Fort Collins – With one practice down and several goals to go, Ben Stratton had more reason than most teammates to savor Thursday’s start of Colorado State football practice.
“It’s been a year since I’ve hit anyone,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the first big hit, the first tackle, the first interception, to get everything out of the way. Once those things happen, I can settle down and get back to normal.”
For Stratton, a year without a hit is like most teammates surviving without pizza or ice cream.
“I’m going through withdrawal right now,” he said.
The 6-foot-2, 207-pound strong safety was on the verge of what was expected to be a big senior season when he tore an ACL at the end of two-a-days in 2005.
“I thought, ‘Thank God he has a redshirt year,” secondary coach James Ward said.
Thursday morning, Stratton was practicing without even a knee brace as a reminder.
“Man, it felt great,” Stratton said. “I came into the training room today and I was all smiles and (assistant trainer Mike Biggs) said I was waiting for this day for a year. It felt great being out there with the guys and just running around.”
Stratton didn’t suffer any setbacks during his summer rehab 7-on-7 work against Northern Colorado players.
A second surgery last spring forced him to start his rehab from scratch.
“I’ve got to make it through camp,” Stratton said. “I’m No. 2 on the depth chart (behind former walk-on Mike Pagnotta).
“That’s to be expected. I have to show the coaches I’m better than I was. They can’t expect I’ll come in and be the guy I was. Only I know I’m going to be better than I was. It’s a challenge, it’s adversity and I’m looking forward to it.”
Occasionally a hitter comes along in the form of a John Lynch-type safety, who makes a statement on the field just from the reverberating sound of his hits. One particularly brutal hit by Stratton leveled a Wyoming receiver two years ago.
While he always will look for the hit, Stratton said he knows he also needs to be going for the ball when it’s still airborne.
Ward welcomed back three- fourths of the secondary missing last spring. Besides Stratton, cornerback Robert Herbert (shin splints) and Darryl Williams (shoulder) also appeared back in form. Herbert worked out on the field long after his teammates headed for lunch.
“I hate to pinpoint anyone early. Darryl Williams looked close to normal,” CSU coach Sonny Lubick said. “It’s nice to see Ben back. We have some real competition in the secondary.”
With nine listed cornerbacks and four safeties, Lubick is talking in terms of rotations, not starters.
“Maybe we can get four corners,” Lubick said. “Sometimes it’s been a scramble to find one.”
Stratton has been philosophical since the injury. He’s thankful he gets to use the new locker room and play another year with younger brother, Dane,competing for the starting right tackle job.
Footnotes
Director of football operations Tom Ehlers said there’s no chance at CSU of an Oklahoma-type scandal with players getting paid for work they didn’t do. Ehlers, who coordinates off-campus jobs, said, “If a job like that comes across my desk, I’m taking it for myself.” …
In the next five practices, Lubick wants 80 percent of the offense, defense and special teams installed before two-a- days begin Wednesday. …
If it’s the worst snafu of the season, CSU will be in good shape, but practice didn’t get off to the best start. Everyone came out in white T-shirts, then went back to change into the standard dark jerseys for defense and white for the offense. Many of the players were not in their usual jersey numbers. …
Lubick announced sophomore defensive tackle Shawn McGoveran, who played as a true freshman last season, is probably through with football because of concussions. …
Freshman running back John Mosure came in third on the depth chart. Safety Michael Johnson, who has run a 10.8-second 100 meters, has caught Lubick’s eye, along with linebacker Zac Pauga of Green Mountain High School, who could be a candidate at blocking back.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
