Troy University Athletics
Trojans Set To Open Spring Drills
3/17/2009 5:00:00 AM | Football
The Troy University Trojans enter spring practice full of anticipation for what should be another banner season as they look to build on three consecutive Sun Belt Conference titles.
The Trojans will open spring football drills on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. with a workout in shorts. The team will practice again in shorts on Thursday and will workout in shorts and shoulder pads on Friday. All weekday practices are slated to start at 3:30 p.m.
The team will don full gear for the first time on Saturday afternoon. Practice is slated to start at 12:30 p.m. with a short scrimmage session scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. All Troy University football practices are open to fans and the public.
Practices are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday next week before the first full scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, March 28. The start time for that scrimmage has not yet been finalized.
Spring practice will continue through April 9.
The primary focus for the Trojans during spring drills will be on replacing two departed All-Conference tackles ? Chris Jamison and Dion Small ? on offense. A trio of junior college players ? Tyler Graves, Ray Carter and James Brown ? will battle against returning players for those spots.
Senior guard Steven Adams will spend much of the spring at center while starter Danny Franks recover from off-season foot surgery. Junior Tyler Clark will be back at right guard and sophomore Micah Grimes will get a lot of work at left guard.
Senior quarterback Levi Brown returns to lead the offense during the spring as both Jamie Hampton and Tanner Jones work to return from knee injuries suffered during the 2008 season. Brown, who was named the Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2008, will have a host of returning weapons on offense, but will looking for several young players to step up as well.
Returning receivers include junior Jerrel Jernigan, who set a school single-season record last fall with 77 receptions, seniors Cornelius Williams, Andrew Davis, Zack Marcum and Patrick Cherry, junior Austin Silvoy and sophomore Chip Reeves.
Junior college signees Jason Bruce and Tebiarus Gill and freshmen Josh Jarboe, Gavin Ellis and Felton Payton will look to make a strong first impression during the spring.
At the running back position, junior DuJuan Harris, who led the Trojans with 1,077 yards last year, and senior Maurice Greer both return. They will be joined by a trio of redshirt freshmen in the backfield.
On the defensive side of the ball there are multiple holes to fill, starting in the secondary where the Trojans must replace four seniors ? Sherrod Martin, Terence Moore, Tavares Williams and Trevor Ford. With only one newcomer, junior college transfer DeMarcus Robertson, in the mix during spring drills, the competition between returning players is expected to be intense.
Senior corner Jorrick Calvin, one of just three returning defensive starters expected to take part in spring drills, is not the only experienced hand in the secondary, but he does have the most starting experience.
The players who will be looking to earn a starting position this spring include sophomore KeJuan Phillips and Robertson at the other corner, senior Chris Bowens and junior Daniel Sheffield at free safety, senior Courtland Fuller and junior Bryan McKissic at strong safety with redshirt freshman Bryan Willis behind Calvin.
Two other defensive backs, senior Kedric Manning and junior Sam Sellers, will be working at the nickel back position.
In addition to a depleted secondary, the defense must also replace departed starters ? Steve McLendon and Dion Gales ? on the interior line. A pair of seniors ? Kevin Dixon and Rashad Roussell ? will be the front-runners, with two junior college signees ? Emmanuel Dudley and Riley Flowers ? and four redshirt freshmen in the mix.
Roussell saw his playing time increase as the season wore on last fall. Dixon sat out the 2008 season as a transfer from Nebraska, where he saw significant action in 2007.
The Trojans will be set in the fall at linebacker, with both Boris Lee and Bear Woods returning for their senior seasons. They will be joined by senior David McDowell, who is returning from a redshirt season in 2008.
Lee and Woods, however, will not take part in spring practice after both had off-season surgeries. Sophomores Donnell Golden and Xavier Lamb, who both have extensive playing time, will fill those spots during the spring.
The only returning starters on defense who will take part in spring drills are ends Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield, along with Calvin. There will be strong competition to backup the returning ends, with juniors Mario Addison and John Mark Patrick along with sophomore Brandon Boudreaux in that mix.
On special teams, all three of the Trojans kickers return for 2009, with senior Sam Glusman back to handle placements and sophomores Michael Taylor and Will Goggans returning for kickoffs and punting, respectively.
