Spring Practice Report, Day 8: Last tune-up before first spring scrimmage
4/6/2018 1:28:00 PM | Football
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Q&A with senior safety Jordan Fogal
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- The Colorado State football team went indoors for its eight practice of the spring on Friday. The practice was the group's final opportunity to prepare for the first scrimmage of the spring on Sunday.
After practice, head coach Mike Bobo outlined what he's expecting from the team's first scrimmage.
"We just want to see some guys play ball," Bobo said. "We want to see them execute out there without the coaches just barking commands, communicate to themselves. We made a point after Wednesday's practice that we need to get out of the way a little bit more, we did that as a team today so they were able to communicate a little better. We are just going to go out and play we have scheduled for anywhere from 105-115 plays 1's and 2's, and a little bit of 3's depending on how certain situations go. We might have to reevaluate that a little bit we had a couple guys go down today, but the main thing we can do is go out and play football as real as we can. Obviously the special teams aspect won't be in this first scrimmage but I just want to see guys go play football and execute and play hard and who can be productive."
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George Helow is in his first spring as the Rams' safeties coach, following two years working in quality control and as a graduate assistant. Helow commented how the coaching staff has been able to work well together with five new full-time coaches on the team, and how they've all adapted to the player personnel.
"It starts with Coach Bobo, and every staff meeting he has he makes sure that being the head coach that the offense, defense and special teams are always on the same page," Helow said. "We talk about goals and how we operate as a unit, our daily expectations and setting the bar high, and you get what you demand and people holding the guys accountable on and off the field. Everybody is preaching the same things across the board, and I think that's huge. When you are a staff, any staff really, but especially when you're a new staff everybody has got to be speaking the same language. You've got to tell the DB's the same thing the linebackers coach is telling the linebackers and the same thing the d-line's coach is telling the d-line. We are always echoing what coach Bobo is telling us in staff meetings, it's been really good and it has been really exciting. This is an exciting time and we are excited about finishing spring ball strong and being able to head into summer workouts and get these new guys in here. We've got guys in here that looks forward to coming to work everyday and getting stuff done so it's been good."
CSU will conduct its first scrimmage of the spring on Sunday. For updates on the scrimmage and all of spring football, follow @CSUFootball on Twitter.
#NextLevelRams Visit: Oakland Raiders linebacker Cory James, who starred at CSU from 2012-15, visited practice Friday and got his first look at the new stadium and football facilities. He had toured the stadium with former teammates Shaquil Barrett and Kapri Bibbs in February 2017 while it was under construction.Â
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senior safety Jordan Fogal
Q: What is your football background?
A: I've been playing since I was eight years old so that's 15 years, now. I went to junior college, played one season there, was there for three years and then I went to Utah, played at Utah for two years before I transferred here last summer.
 Q: Biggest area of improvement you've seen this team make so far from when you guys ended in the fall?
A: Just the leadership. I think losing last year kind of motivated us and kind of taught us you can't really talk the talk and win in this league, you have to go to work and put in the work, so I think losing helped us realize what our real potential is and how we need to get there.
 Q: What does playing safety mean to you?
A: I've been playing the same position my whole life. When I was younger, I played quarterback and safety. I look at safety as the quarterback of the defense so I take a lot of pride in knowing my position and knowing the other 10 positions on the field and kind of taking charge on the back end, so it's a really important position to me.
 Q: Favorite thing to eat up in Fort Collins?
A: Mexican food! It doesn't matter where I am, Mexican food is the best food! I just need some street tacos and I'm straight!Â
 Q: Favorite thing to do outside of class and football?
Really, I just hang out. I'm kind of an older guy now, so I don't go out much, I don't do too much, I'm just hanging out watching SportsCenter.
 Q: Closest friends on the team? Jamal Hicks, we're really close, we're in the same position. I'm really close with a lot of the older guys on the team.
 Q: Favorite movie?
'Hardball.' It's a baseball movie. It has Keanu Reeves in it, it's a good movie--it's a sad movie, but it's a good movie.
 Q: Which professional team would you most want to play for?
A: The Raiders, the Oakland Raiders.
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