Colorado State University Athletics

Rams Begin Spring Camp With Eye on Harder Days
2/27/2021 12:38:00 PM | Football
Addazio will hold back critique until hitting starts
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Get out. Get going.
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Get the legs churning. Work up a sweat. Lose your breath.
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For Colorado State football coach Steve Addazio, the first few days of spring camp are about getting going, because the really telling days are to come. It's acclimating the true freshmen who showed up early, as well as the five transfer players and the two new additions to the coaching staff – offensive coordinator Jon Budmayr and wide receivers coach Alex Bailey.
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The first few days for Addazio aren't about buying or selling, it's getting going.
Â
"I don't' pay much attention, put a lot of credence until we put the pads on on Thursday, but I thought they came out, ran around, executed install today pretty well, took care of each other, competed, had some fun," Addazio said after Saturday's opening session of spring camp. "We got a lot of fundamental work done, which was tremendous, but these practices today and Tuesday are mostly fundamental, but not a lot of super-competiti9ve stuff, because there's no pads.
Â
"I thought they picked up and had a great attitude, great mentality and I thought had a lot of fun out there on a Saturday morning."
Â
The day started under gray skies, went into a brief snow flurry and then ended under bright sunshine. It ran the gamut, and so did the Rams.
Â
The players felt the energy was simply an extension of winter conditioning, which from their perspective and that of their head coach, went extremely well. But being faster and stronger needs a football touch, and that's what is starting to take place.
Â
"We were talking about it today. There's a difference between being in shape and being in football shape," defensive end Scott Patchan said. "It's kind of hard to explain, but there's a different stamina between plays, getting a call, lined up, all that. It's nice."
Â
Addazio will run this camp like he normally would, with no looking back to what may have been lost from an abbreviate season in 2020, his first at the helm. Practices are set for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday's and he will run full scrimmages every Saturday from here out as live action will take precedence to a certain degree.
Â
He also prefers an earlier start than waiting until around spring break.
Â
"We've got a lot of stuff going on. There will be a lot of tackling," he said. "You have regulations by the NCAA on what days can be tackle, what can't, what are 50-percent tackle days, what are full-tackle days. We follow all those rules, but I think spring should be extremely fundamental, and I think it should be tackling, play the game. One of the reasons we go early is so that, God forbid you have a couple of injuries, you can still get a couple of them back."
Â
In the past, he's cut back on live situations with a veteran group returning. In that regard, he'll limit the reps of the older players who have a proven track record and don't need to be involved in every tackling drill. Behind them is a group of players who really need those reps, players the coaches really need to see if they can run through a player when taking him down, or in the case of a running back, run through the tackle.
Â
Even still, a veteran like Cam Reddy said the goal of spring is ultimately the same for each player, no matter where they sit on the depth chart.
Â
"I think sometimes it's different for older guys and younger guys, but in a lot of ways, it's the same," he said. "It's taking wherever you are and finding a way to take incremental steps and getting better. Whether you're one of the more elite guys on the team – whoever you are, a McBride brother, whatever – they're still trying to find ways to get just a little bit better each day."
Â
The hard part being, Addazio said it's hard to tell just how good a player is becoming until the game starts to really be played.
Â
That means pads on, going 100 percent and executing the playbook. The first two days, that's not the time to judge.
Â
"I'm trying not to ride the roller coaster too much on these practices, because I've been fooled too many times before," he said.
 Â
Homefront: Patchan predicted some quiet moments initially in his house tonight, which would not be normal.
Â
He lives with fellow transfers Reddy, Elijah Johnson and Adam Korutz, and he said normally after practice, they go home and talk about practices and game film. But he was asked about a possible rating he may garner if an NCAA video game was released now. He hemmed and hawed about himself, saying he'd like to give himself a 99, but would settle for the high 80s – though he thinks he's much higher than that. Then he gave a grade to Reddy.
Â
"I'd personally give him about a 73," Patchan said, knowing Reddy was close by. "I just think, personally, his run-blocking skills are not sound. I'm kidding. Your Mike points and your awareness, you're up there; you're 99 awareness."
Â
That's Patchan being Patchan, Reddy said, and you just have to let him go.
Â
"You can't give that guy too much, you know," Reddy said. "A 99? Geez."
Â
New places: The Rams have two new wideouts, and one of them is a return as Thomas Pannunzio and Justice McCoy are both with the receiver group. For McCoy, who has been at quarterback since late last season, Addazio said it affords him the best chance to see the field.
