Pirates Practice In Shells Again
August 09, 2011 | Football
Aug. 9, 2011
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina delayed the start of its full-contact work by suiting up in shells during Tuesday morning's practice. The Pirates will conduct their initial two-a-day of fall camp Wednesday, wearing full pads for the morning workout before returning to limited gear during the late-afternoon session.
"We have shoulder pads on, but we're getting in the work we need to get done," second-year head coach Ruffin McNeill said. "After evaluating the film, the guys have given us the quality, fundamental work we need. Whether we wore full pads or not, we were going to stay up."
Tuesday's practice structure mirrored Monday's workout with additional time spent in team-on-team segments. The Pirates used approximately 45 minutes going against each other in skeleton or team drills before dealing with goal-line situations for the first time this fall.
"The morning time works great for us," McNeill said of the team's morning-practice schedule. "We get a lot of work done and we as coaches have a lot of the day to review film and meet with our players. Coach [Jeff] Connors has the chance to lift, rehab and replenish the players."
For the second-straight day, ECU closed practice with a 12-minute period featuring solely the squad's freshmen. It served as an opportunity for the newcomers to be closely evaluated by the coaching staff. The majority of the time was spent with receivers going one-on-one against defensive backs.
"The first two-a-day will be tomorrow," McNeill added. "I'm looking forward to it and the extra work. It's going to test them a little bit. What I'm asking them to do will make them feel uncomfortable, but we're looking forward to the challenge."
Wednesday's Practice Times: 8:45 - 11:15 a.m. and 4:15 - 6:00 p.m.
Season Opener: Sept. 3 vs. South Carolina in Charlotte (7:00 p.m.)
