Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football Practices in Full Pads
08/11/2004 | 12:00:00 | Football
Aug. 11, 2004
By Scott Mees
www.SIUSalukis
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University football team practiced in full pads for the first time Wednesday morning, including a 60-minute intrasquad scrimmage at the end of the session. Photo Gallery Unseasonably mild temperatures reached only the low 70s. The offensive skill players showed no signs of rust from the off-season, and several players made some terrific plays from scrimmage. Coffeyville Community College transfer Arkee Whitlock -- a sophomore running back -- blew through the defensive line and past the secondary more than once. Whitlock will be competing for playing time with the rest of the much-hyped Saluki backfield. "There was a lot of excitement going on," Whitlock said. "I give all the praise to my offensive line." The opportunity to compete for playing time with Auburn transfer Brandon Jacobs (Sr.), Minnesota transfer Terry Jackson (Sr.) and junior Antione Jackson is a welcome challenge for the sophomore tailback. "The depth chart is so deep that injuries can hurt us but not very much," Whitlock said. "We've got guys who can come off the bench and fill in." Jacobs, a bruising 6-foot-4, 260-pound tailback, looked sharp as well. The former Auburn running back cut to the outside on some carries and burrowed his way through the middle for some tough yards as well. He got off to a rough start however. On his first rushing attempt during the scrimmage, Jacobs ran around the left end and appeared to dive over three defenders landing on his neck and shoulders. After being checked out the tailback got up and returned to action a few plays later. The senior also introduced himself to All-American safety Alexis Moreland with a head-on collision near the sideline. There aren't very many defensive backs who could've made that play, but Moreland did. "He's a big guy and he's really athletic," Moreland said. "The great thing about him is that coming to the sideline, you can't just expect someone like him to keep going forward. He can go side-to-side, so you have to read him like any other running back." Terry Jackson did not participate in the scrimmage due to a slightly pulled hamstring. Notebook
Sophomore Adam Harrison made the switch from defensive end to tight end - after redshirting last year -- and he wound up catching the decisive ball over the middle during a drill at the end of practice in a competition between the offense and defense. "It's definitely a drastic change moving from defense to offense," Harrison said. Junior quarterback Joel Sambursky's timing and accuracy throwing the football seemed well ahead of what might be expected from a player on the first day of full-contact practice. Sambursky gunned a pass to senior wide receiver Justin George who beat Brad Brachear on a deep route for a touchdown. The quarterback also threw a long pass over the middle that senior wide out Jason Hollingshed jumped up and caught in heavy traffic. Kellen Allen, a junior receiver, made several nice receptions as well. The offense looked solid for most of the morning and offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover expects nothing less. "The biggest thing is that we've got a lot of older guys, and they know what's expected of them as far as the crispness in practice," Limegrover said. "Our challenge is to get the new guys and the young guys integrated." Limegrover also talked about the luxury of having such tremendous depth at running back. "The great thing about it is that as an offensive coordinator, it's nice for me to not have to worry about who's back there," Limegrover said. "We don't have to worry about is a good one back there or an average one back there, because they're all good." The defensive line managed to get to Sambursky in the backfield numerous times, including a pair of sacks by senior defensive end Andrew Franklin, nicknamed "The Freak" by his teammates because of his size/speed combination. Sophomore cornerback Kyle Colborn jumped in front of a receiver and snatched an interception from freshman quarterback Brad Walker. There were a few minor skirmishes and lots of yelling at times, but all that amounts to is the feeling that football season is officially here.
