Boulder – It was frigid football weather under the lights, not spring drills basking in the sun. And it was beating-Nebraska kind of whoopin’ and hollerin’, not standing around waiting for the horn to end practice.
“Hawk love,” as new Colorado coach Dan Hawkins promised upon his arrival three months ago, finally landed Monday at the CU practice field.
He introduced former Buff and current Carolina Panthers linebacker Sean Tufts in the post-practice huddle. Hawkins said something to draw jeers and thrown hats. He said other things to draw cheers.
“I like the way they ran around. They showed some good hustle out there. It’s a good start,” Hawkins said. “In terms of execution, we’re a long ways away. But you like the spirit and enthusiasm and energy for the game.”
Sure, the Buffs might have been inspired to run around just to keep warm. But practices from 5-7:30 p.m. are the rule this spring, in order to get players into meetings without missing late-afternoon classes. There are no Saturday workouts until the April 15 spring game, to give players and coaches a weekend break. Hawkins admitted the chill might have driven practice inside at Boise State in spring ball, but “it’s March Madness, baby, let’s go.”
These are not Gary Barnett’s Buffs anymore.
“Everyone is doing something all the time,” holdover staffer Darian Hagan said. “The quarterback is rushing the punter. No more standing around not doing anything. If Patrick Devenny is our best long snapper, why should he be standing on the sidelines if he’s the No. 2 or No. 3 quarterback? We have guys coming off the sideline. Everyone is doing something.”
No one leads the quarterback race, and Hawkins has no expectations of shaping the depth chart anytime soon. Devenny, James Cox, Bernard Jackson and Brian White all had their turns.
More passes were dropped than caught, but it didn’t matter on the first day without pads.
“We’re not going to put a whole lot of pressure on those guys,” Hawkins said. “We won’t make a call on that until a couple weeks out from Montana State (the Sept. 2 opener). We want them to get out there and learn the plays and have some fun and not get pressured up about throwing a pick or an incompletion. It’s going to be whoever moves the club; he’s going to be the guy.
“It’s all about having fun. My promise to those guys is if they come out and bust their humps and do the right things and they can do something well consistently, I’m going to give them a shot. Sometimes as coaches we try to outthink ourselves a little bit.”
Footnotes
Walk-on safety Joel Adams spent the weekend with CU’s ski team winning the NCAA championship. The reserve alpine specialist’s family hosted the skiers at his family’s ranch near Steamboat Springs. … The coach on the sidelines in a blue and orange jacket wasn’t a former Boise State coach. Florida wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, a former Thornton and Colorado State player who met Hawkins through Florida head coach Urban Meyer, said he came to Boulder to watch practice because he knew Hawkins was a winner.
