Getting Them Ready to Perform

The goal is to have them comfortable with the whole so they can focus on the target.

Which is excelling on the field. Colorado State's football team brings in transfers and freshmen every year with the idea they are going to contribute. For the transfers, the sooner-rather-than-later rule most certainly applies.

Time is short. The sooner the program can acclimate its newest players, the sooner they can focus on the good stuff.

Even before strength and speed coach Jordon Simmons and his staff have them working out, the task for Jeremy Copeland, the director of players development, is to have them on board with the expectations which come with playing for Jay Norvell.

"The biggest thing when they come in as a transfer is if they've come from a program that's real big on accountability, it's really easy. They come already knowing what to do and ask the right questions," Copeland said. "Until you're cleared, it's just me to make it simple. It's also to get them acclimated to the culture and the expectations. It's simple. If they have the right attitude – hey coach, point me in the right direction and send me the right way – it's good. Until they're in the actual program and cleared, it's me.

"The biggest thing is expectations. The first thing I let them know is Coach's mission statement. That gives them the left and right limits. If you're outside of that, it's wrong. If you're inside of that, you're good. Expectations and communicating that is important, to let them know we're here for them. At the end of the day, it's a program that's run off respect, accountability and hustle and you're going to be held to those standards. Most guys are receptive to that and it's pretty easy."

Colorado State has seven transfers and more than two handful of newcomers participating in spring camp, which has pushed past the halfway point for the Rams. The process for the freshmen is a bit different, as they have no true concept of what college or college football is like. Transfers have past experiences, and the dos and don'ts are as varied as the number of schools.

For wideout Donovan Ollie, his experiences were plural, with stops at Washington State and Cincinnati prior. Getting adjusted to the elevation took him a few days, but Copeland's presence eased his mind about a myriad of other items.

"It's great. When I first got here, Coach Rome was a big part about keeping me in the loop," Ollie said. "I didn't want to feel like I didn't know what to do our where to go. He was always there. Everybody is like that in the building. Just go ask the question and anybody is ready to help."

Being able to focus one a new offense and learning it is key to his goal – which is to play a lot and bolster the receiving corps. Different position, same target for Alex Foster on the offensive line. Learn the schemes and the whys to be able to produce and challenge for a starting spot.

His first meeting with Copeland settled his questions, allowing him to turn is attention to the offensive line room and the team, which he found to be to his liking after playing at Pacific.

He was ready to go. So was everyone else.

"This is a little bit different. Guys here are a lot more mature," Foster said. "They come to practice ready to go. We don't need Coach yelling and screaming at us to get motivated. I think we're just self-motivated better and we're ready to care for each other as a team better."

For every newcomer, part of the transition is new teammates, getting to know them and finding a fit. It's a blend of personalities, many of whom are already accustomed to one another. For some players, it can prove problematic.

Fortunately for Ollie and Foster, it is not. Both consider themselves good with people, with Ollie taking a more outward approach, while Foster says he's a bit more subdued with his words, yet still willing to share them.

To Ollie, being there is half the battle, and the where doesn't matter.

"What's different, what makes it kind of challenging is just trying to find a bond with your new teammates," he said. "How I go about it, I always try to be around the guys, get to know them, put in work with them, whether that's extra lift, in the hot tub, catching JUGS. Whatever it is, find a way. Go out to eat. It's about building a bond.

"It makes it a lot easier. We're all here for the same goal. We're all here to win games, go play at the next level. It just makes it a lot easier when you're willing to open up and talk. That's what it's about, building relationships."

Foster considers himself to be on the quiet side, but in his room, it didn't matter. He felt embraced by the offensive line room upon arrival as Jacob Gardner and Drew Moss were quick to reach out to him first. It was what Gardner did for Moss and Saveyon Henderson the year prior.

First steps, from either direction, have to be taken.

"I talk and I try to be as nice as I can. You have to put yourself out there," he said. "It may not be comfortable at first, but that's how you get used to it. That's how you build connections, not only through football but eventually through life. It's a bunch of people you get to meet and be able to build friendships with.

"Those two were actually the first two to reach out to me when I got here. It was great. You don't feel like they have their own type of clique. They're super welcoming so I felt loved right when I got here."

Being comfortable has helped them move to the next step, which is improving and challenging. Ollie is getting plenty of reps this spring with a few wideouts missing from action, while Foster has been working with the top unit at guard.

Easier is better because the game can be hard. It didn't hurt, Ollie said, there are a bunch of guys from Texas on the roster, another layer of familiar. What also is the play on the field. His goal is to get better, win some games and continue forward.

Better yet, he found a new home with a bunch of guys with an identical outlook.

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