said quarterback Chason Virgil. "We're good at adjusting; we just really want to win, bad, and Coach Tedford has won in the past and with him coming in and giving us a vision, we are ready to follow his plan and his leadership to get us to where we want to go."
For a quarterback, the leadership of Coach Tedford hits home even deeper, "he was a great quarterback himself so learning from him and taking everything he says, you try to be a sponge out here when he is talking," Virgil continued. "He has coached up a lot of great QBs."
With a new offensive attack, junior wide receiver KeeSean Johnson noticed more will be asked of him, but he invites the opportunity to make more plays.
"[The offense] is more multiple and there's more motions and the receivers are playing inside and outside," Johnson said. "And we'll have a tough run game."
But more than the X's and O's, Monday culminated an offseason of training and preparation for this day and those practices that will follow to let it out on the gridiron.
"It's a great feeling to be back out on the field with my brothers," Virgil said. "We've put in so much work over the offseason with [strength and conditioning] Coach [Andy] Ward and player-run practices and to be back out here with the coaches is a time to just get better."
The Bulldogs will resume spring practice on Wednesday morning.
"It's great to be out here," said Tedford. "To get out here and see them in action. A lot of kinks for sure. Everybody is getting used to how we practice and what our system is and things like that. But good energy and the guys worked hard.
"It's the first day with just helmets on so it is difficult to evaluate anything. We'll go in and watch the tape and look at certain things and continue to improve every day. When the pads get on it will be more like real football."
There will be plenty to digest for the players as they work through the next five weeks. Not only new game plans and formations, but how to practice for an entirely new coaching staff. And that will remain the objective through the spring – learn how to work together and get better each day with it.
"Being a new staff and the team getting used to us and our coaching style, our drills, our expectations, all those things are really important," said Tedford. "By the time spring is through, I would anticipate that everybody understands the drills and what's expected of them."
Through the players' eyes, they are motivated and ready to go.
"It's been a smooth transition," said quarterback Chason Virgil. "We're good at adjusting; we just really want to win, bad, and Coach Tedford has won in the past and with him coming in and giving us a vision, we are ready to follow his plan and his leadership to get us to where we want to go."
For a quarterback, the leadership of Coach Tedford hits home even deeper, "he was a great quarterback himself so learning from him and taking everything he says, you try to be a sponge out here when he is talking," Virgil continued. "He has coached up a lot of great QBs."
With a new offensive attack, junior wide receiver KeeSean Johnson noticed more will be asked of him, but he invites the opportunity to make more plays.
"[The offense] is more multiple and there's more motions and the receivers are playing inside and outside," Johnson said. "And we'll have a tough run game."
But more than the X's and O's, Monday culminated an offseason of training and preparation for this day and those practices that will follow to let it out on the gridiron.
"It's a great feeling to be back out on the field with my brothers," Virgil said. "We've put in so much work over the offseason with [strength and conditioning] Coach [Andy] Ward and player-run practices and to be back out here with the coaches is a time to just get better."
The Bulldogs will resume spring practice on Wednesday morning.
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