Â
Â
Get the legs churning. Work up a sweat. Lose your breath.
Â
For Colorado State football coach Steve Addazio, the first few days of spring camp are about getting going, because the really telling days are to come. It's acclimating the true freshmen who showed up early, as well as the five transfer players and the two new additions to the coaching staff – offensive coordinator Jon Budmayr and wide receivers coach Alex Bailey.
Â
The first few days for Addazio aren't about buying or selling, it's getting going.
Â
"I don't' pay much attention, put a lot of credence until we put the pads on on Thursday, but I thought they came out, ran around, executed install today pretty well, took care of each other, competed, had some fun," Addazio said after Saturday's opening session of spring camp. "We got a lot of fundamental work done, which was tremendous, but these practices today and Tuesday are mostly fundamental, but not a lot of super-competiti9ve stuff, because there's no pads.
Â
"I thought they picked up and had a great attitude, great mentality and I thought had a lot of fun out there on a Saturday morning."
Â
The day started under gray skies, went into a brief snow flurry and then ended under bright sunshine. It ran the gamut, and so did the Rams.
Â
The players felt the energy was simply an extension of winter conditioning, which from their perspective and that of their head coach, went extremely well. But being faster and stronger needs a football touch, and that's what is starting to take place.
Â
"We were talking about it today. There's a difference between being in shape and being in football shape," defensive end Scott Patchan said. "It's kind of hard to explain, but there's a different stamina between plays, getting a call, lined up, all that. It's nice."
Â
Addazio will run this camp like he normally would, with no looking back to what may have been lost from an abbreviate season in 2020, his first at the helm. Practices are set for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday's and he will run full scrimmages every Saturday from here out as live action will take precedence to a certain degree.
Â
He also prefers an earlier start than waiting until around spring break.
Â
"We've got a lot of stuff going on. There will be a lot of tackling," he said. "You have regulations by the NCAA on what days can be tackle, what can't, what are 50-percent tackle days, what are full-tackle days. We follow all those rules, but I think spring should be extremely fundamental, and I think it should be tackling, play the game. One of the reasons we go early is so that, God forbid you have a couple of injuries, you can still get a couple of them back."
Â
In the past, he's cut back on live situations with a veteran group returning. In that regard, he'll limit the reps of the older players who have a proven track record and don't need to be involved in every tackling drill. Behind them is a group of players who really need those reps, players the coaches really need to see if they can run through a player when taking him down, or in the case of a running back, run through the tackle.
Â
Even still, a veteran like Cam Reddy said the goal of spring is ultimately the same for each player, no matter where they sit on the depth chart.
Â
"I think sometimes it's different for older guys and younger guys, but in a lot of ways, it's the same," he said. "It's taking wherever you are and finding a way to take incremental steps and getting better. Whether you're one of the more elite guys on the team – whoever you are, a McBride brother, whatever – they're still trying to find ways to get just a little bit better each day."
Â
The hard part being, Addazio said it's hard to tell just how good a player is becoming until the game starts to really be played.
Â
That means pads on, going 100 percent and executing the playbook. The first two days, that's not the time to judge.
Â
"I'm trying not to ride the roller coaster too much on these practices, because I've been fooled too many times before," he said.
 Â
Homefront: Patchan predicted some quiet moments initially in his house tonight, which would not be normal.
Â
He lives with fellow transfers Reddy, Elijah Johnson and Adam Korutz, and he said normally after practice, they go home and talk about practices and game film. But he was asked about a possible rating he may garner if an NCAA video game was released now. He hemmed and hawed about himself, saying he'd like to give himself a 99, but would settle for the high 80s – though he thinks he's much higher than that. Then he gave a grade to Reddy.
Â
"I'd personally give him about a 73," Patchan said, knowing Reddy was close by. "I just think, personally, his run-blocking skills are not sound. I'm kidding. Your Mike points and your awareness, you're up there; you're 99 awareness."
Â
That's Patchan being Patchan, Reddy said, and you just have to let him go.
Â
"You can't give that guy too much, you know," Reddy said. "A 99? Geez."
Â
New places: The Rams have two new wideouts, and one of them is a return as Thomas Pannunzio and Justice McCoy are both with the receiver group. For McCoy, who has been at quarterback since late last season, Addazio said it affords him the best chance to see the field.
Â
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