Pirates Prepare For Full Pads
August 09, 2010 | Football
Aug. 9, 2010
Listen to Coach McNeill's post-practice interview
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Monday morning's walk-through and early afternoon positional meetings culminated in East Carolina's fourth workout of the fall at the Cliff Moore Practice Facility. Head coach Ruffin McNeill guided the Pirates through a nearly three-hour session in shoulder pads with the temperature topping out around 90 degrees.
East Carolina will put on full pads for the initial time Tuesday and continue preparations for the first of four scheduled two-a-day sessions Wednesday.
"One of the things we talked about for today was making routine plays," McNeill said. "The big and long plays will come, but the every-down plays have to be made. The second thing I talked to the team about was not hesitating. We have a couple guys who are thinking too much and trying too hard."
Monday's practice was structured much like Sunday's with coverage skills, reads and ball security being points of emphasis for both the offense and defense. Lamar McLendon, Ty Holmes, Josh Smith, Rahkeem Morgan, Jimmy Booth and Steve Spence all missed time today due to injuries. The six are all listed as day-to-day.
"The whole practice is geared around making each other better," McNeill said of conducting Tuesday's session in full pads. "We have to help each other and take care of each other by practicing smart. There will not be any live periods tomorrow."
Following Monday afternoon's practice, the entire team will go through a special media instruction session presented by Sportscast Stars Training. Bob Goodrich, the ESPN producer for East Carolina's 2009 Conference USA Championship victory over Houston and a 15-time Emmy winner, and his wife, Annie Hoffman-Goodrich, are the presenters. Hoffman-Goodrich has also been nominated for numerous Emmys and has booked interviews with John McEnroe, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jack Nicklaus. Among collegiate football programs, Sportscast Stars Training's clients include Oklahoma, Boston College, Colorado, Auburn and Rutgers.
Notes: In anticipation of Wednesday's two-a-day, McNeill has moved Tuesday's practice start time up to 2:00 p.m. The session will end at 4:45 p.m. Additionally, due to the forecast of high heat and humidity levels later this week, McNeill has moved Thursday's and Friday's workouts to 9:00-11:45 a.m.
Tuesday's Practice Time: 2:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Season Opener: Sept. 5 vs. Tulsa in Greenville (2:00 p.m.)
