Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Football Report, March 12
March 12, 2015 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER - Dressed in shorts, jerseys and helmets, the Oklahoma State football team held its third practice of spring ball Thursday at the Sherman E. Smith Training Facility. After the approximately two hour-long session, defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer shared his thoughts:
On how the first week of spring practice has gone:
"Three days of shorts. A lot of energy. A lot of emphasis on footwork, technique, the mental aspects of it, turnovers, getting the ball back. We accomplished a lot, but like I told them we are breaking for spring break. When we come back we'll start playing real football and delivering blows. We'll be violent and shed off blocks and make tackles, so I'm looking forward to cranking this thing back up."
On the mentality of beginning spring practice:
"The kids have got great energy. They're in shape. They just came off a great off-season. Mentally we're good. We didn't install too much so they're overloaded, because they're about to take a week off so I didn't want to put in too much. That will be accelerated when we get back. I just tell them if they bring their lunch pail every day and be real tough guys and come out here and fight for each other then we're going to be fine."
On what he's seen from his linebacker group:
"We've got some guys that have proven they can win in this league. We don't have enough of them and we've got to keep challenging those guys so they don't get in a comfort zone. We've got some guys who should give us some quality depth that we haven't had in a long time around here, at least a couple years, but those guys have got to get better. We had some guys who didn't play a lot last year, but there was a reason they didn't play a lot. Through the off-season and through spring ball and through the fall practices we've got to identify more playmakers and guys that can contribute because that's what hurt us last year. We just didn't have enough guys that could contribute. I think that will be better, but again that's left to be proven. Right now it's just speculation and someone's got to challenge them to get there."
On what he's seen from new safeties coach Dan Hammerschmidt:
"Quality person, great teacher, knows his trade and he's a great communicator. I've loved what he's doing. I've loved his input in the room. I like his demeanor. He doesn't have an ego and wants those kids to be great. It's exactly what I thought when we brought him on."
