Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: Quinn Baur
Inside Spring Football: Locked in
2/28/2019 6:33:00 PM | Football
FORT COLLINS, Colo.--The Rams passed the mid-point of their spring practice period on Thursday with a two-hour workout on the field inside Canvas Stadium. Practice No. 8 featured strong competition and served as a final tune-up for the spring's second scrimmage set for Saturday.
"I thought they were mentally sharp, I thought the guys were flying around with energy," Bobo said afterwards. "I thought both sides of the ball had good plays, which was good to see. I just love the competition. I love how they're competing at practice. I love the physicality. There are a lot of things we still have to work on, but I like the mindset of our football team."
Bobo emphasized the importance of Saturday's second scrimmage, with just six more spring practices remaining after that.
"I'm excited to see both sides of the ball Bobo said "Hopefully, (there will be) some improvements on different things we've been working on."
Saturday's forecast calls for cold temperatures and snow, which may force the scrimmage indoors, but Bobo and his staff have configured scrimmages to be productive whether indoors or outside, so the team will be certain to achieve what they need to accomplish on Saturday.
PRACTICE VISITOR: Former Rams quarterback Nick Stevens was a visitor at Thursday's spring practice. Stevens (2014-17) was a three-year starter at CSU who earned first-team All-Mountain West honors as a senior in 2017 when he led the Mountain West in passer efficiency rating, passing yards, completions and passing touchdowns. He holds the school record for passing touchdowns (70) and passer efficiency rating (148.7), and ranks second in CSU history in passing yards (8,550), completions (284) and attempts (1,032). Stevens signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos in the spring of 2018 and spent time on the roster during OTAs and mini-camps.Â
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SPRING-FINALE SCRIMMAGE OPEN TO PUBLIC: Conducting spring practice earlier this year, the team will finish spring ball on Thursday, March 14, to allow the student-athletes to have their full spring break, which begins March 15. The 15th practice will be a scrimmage open to the public, but with it being on a Thursday at 5 p.m. it will not be staged as the traditional Green and Gold Spring Game with the typical fan programming around the event. Fans are invited to attend and get their first up-close look at the 2019 Rams. Information on timing, parking and other details will be announced soon.
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GET TO KNOW COLLIN HILL
Jr. | Moore, S.C. | Dorman HS | QB | Business
On leading one of the football program's accountability teams…
Every team has about 10 guys. I think it's pretty cool because you have people on your team you might not necessarily have hung out with. It's a cool opportunity to get to know those guys and, at the same time, be able to lead them too.
Â
On the challenge and responsibility of the position…
I think the groups are a great idea, but it definitely adds a little bit more responsibility, especially as a team leader because you're responsible (for example) for Brenden Fulton going to class, and this guy going to class and all that stuff adds up, but it's been fun. As a team leader, I need to make sure everybody knows what time they're lifting, so I'm sending them the times we're lifting, making sure they're on to that, on time to breakfast, etc. We know if guys miss class, but that hasn't been a big issue for my team, but just little things like that. Making sure you're on time, wearing the right stuff and doing the right things. That's all it is. It's an accountability program and if you do the right stuff, you'll be fine.
Â
On graduating this spring and looking ahead to life after graduate school…
I don't even know what I'm doing for grad school yet; I need to figure it out. My degree is in business, but I have no idea. I'd be open to a lot of things. I'll go wherever too, wherever I can find a job. There's nothing specific I really want to do.
Â
On his dream job, aside from professional football…
I would love playing in the NFL. No specific team, I'd play for anybody who gave me a chance. That would be my dream. I could see myself at some point being a high school coach. It would be cool to (coach back home in South Carolina), but I would go anywhere.
Â
On songs he's listening to…
I listen to everything. There's nothing specific. I listen to a lot of K-LOVE on the radio, a Christian station. There's not one song I've been listening to lately.
Â
On his pregame ritual…
I don't have anything specific. I don't believe in those. I don't have a ritual, but I do listen to the same kind of music. I don't really listen to stuff that gets you hype. I listen to stuff that calms you down. I listen to Isley Brothers, Ariana Grande, Whitney Houston—the slow stuff just to mellow me out.
Â
On his mentality when he's on the field…
There's a lot. You're thinking about, you get the play—what are we doing, what are they doing. If he does this, I'm going there. You're thinking about your progressions. But once the ball is snapped, you have to stop thinking and just trust what you see and go with it. Coach calls it 'paralysis by analysis.' If you try to analyze every detail when you're playing, you're going to freeze up. You just have to play."
Â
On what he does in his free time away from football and school…
I just hang out with my roommates. I don't have a game system. If it's warm, I'll go fish. I go fishing in the Fort Collins area in a pond.
Â
On shows he watches…
I watch 'The Bachelor.' I love it. (With) Adam (Prentice), Hawk (Anthony Hawkins), Griffin Hammer—all of us are huge Bachelor fans. This season has been interesting. We all have our different takes on it. Every Monday we get together and watch it. Everybody's rooting for someone else. I picked Caelynn. We always pick who wins. I think Caelynn's going to win, but everybody else picked Cassie. Griffin and I put dinner on it, but I think he'll owe me dinner. I'm right.
Â
On if we would time travel to the future or the past…
I would want to go to the past. If I could just watch, I would want to go back to Biblical times and see Moses part the Red Sea and I'd want to see some of that stuff. If I had to be there, I would want to watch some of the older (NBA) people, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan. I'd watch the old athletes. That would be cool, (but) I think it would be really cool to see all the Bible times stuff.
Â
On the five most important things in his life right now…
First would be my faith, second would be my family, and when I say family, that means the guys too, third would be football, fourth would be friends outside of football—I should say fourth should be school. I'm just being honest here. School is a given. Four and five would be school and friends. That's five!