The only spot in the kicking game that is open is the job of long snapper, which will likely be an open competition between several players.
The Trojans will open spring football drills on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. with a workout in shorts. The team will practice again in shorts on Thursday and will workout in shorts and shoulder pads on Friday. All weekday practices are slated to start at 3:30 p.m.
The team will don full gear for the first time on Saturday afternoon. Practice is slated to start at 12:30 p.m. with a short scrimmage session scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. All Troy University football practices are open to fans and the public.
Practices are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday next week before the first full scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, March 28. The start time for that scrimmage has not yet been finalized.
Spring practice will continue through April 9.
The primary focus for the Trojans during spring drills will be on replacing two departed All-Conference tackles ? Chris Jamison and Dion Small ? on offense. A trio of junior college players ? Tyler Graves, Ray Carter and James Brown ? will battle against returning players for those spots.
Senior guard Steven Adams will spend much of the spring at center while starter Danny Franks recover from off-season foot surgery. Junior Tyler Clark will be back at right guard and sophomore Micah Grimes will get a lot of work at left guard.
Senior quarterback Levi Brown returns to lead the offense during the spring as both Jamie Hampton and Tanner Jones work to return from knee injuries suffered during the 2008 season. Brown, who was named the Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2008, will have a host of returning weapons on offense, but will looking for several young players to step up as well.
Returning receivers include junior Jerrel Jernigan, who set a school single-season record last fall with 77 receptions, seniors Cornelius Williams, Andrew Davis, Zack Marcum and Patrick Cherry, junior Austin Silvoy and sophomore Chip Reeves.
Junior college signees Jason Bruce and Tebiarus Gill and freshmen Josh Jarboe, Gavin Ellis and Felton Payton will look to make a strong first impression during the spring.
At the running back position, junior DuJuan Harris, who led the Trojans with 1,077 yards last year, and senior Maurice Greer both return. They will be joined by a trio of redshirt freshmen in the backfield.
On the defensive side of the ball there are multiple holes to fill, starting in the secondary where the Trojans must replace four seniors ? Sherrod Martin, Terence Moore, Tavares Williams and Trevor Ford. With only one newcomer, junior college transfer DeMarcus Robertson, in the mix during spring drills, the competition between returning players is expected to be intense.
Senior corner Jorrick Calvin, one of just three returning defensive starters expected to take part in spring drills, is not the only experienced hand in the secondary, but he does have the most starting experience.
The players who will be looking to earn a starting position this spring include sophomore KeJuan Phillips and Robertson at the other corner, senior Chris Bowens and junior Daniel Sheffield at free safety, senior Courtland Fuller and junior Bryan McKissic at strong safety with redshirt freshman Bryan Willis behind Calvin.
Two other defensive backs, senior Kedric Manning and junior Sam Sellers, will be working at the nickel back position.
In addition to a depleted secondary, the defense must also replace departed starters ? Steve McLendon and Dion Gales ? on the interior line. A pair of seniors ? Kevin Dixon and Rashad Roussell ? will be the front-runners, with two junior college signees ? Emmanuel Dudley and Riley Flowers ? and four redshirt freshmen in the mix.
Roussell saw his playing time increase as the season wore on last fall. Dixon sat out the 2008 season as a transfer from Nebraska, where he saw significant action in 2007.
The Trojans will be set in the fall at linebacker, with both Boris Lee and Bear Woods returning for their senior seasons. They will be joined by senior David McDowell, who is returning from a redshirt season in 2008.
Lee and Woods, however, will not take part in spring practice after both had off-season surgeries. Sophomores Donnell Golden and Xavier Lamb, who both have extensive playing time, will fill those spots during the spring.
The only returning starters on defense who will take part in spring drills are ends Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield, along with Calvin. There will be strong competition to backup the returning ends, with juniors Mario Addison and John Mark Patrick along with sophomore Brandon Boudreaux in that mix.
On special teams, all three of the Trojans kickers return for 2009, with senior Sam Glusman back to handle placements and sophomores Michael Taylor and Will Goggans returning for kickoffs and punting, respectively.
The only spot in the kicking game that is open is the job of long snapper, which will likely be an open competition between several players.
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