Boulder – Good impressions can’t be made if you’re not on the field. In the cases of Colorado wide receiver Dusty Sprague and safety Ryan Walters, their legs are betraying them in a quest to solidify starting positions on the team.
At least Sprague can live on a reputation of making plays. In the spring he got off to a good start in proving he can be a reliable receiver in coach Dan Hawkins’ motion-happy, score- any-way-you-can offense. But lately, ankle and hamstring injuries have limited him in practice. He did not participate in the first scrimmage Sunday.
“It’s been an unfortunate camp that way,” Sprague said Wednesday. “I’m banged up. But I’ve got to fight through it so I can get on the field and help the team out.”
It has made playing in Friday’s scrimmage a priority. Though he remains tied atop the depth chart with Stephone Robinson at the wide receiver “Z” position, he knows it can be tenuous. Those who are on the field making plays are the ones who will be on the field when the season starts. Sprague led CU with 43 receptions for 468 yards and a touchdown in 2005.
“I’m getting better every day,” Sprague said. “I just want to get back to 100 percent. I’m not 100 percent now, but I’ll be there soon.”
Walters is trying to fulfill potential. He has made his move from a recruited quarterback out of Grandview High School to safety appear much easier than it should have been in the past two seasons. Now he’s a starter, but has been out with a hamstring injury since the third practice of preseason camp.
“I’m out here trying to do as much as I can,” Walters said. “I started jogging (Tuesday). It’s still pretty sore, pretty tight. But it’s getting better.”
Sophomore Ben Burney has been getting first-team reps in Walters’ place. Earlier in the week, Hawkins said he would like to see Walters on the field for Friday’s scrimmage, but the sophomore said he’ll play it safe. He said he injured the same hamstring twice during the summer.
“If I can go, I’ll go,” Walters said. “I’m not going to milk this thing or baby it. But at the same time, I want to be smart with it so I don’t have to keep dealing with it during the season.”
X-man Crosby
CU star kicker Mason Crosby has never wondered what he would look like with blond hair.
But ESPN.com gave him a loose idea of what it might be Monday when it debuted its list of college football’s “X&O Men,” players (and Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis) who figure to have the greatest impact on the game this season.
Crosby’s nickname: “The Cleated Crusher.”
“I saw it because they hung it up in the training room,” Crosby said. “I didn’t know anything about it, and then I walk in; I think (place-kick holder) Nick Holz put it up there, giving me a hard time. But I think it’s a pretty cool deal. I’ve never been a cartoon. It’s cool to be grouped in with all of the other guys that got to be a part of that. My parents think it’s cool.”
And the blond hair?
“Yeah, I don’t know what that was about,” Crosby said. “Maybe it was to make me look more superhero-like.”
Footnotes
Colorado’s football season- ticket count is being displayed for all to see on the school’s official website. Wednesday it said the Buffs had sold 17,148 season tickets, 3,352 short of CU’s goal of 20,500. … The Buffs have received an oral commitment from offensive lineman Garth Gerhart of Norco, Calif.
Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
