Spring allows team to solidify

Ariy-El Boynton

Ariy-El Boynton

Spring football is a time for the team to work on getting better and establishing the depth chart. The team focuses on learning the offensive and defensive systems, while incorporating some new aspects the coaches learned on professional visits during the offseason to other colleges.

“The neat thing about spring ball is we don’t have a game we have to get ready for. We can focus on becoming a better team,” Head Coach John Stiegelmeier said. “Our deal is to teach more than to beat on each other.”

One of the main focuses in spring ball is to keep everybody healthy. Stiegelmeier said spring practice at SDSU is not about proving how tough the players are.

“A lot of other programs scrimmage a lot and have the old strong will and survive mentality,” he said. “We get plenty of injuries through the year. We already know our kids are tough.”

Entering spring ball, the players knew that they had to battle each other for positions, but did not know they had to battle Mother Nature also.

“The weather was the hardest thing about the spring this year,” Stiegelmeier said. “We were inside one time, which is impossible to get anything done.”

The team is only allowed 15 practice days during the course of spring ball, so practice time is precious. Stiegelmeier said the weather prevented the team from participating in approximately half of their scheduled practices the first two weeks of spring ball.

The Jackrabbits maintain an even-keel philosophy in everything they do, but Stiegelmeier said he noticed a little something different in winter workouts this year. He said that he felt the players knew how close they were to winning a conference championship last year and can tell they carry that with them in their hearts. Stiegelmeier believes his team will have a little extra drive this year to accomplish what was so close to them last year, a Great West Football Conference championship.

#1.883458:2574699583.jpg:springfootball2.jn.jpg:Coach John Stiegelmeier watches his players perform during an early morning practice on April 24.: