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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Tuesday practice notes

Here's what I've got for Wednesday's paper:
* Deron Furr leaving Auburn
* Notebook: Leads with how Aairon Savage will be examined tomorrow and might need surgery. Quoted Tommy Tuberville and Paul Rhoads about what they'll do at CB in Savage's absence.
* Feature on Raven Gray

Speaking of Raven Gray, DE coach Terry Price didn't seem to be riding him as much today. As is the case with a lot of JUCO players when they start their time at a four-year school, it's apparent he has a lot of habits Price wants to break. He certainly hasn't been blowing anyone away thus far, but that's probably pretty common for a guy in his situation. Particularly after missing so much time with a knee injury. He might become a productive college player, but people will have to be patient with him.

Here are some other random observations and comments from the day:
* I enjoy watching Eric Smith run with the ball. He's like a little bowling ball. Kind of reminds me of a pudgy Rudi Johnson. Not sure how much opportunity exists for him right this second, with Lester, Tate and Davis all in the mix, but I think he's going to wind up being a player.
* Tyronne Green is gonna have a great year. I watched that blocking drill I mentioned yesterday again today and he again stood up Sen'Derrick Marks. He also took it to Zach Clayton three straight times.
* Jake Ricks had a couple of really good reps in that drill.
* There was a pretty good standoff in the drill between Jomarcus Savage (Tuberville complimented Savage and Cameron Henderson after practice for their play today) and Mike Berry. Savage outran Berry to the QB one time, but Berry fought off Savage's bull rush on the next play. Hugh Nall was pleased with that rep, going so far as to sing a few bars of "War Eagle" to Berry after the play.
* Watching Nall coach his guys up is highly entertaining to me. He's extremely tough, but it's interesting listening to him tutor them about what they're doing right and wrong. I'm not even a novice when it comes to blocking techniques, so I couldn't tell you what they did wrong most of the time while I'm watching -- I can only tell you they either got beat or didn't -- but you watch him and you learn a little something. And maybe a few new vocabulary words, too.
* Injuries were the hot topic today after practice. Tuberville said Aairon Savage will be evaluated tomorrow, presumably in Birmingham, and he wasn't ruling out the possibility of surgery. Didn't want to speculate, though. Charles Olatunji broke his collarbone when he crashed to the ground in that passing drill yesterday. Obviously he'll be out for a while.
* OT Lee Ziemba missed today's practice with a knee strain. Tuberville said he's getting an MRI, but he didn't seem to think it was especially serious.
* Also, he said Andre Wadley has been in and out of the hospital after that heat-related scare he had this summer, but that he's out now. I don't believe Tuberville had said before today that Wadley had been in the hospital more than once. Doesn't sound like he's going to practice anytime soon. That's kind of scary for Wadley if what we've heard is the whole story -- that he had some sort of heat stroke that kind of shut his body down and they can't figure out exactly what happened.
* He said they're hoping Chaz Ramsey will be able to practice some soon, although they want to take things slowly with him and doctors don't want him trying to do too much, like go through two-a-day practices.
* Speaking of injuries, Doolittle, Goggans, T'Sharvan Bell and Mike Slade were all off to the side riding the exercise bikes and whatnot today. Antonio Coleman was watching, too, but he wasn't doing the conditioning stuff with those guys.
* Chris Slaughter made another really nice TD catch in 11-on-11 practice, beating Drew Cole for a long TD from Chris Todd.
* Kodi Burns had a nice completion to Tim Hawthorne. Burns also was victimized on a pick by Walter McFadden near the goal line, which McFadden would have taken back for a nearly 100-yard score if they'd allowed the play to finish.
* Slaughter, Philip Pierre-Louis and Robert Dunn, in no particular order, were the guys catching punts when they were working on that particular skill.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's the deal with Coleman? Is he cleared for contact, or is there some residual concern for him from the spring injury?

Andy Bitter said...

Tuberville said it's not the spring injury that's keeping him out, it's a hamstring injury. I don't think it's anything that will affect him on Aug. 30.