Nelson Spruce signing an autograph
My Monday commentary is from the Colorado spring game, focusing on the improvement in football and athletic facilities in evidence in and around Folsom Field, and on senior receiver Nelson Spruce’s perspective on spring ball and his imminent final season.
Chatting with Spruce, who is from Westlake Village, Calif., I mentioned that I found it remarkable that he and Colorado State’s both were playing in the same state and for a time last season were the national leaders in touchdown receptions. Higgins ended up with 17, Spruce 12. Higgins, a consensus All-America as a sophomore, had 96 catches for 1,750 yards, while Spruce finished with 106 receptions for 1,198 yards.
“I’ve played against him, but never met him outside of the game, which is weird,” Spruce said. “You’d think we’d see each other at some function or something. I watched some of his games, especially when they played Utah in the bowl game, and he’s a really good player. I look forward to meeting him one day.”
Mike MacIntyre said of his challenge to Spruce for his senior season: “The great thing about Nelson is you don’t really need to challenge Nelson. He challenges himself. He has a great family and his dad’s a guy who’s been a high achiever all his life, so Nelson’s taken it to the same level. Nelson has worked really hard, he’s practiced every day, he got after it and he’s just trying to make himself better at the little things. Getting out of routes better, getting out of breaks better, that type of thing. He’s such a team leader, the team looks up to him so much, that motivates him also.”
(Pictures and spring game partial stats are below)
Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com or twitter.com/TFrei
Sefo Liufau posing with young fans after scrimmage
The facilities under construction adjacent to Folsom Field.
BLACK
RUSHING: Kyle Evans 8-96, Phillip Lindsay 12-78, Jordan Gehrke 4-(-18).
PASSING: Gehrke 9-16-1, 0 TDs.
RECEIVING: Chris Hill 3-20, Robert Orban 2-19, Nelson Spruce 1-9, Shay Fields 1-5, Joey Hall 1-3, Kyle Evans 1-(-2).
GOLD
RUSHING: Christian Powell 7-45, Devyn Grimes 1-(-1).
PASSING: Sefo Liufau 3-4-0, 1 TD.
RECEIVING: Christian Powell 2-6, Devin Ross 1-70.
