Colorado State University Athletics
CSU Fall Camp Notebook: Day 1
8/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Click 2 Watch: The first moments of the 2016 season.
Are you ready?#CSURams #EDGE #FarewellHugheshttps://t.co/JQZ3M74CRc— CSU Rams Football (@CSUFootball) August 4, 2016
Colorado State began its second season under head coach Mike Bobo on Thursday, beginning fall camp with an early-morning practice. The two-hour session was the first of 19 during fall training camp, which extends through Aug. 20.
“There was good energy today,” Bobo said. “You have to set the standard Day 1, doing things the right way. You have to be very attentive to every detail because these are the fundamentals that are going to carry us throughout the year. We want to practice extremely fast to get ourselves conditioned. We want to create a crisis and put ourselves in the fourth quarter every day so we can make Saturdays easy.”
As far as the veterans, Bobo singled out seniors Jakob Buys and Kevin Davis and junior Jake Bennett for showing leadership and setting the tempo. He also praised the entire team – and staff working with them over the summer – for the shape that the players are in.
“I was proud of them for how they worked in the offseason to prepare to this point,” Bobo said. “I thought we looked good as far as our bodies. I feel like we’ve changed our body types. I saw more speed out there. But now it’s a whole new level. You’re not just running and touching lines, you’re changing directions and executing assignments. It takes the next step.”
As expected, the newcomers were adjusting to the transition to a new team, playbook and Division I expectations. Bobo noted that among the freshmen and transfers are some athletic bodies and several players who could see time on the field this season.
One player Bobo talked highly about is tight end Dalton Fackrell, a transfer from Snow College in Utah.
“He really has a chance,” Bobo said. “Joe (Cox) was really pleased with him this summer in meetings. He has really good ball skills and made a couple nice catches today.”
Another area where newcomers could potentially see time is on special teams. One of those players is wide receiver Detrich Clark, who returned kickoffs for his JUCO team.
“Returning punts are a little different; you have to have ball skills and courage,” Bobo said. “After practice we’re going to be working really hard trying to figure out who can catch punts. We had eight to 10 guys doing it after practice today and I was pleasantly surprised.”
The team reported on Wednesday, moving into the dorms they’ll spend the next two weeks in and hearing from members of the program’s support staff throughout the day, before a team meeting that evening. With Thursday came the first time the entire team and coaches have been together on the field since April’s Green & Gold Spring Game.
Early start: The Rams had an early wakeup call Thursday morning, with breakfast being served at 5:30 a.m. and players reporting to the practice fields by 6:40. Bobo will also hold an early practice Friday, before getting into a consistent routine of mostly 9 a.m. practices – plus several days of evening two-a-days – throughout the remainder of fall camp. The early practices were to designed to allow the student-athletes to finish up the final two days of summer school without having to miss class.
Full days: While the team practiced for just two hours Thursday, practice is just one component of fall camp. The players meet several times each day as both position groups and an entire team, watch film, hold a walk through, lift several times per week, have required meals together, spend time treating their bodies in the training room and have optional chapel services with team pastor Johnny Square. The team closes each day with a full meeting, snack and bed check.
Carlson added to Broncos roster: Former Ram Sam Carlson, a standout offensive lineman for the past four seasons, was added to the Denver Broncos’ roster on Thursday. Carlson signed a free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans following the NFL Draft in May and took part in the Titans’ rookie minicamp before being waived last week. Carlson is the fourth Ram on the Broncos’ current roster – joining LB Shaquil Barrett, RB Kapri Bibbs and OL Ty Sambrailo – and is one of 13 #NextLevelRams currently in the NFL.
Fall Camp | Day 1
Rise & Grind #CSURams pic.twitter.com/1Ejf65wZvM— CSU Rams Football (@CSUFootball) August 4, 2016
