Football Opens Week Two of Spring Practice

TROY, Ala. – Troy returned to the grass practice fields behind Trojan Arena Tuesday morning for a two-hour workout as the Trojans opened week two of spring practice under head coach Jon Sumrall.

"Some good, some bad," Sumrall said following Troy's fourth spring practice. "We've got to get tougher mentally as a team, and we've got to learn how to practice the right way all the time. There were some ebbs and flows at practice that were good for both sides of the ball. We've got a long way to go. We're not anywhere near where I want to be, we're going to get there, but the standards of how we're going to practice and what we're going to do daily, the guys have got to buy into what we're asking them to do."

The Trojan defense forced several turnovers, including interceptions by Zion Williams and Keyshawn Swanson, while the offensive running attack continued to grow behind Kimani Vidal, Charles Strong, Damien Taylor and others.

Sumrall's squad spent almost 30 minutes of Tuesday's practice working 11-on-11 team situations, including the final 20 minutes of practice. The remainder of the session was spent between special teams, individual position group work and 1-on-1 or 7-on-7 drills.

"We're constantly fine tuning everything we're putting in, and we're never done evolving," Sumrall said. "We're going to add layers to everything we're doing, and every day is going to have some install in it. We don't have enough time with 15 practices to take a whole day where we don't install something. We're constantly going to be adding volume and at times trying to see how much our guys can handle and forcing it on them because we have to be able to carry enough football schematically to give people issues."

One of the key areas of focus for the Trojans is the offensive line, where four of the five starters return with former New England Patriots offensive line coach Cole Popovich now leading the unit.

"It's a lot different of a style than what we've traditionally had here at Troy," junior Jake Andrews said of Popovich's coaching style. "We've had a lot of good offensive line coaches and offensive-minded guys here at Troy; it's really interesting to see the difference between the NFL and college mindsets. He's got a really hit them in the mouth and move the guy kind of mindset and I love it."

Troy returns to the practice field on Wednesday at 8:10 a.m. for its fifth practice of the spring. Sumrall moved it up a day to beat the impending weather expected in the Troy area on Thursday. The Trojans then return Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for a half practice and half scrimmage.

Fans can make their plans now for T-Day on April 23; kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and the day is chockfull of activities on campus, including a Fun Day, Lunch with Legends and Kids Camp. Visit TroyTrojans.com/TDay for full details.

Troy University Athletics

Football Opens Week Two of Spring Practice

Players Mentioned

Jake Andrews

Charles Strong

Keyshawn Swanson

Damien Taylor

Kimani Vidal

Zion Williams

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