Colorado State University Athletics
Inside Spring Football: Strain
2/19/2019 7:39:00 PM | Football
"It got to 24 degrees," Bobo said. "It was supposed to be in the teens ... and snow all day. With getting the field cleared and stuff like that, we decided to come in here. You want to get a good practice and we were outside three cold days already—Saturday was pretty cold and windy—and I thought the guys pushed through it and played hard. We will be outside a lot. Going in February, we'll have some more cold days, so I'm not worried about it."
Regardless of location, the intensity always ratchets up when the team is in pads, as it was for the second practice in a row Tuesday. That also means an early-practice round of board drills, pitting an offensive player against a defensive player in a one-on-one battle with the team rallied around providing motivation for their side of the ball.
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💥 Sounds of spring 💥#EDGE | #CSURams pic.twitter.com/EefAjVpAXN
— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) February 20, 2019
The Rams began spring practice last Thursday and conducted the second and third practices on Friday and Saturday, so the pace to the beginning of spring ball was quite brisk. The team had Sunday off and meetings on Monday, allowing their bodies to get refreshed for more on-field work today. Bobo has said in the past that the team has been able to perfect a practice plan to utilize the one field in the Indoor Practice Facility effectively by concentrating their drills properly to put in the work they need for a practice. With just 15 spring sessions afforded to FBS programs, it's important to use each practice as completely as possible.
Assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach Ronnie Letson spoke to the media after practice for the first time this spring. He has temporarily shifted to coaching the team's wide receivers in the early portion of spring practice after CSU's wide receivers coach from 2012-18, Alvis Whitted, was hired earlier this month by the Green Bay Packers to serve as their wide receivers coach. Letson has spent his 20-year coaching career on the offensive side of the ball, including three years as a wide receivers coach at Jacksonville State (2000-01) and Presbyterian (2002).
"When you coach quarterbacks, you're involved with the receivers," Letson remarked about the seamlessness of making the move. "I've coached receivers before, so I think that's why coach did it. He knows I've coached them before, and been there and done that."
The comfort level also has been high because of the on-field interaction that Letson has had with the receivers in carrying out their drills.
"I helped Coach Whitted, because he had one side and I tried to help him in the other side. We'd always be communicating. There's an open line of communication always. Coach Whitted was an unbelievable man and unbelievable coach. We all worked great together."
The team will take Wednesday off and return to the practice field on Thursday for Practice No. 5. Follow @CSUFootball on Twitter and Instagram to go inside the program with exclusive content and information.
#F19HTON ADDITION: Coach Bobo announced on Monday the addition of graduate transfer defensive end Jalen Bates, from Arizona State. Bates, a 6-4, 246-pound product of Kaplan (La.) High School, enjoyed a breakout season for the Sun Devils in 2018, playing all 13 games and starting 10, and making 31 tackles with six for lost yardage and one sack. He will be eligible to play his final collegiate season at Colorado State in 2019.Â
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GET TO KNOW WARREN JACKSON
Jr. | Mission Hills, Calif. | Bishop Alemany HS | WR | Communications
On being a leader for the team this spring...
It feels good. It feels like (Coach Bobo) trusts me enough to help this team and lead us where we want to go this year. It's a lot different. It's more responsibility, of course. You have to make sure you inform your guys on what's going on this week, such as lift times, lift changes, schedule changes. It's a lot, but I like it. If it's going to help this team, I'm glad to do it.
On his most memorable moments during his time with CSU football...
There are a lot of memories. (The) most memorable was probably (the game) against Arkansas. I just remember everybody on the sidelines was just rallying together. We were not going to lose that game. That's what we kept telling ourselves. I just love how everybody came together, played hard and fought it out for victory.
On his favorite memory of Coach Bobo...
Against Oregon State. You usually see him fired up but I've never seen him that fired up before. That was very intense. That brought out his character. It was after a touchdown. We were driving. It was a long, hard-fought drive. It was hot but we just kept pounding and pounding. When we scored, he was so happy and excited. That was something I've never seen out of him before.
On good movies he's seen recently...
The last movie I saw was 'The Upside' with Kevin Hart. He was handicapped; he couldn't move his body, just his mouth. It was a funny movie.
On if he would time-travel to the future or the past...
I'd probably go to the future to see where I am in life and know what decisions to make now, in order for me to change the outcome or keep the outcome.
On his goals this spring...
I want to be known as a leader on this team. I'm not a really loud guy, but I want to be known as a leader. For school, I want to get a 3.0 GPA.
On leadership qualities...
Being accountable. Someone who can hold their teammates accountable. I don't want to be known as a guy who demeans their teammates. I want to always uplift them. I'm going to let them know when they're doing wrong, but it's all for the best. I don't ever want to demean anybody.
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