Plenty of sights and sounds
August 13th, 2007, 11:23 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
Troy Nolan
A busy day at Camp Tontozona on Monday included the return of safety Troy Nolan, who was back on the field well ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation of a shoulder injury.
Six days after suffering the ailment, which was expected to sideline him for two to three weeks, Nolan participated in individual drills and team work, wearing an orange (non-contact) jersey.
“I told you I’d be back soon,” Nolan said proudly.
It will likely take Nolan a couple additional practices to shake of the rust — he was beaten for a touchdown by reserve tight end Dane Guthrie during the second practice on Monday — but his eagerness and ability to come back so quickly commands respect.
Before a 14-minute lightning delay stopped the afternoon practice, ASU worked on kickoff returns for the first time this fall. The deep-return pairs: Keegan Herring-Ryan Torain, Kyle Williams-Nate Kimbrough and Brandon Smith-Justin Tryon.
The delay was the first time the weather affected the Sun Devils’ plans since they arrived at camp last week. However, ASU got the practice in.
Two more workouts are scheduled before the team returns to the Valley on Wednesday. If they go off without a hitch, ASU will have — for the first time since at least the late 1990s, a school spokesman said — completed a Tontozona stay without a practice being canceled or moved to Rumsey Park in Payson because of precipitation.
I still believe that Chasen Stangel is ahead of Samson Szakacsy in the battle of true freshmen for the third-string quarterback spot, but Szakacsy had perhaps his best practice of camp. On one play during 7-on-7 drills, he checked off at least two receivers before hitting Williams with a crisp pass over the middle.
The coaches were in rare form with their chatter. Some samplings:
Defensive coordinator Craig Bray to 335-pound defensive tackle Jonathan English: “If you don’t get some energy in your body, you’ll never play here.”
Receivers coach Eric Yarber to Smith, after he dropped a ball during a drill: “Go play defensive back. Those guys are receivers that can’t catch.”
The most levity was reserved for late in the afternoon practice, when during 11-on-11 drills, Herring took a carry outside and headed straight toward a group of fans sitting on the grass along the sideline. As one man prepared to scurry from danger, Herring stopped his momentum right in front of him and said, “I’ve got brakes! I’ve got brakes!”
Erickson then stopped practice to tell the sideline observers, with a wide smile: “I have to be honest. I don’t care if you get hurt, but I do care if these guys (the players) get hurt. Stay on your feet and move your (butt) fast. I may have to come up with drills for you guys!”
There are three ASU football pieces in the Tribune on Tuesday. I wrote a story about the ankle injury suffered by defensive end Luis Vasquez and notebook that details the consistency of receiver Chris McGaha. Also, Scott Bordow penned a column on why the Sun Devils should continue to train at Camp Tontozona, despite its flaws.