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Football
Rhode Island Spring Practice Roundup - Issue 8
April 21, 2008
The University of Rhode Island football team completed its 13th practice of the spring Monday afternoon. The Rams returned to the field hoping to build off of their third scrimmage of the spring, which was held this past Saturday. "The execution for the offense was probably the biggest improvement we made from the last scrimmage," said first-year head coach Darren Rizzi said of Saturday's practice. "The offense was much better in terms of executing techniques, and there weren't as many mistakes. I thought the defense took a little step back, but the offense was very impressive. We scored five times (plus two field goals) in 81 plays, which is nice to see. The offense came out of the box fast and scored on the first drive, and some guys stepped up on that side of the ball." With just two spring practices remaining, today's spring ball roundup closes out the defensive side of the ball with a look at the defensive line. Aside from two seniors, first-year defensive coordinator Joe Trainer and d-line coach Rob Neviaser have a relatively inexperienced group of student-athletes on the front line. Seniors Steve Weedon and Paul Vellano have helped mentor and anchor this unit thus far, and come August, a third senior, Chenry Lewis - a transfer from Rutgers University with one year of eligibility remaining - will join the group. "Chenry is going to bring experience. He's played a lot of ball at both linebacker and defensive end at the Division I level," said Rizzi, who worked with Lewis during his tenure at Rutgers. "He is going to provide a great pass rush for us, which is something we didn't do a good job of last year, especially on third down. He will be a guy who needs to step up and provide a pass rush for us. With Chenry and Steve on the ends, we have a chance to get to the quarterback."
Weedon - who Trainer said `has a chance to be a dominant player in this league' - appeared in 10 games and finished seventh in tackles with 37 (15 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups in his first season at URI after beginning his career at Valley Forge Military Academy. "Everything (in spring ball) is really tough. Coach Neviaser is pushing us to make sure our timing is right and that that we line up and get off fast. The tempo is much faster and everything is well-organized. Last year, the system was kind of slow. Everything is fast-paced this year. Coach (Rizzi) wants us to stay focused, stay in the moment, and have a good mindset when we get on the field." Rizzi added, "Steve Weedon is making the transition from linebacker to defensive end, and he has really shown some flashes. Like anyone who changes positions, he hasn't mastered the technique yet, but he's good enough to where he'll make a bunch of plays for us. Vellano, meanwhile, played defense during his first two seasons at URI before moving over to the offensive line last season. "Paul has been set back by an injury, but he's been impressive in the practices where he has been able to go," said Rizzi. "He was sick this winter and wasn't able to take part in all the winter conditioning, so it'll be good to get him back." Junior Mike Lane returns after a sophomore campaign which saw him record 27 tackles (13 solo), including four tackles for loss. Classmate Carl Daniel, meanwhile, appeared in 10 games and recorded 11 tackles (three solo), two tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery. While the duo received significant playing time last season, it's been another duo of junior - Kirk Blackmon and Martin Smalls - who have emerged this spring as forces on the d-line. "Kirk Blackman had a great winter and has had a solid spring, and Martin Smalls is going to continue to challenge for playing time," said Trainer. Sophomore redshirt Victor Adesanya joins the Rams after transferring from Merrimack College, where he earned Second Team All-Northeast-10 honors and helped the Warriors earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2006. Redshirt freshman Willie McGinnis has also opened some eyes this spring with his solid play. "Victor has shows some flashes and done some good things this spring," said Rizzi. "Willie McGinnis has really done a nice job and is improving every day." Sophomores Akil Chester and Stan Sturgis - both of whom played offense last season - have been moved to the defensive line and will continue to learn the position into August. In February, Rizzi signed four high school defensive standouts to National Letters of Intent (NLI), and each will receive ample opportunity to contribute as true freshman: Michael Gross (North Arlington HS), John Kilpatrick (Abington Heights HS), Josh Previte (Brocton HS), and Matt Rae (Dallastown Area HS). "You never want to count on freshman, but from a size standpoint, we're certainly going to add some nice depth. We're adding some big bodies," said Rizzi. Despite the lack of experienced upper classmen, Trainer is extremely confident his unit will become a rock for the Rams this fall. "Of all three levels of our defense, I think our front has more depth than any of the other positions," he said. "We have a lot of self-motivated guys. I love our d-line because football is important to most of them, and when we came out of the winter, we felt really good about Weedon, Blackmon, and McGinnis. A lot of those guys have just picked up from where they left off this winter." The Rams return to action on Wednesday when they host their final practice before the annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 26 at 1 p.m. Fans are welcome and encouraged to attend. |
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