"I thought they were mentally sharp, I thought the guys were flying around with energy," Bobo said afterwards. "I thought both sides of the ball had good plays, which was good to see. I just love the competition. I love how they're competing at practice. I love the physicality. There are a lot of things we still have to work on, but I like the mindset of our football team."
Bobo emphasized the importance of Saturday's second scrimmage, with just six more spring practices remaining after that.
"I'm excited to see both sides of the ball Bobo said "Hopefully, (there will be) some improvements on different things we've been working on."
Saturday's forecast calls for cold temperatures and snow, which may force the scrimmage indoors, but Bobo and his staff have configured scrimmages to be productive whether indoors or outside, so the team will be certain to achieve what they need to accomplish on Saturday.
From the field at Canvas Stadium, DL Ellison Hubbard (@ehubo) has a message for you!#EDGE | #CSURams pic.twitter.com/L0Z3IU3nT5
— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) March 1, 2019
PRACTICE VISITOR: Former Rams quarterback Nick Stevens was a visitor at Thursday's spring practice. Stevens (2014-17) was a three-year starter at CSU who earned first-team All-Mountain West honors as a senior in 2017 when he led the Mountain West in passer efficiency rating, passing yards, completions and passing touchdowns. He holds the school record for passing touchdowns (70) and passer efficiency rating (148.7), and ranks second in CSU history in passing yards (8,550), completions (284) and attempts (1,032). Stevens signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos in the spring of 2018 and spent time on the roster during OTAs and mini-camps.Â
Â
There is no option but to put in the work.#EDGE | #CSURams pic.twitter.com/PaIKQ3cVsr
— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) March 1, 2019
SPRING-FINALE SCRIMMAGE OPEN TO PUBLIC: Conducting spring practice earlier this year, the team will finish spring ball on Thursday, March 14, to allow the student-athletes to have their full spring break, which begins March 15. The 15th practice will be a scrimmage open to the public, but with it being on a Thursday at 5 p.m. it will not be staged as the traditional Green and Gold Spring Game with the typical fan programming around the event. Fans are invited to attend and get their first up-close look at the 2019 Rams. Information on timing, parking and other details will be announced soon.
Â
GET TO KNOW COLLIN HILL
Jr. | Moore, S.C. | Dorman HS | QB | Business
On leading one of the football program's accountability teams…
Every team has about 10 guys. I think it's pretty cool because you have people on your team you might not necessarily have hung out with. It's a cool opportunity to get to know those guys and, at the same time, be able to lead them too.Â
On the challenge and responsibility of the position…
I think the groups are a great idea, but it definitely adds a little bit more responsibility, especially as a team leader because you're responsible (for example) for Brenden Fulton going to class, and this guy going to class and all that stuff adds up, but it's been fun. As a team leader, I need to make sure everybody knows what time they're lifting, so I'm sending them the times we're lifting, making sure they're on to that, on time to breakfast, etc. We know if guys miss class, but that hasn't been a big issue for my team, but just little things like that. Making sure you're on time, wearing the right stuff and doing the right things. That's all it is. It's an accountability program and if you do the right stuff, you'll be fine.
Â
On graduating this spring and looking ahead to life after graduate school…
I don't even know what I'm doing for grad school yet; I need to figure it out. My degree is in business, but I have no idea. I'd be open to a lot of things. I'll go wherever too, wherever I can find a job. There's nothing specific I really want to do.
Â
On his dream job, aside from professional football…
I would love playing in the NFL. No specific team, I'd play for anybody who gave me a chance. That would be my dream. I could see myself at some point being a high school coach. It would be cool to (coach back home in South Carolina), but I would go anywhere.
Â
On songs he's listening to…
I listen to everything. There's nothing specific. I listen to a lot of K-LOVE on the radio, a Christian station. There's not one song I've been listening to lately.
Â
On his pregame ritual…
I don't have anything specific. I don't believe in those. I don't have a ritual, but I do listen to the same kind of music. I don't really listen to stuff that gets you hype. I listen to stuff that calms you down. I listen to Isley Brothers, Ariana Grande, Whitney Houston—the slow stuff just to mellow me out.
Â
On his mentality when he's on the field…
There's a lot. You're thinking about, you get the play—what are we doing, what are they doing. If he does this, I'm going there. You're thinking about your progressions. But once the ball is snapped, you have to stop thinking and just trust what you see and go with it. Coach calls it 'paralysis by analysis.' If you try to analyze every detail when you're playing, you're going to freeze up. You just have to play."
Â
On what he does in his free time away from football and school…
I just hang out with my roommates. I don't have a game system. If it's warm, I'll go fish. I go fishing in the Fort Collins area in a pond.
Â
On shows he watches…
I watch 'The Bachelor.' I love it. (With) Adam (Prentice), Hawk (Anthony Hawkins), Griffin Hammer—all of us are huge Bachelor fans. This season has been interesting. We all have our different takes on it. Every Monday we get together and watch it. Everybody's rooting for someone else. I picked Caelynn. We always pick who wins. I think Caelynn's going to win, but everybody else picked Cassie. Griffin and I put dinner on it, but I think he'll owe me dinner. I'm right.
Â
On if we would time travel to the future or the past…
I would want to go to the past. If I could just watch, I would want to go back to Biblical times and see Moses part the Red Sea and I'd want to see some of that stuff. If I had to be there, I would want to watch some of the older (NBA) people, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan. I'd watch the old athletes. That would be cool, (but) I think it would be really cool to see all the Bible times stuff.
Â
On the five most important things in his life right now…
First would be my faith, second would be my family, and when I say family, that means the guys too, third would be football, fourth would be friends outside of football—I should say fourth should be school. I'm just being honest here. School is a given. Four and five would be school and friends. That's five!
Players Mentioned
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CB
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DL
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QB
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