Football team springs into practice
Intense.
That’s the only word needed to describe the Utah State football team’s spring workout under new head coach Brent Guy when compared to last season.
“Coach Guy is strict and what he wants done – it’s going to get done,” running back Chris Forbes said. “He enforces it and he sticks to it. He doesn’t take no bull.”
The change in attitude has been well received by the players.
“That’s going to really help us,” Forbes said. “That’s going to help us get in the mindset. However Coach Guy coaches us, that’s how we’re going to play on the field. It’s going to carry over.”
Wide receiver Kevin Robinson said he likes Guy’s coaching ethic.
“He’s really good,” he said. “He brings a new style – a lot more enthusiasm, a lot more confidence.”
And the enthusiasm has carried over to Forbes, who is very optimistic heading into spring workouts.
“We’re really excited to be playing,” Forbes said. “We got bad weather, but that’s going to prepare us for next season.”
Forbes said the team has been training during the whole off-season, not just the spring.
“We had winter workout the whole winter,” he said. “We’ve been working since the last game of last season.”
Quarterback Leon Jackson III said Guy has preached BTB – Better Than Before.
“Every day, every practice, we got to get better,” Jackson said. “It’s basically a sense that we have to get better every time we step on the field.”
Jackson, who is expected to replace Travis Cox at starting quarterback, said he can’t assume the role of a team leader until he earns it.
“[Who will lead the team] is something that my teammates have to come together to figure out,” he said. “I’m still competing for the position. I’m no better than anyone else. So I still have to compete.”
Robinson said although last year’s freshman class – which includes himself, Jackson and Forbes – produced many good players, there is no pressure on them to be emotional leaders next season.
“You try not to think about it,” he said. “You try to just go out there and play hard everyday. We don’t really think about it too much.”
The Aggies will be returning 11 starters from last year and another 11 players who started at least two games.
USU will begin its first season in the Western Athletic Conference next season after playing the last two seasons in the Sun Belt Conference. Idaho and New Mexico State, who also played in the SBC, will make the move to the WAC with USU.
Robinson said Guy will definitely help the team produce better results than last season.
“He’s good for us,” he said. “There will be a lot more improvement from last year.”
-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu