Fall Camp Practice #5 Recap

The team went live today in full pads for the first time. Players were able to get at each other a bit, but fortunately no new major injuries to speak of. Whew.

It did help with instilling food technique however, as Coach Tedford stated.

"We're able to go low, more. When we just have shells on, we can't block below the waist," Tedford said. "A lot of the run game is predicated on reaching and knocking getting on the ground, which is kind of hard to do when everybody's trying to stay up. It really allows us to get after legs, it allows defensive linemen to play the cut block and makes people play a lot lower. Sometimes you can get in bad habits, trying to stay on your feet the whole time. The key is bending at the knees, so when we get in pads and when we're doing those drills, it helps us play with low pad level and bend at the knees."

Check out his post practice interview below.


The next elite tight end?
The level of high praise that Coach Tedford extols for TE Richard Rodgers has historically been reserved for some pretty special players. And more often than not, the recognized athletes have met expectations.

Here's what he had to say most recently about Rodgers:
"I think, if you can play every day against Richard Rodgers, you can play against any tight end in the country. Richard Rodgers, in my opinion, is as good as any tight end in the country. I know he's young and he's unproven, but you have a guy who's 270 pounds and runs, catches the ball well, can block - I think he's got a really bright future."

That's saying, a whole heck of a lot. Tedford isn't one to exaggerate a whole lot about a player's abilities. He'll say things here and there that might be a tad of a stretch, but nothing out of the realm of possibility. For him to come out and already say that Rodgers is as good as any tight end of the country, well you know the expectations have been raised big time.

I'll be honest, I was pumped about signing Rodgers. I saw him shaping up to be a solid contributor for the Bears, but now Tedford has me asking, "Sheesh, can he really be that good?" We'll see.

Some other bits and blurbs after the jump.

Other bits:
-When asked about Darius Powe, Tedford could only say, "He's big." Powe already has NFL size at 6'2, but I was a bit surprised that he's up to 217 lbs. Tedford wants him down under 210, preferably around the 205 range. 217 lbs is pretty hefty for a WR, and unless he's pure muscle, then dropping 10 lbs can only be a good thing for his speed and agility.

-Reporters keep asking about Brendan Bigelow, likely in bated breath, hoping all reports about his increased confidence, durability and explosiveness continue. Tedford confirmed all to still be true. "He's playing really fast," said Tedford.

-Villami Moala continues to miss classes as he and some other players finish up summer school. This goes for all other players, but I'm still selfishly hoping that all of our student athletes finish their summer courses strong. Obviously, for the sake of their education but secondly (and again, I'm being selfish), academic struggles can be as constraining to a student athlete as an injury, so here's hoping for smooth sailing and full participation next week.

-The field won't be ready on the 15th for the team to begin practicing on as originally planned, but they hope to be there on the 16th. I thought the 15th was an aggressive date, but I'm still disappointed they won't be there on time. Tedford hopes to be in on the 24th, but heck, if they push the 15th to the 16th, what's stopping them from moving that date? The sky is falling!