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Things looked different for Florida State football during the program's first spring practice on Wednesday.
FSU's typical entrance to its practice facility was blocked off by construction, new coordinators Tony White and Gus Malzahn sported FSU gear for their first practices with the program and head coach Mike Norvell put 35 new players through the paces.
"Obviously a lot of new faces, but I thought the guys did a nice job of understanding the structure of what we wanted practice to look like," Norvell said. "I thought there was great speed, energy... felt the coaches did a good job of preparing the players for what to expect."
It was a day for learning for the newcomers, but also for Norvell and the coaching staff.
Norvell gave up control of the offense for the first time in his head coaching career, handing the responsibilities to Malzahn, and it was the first time the new staff operated with each other.
"I think I've got the best offensive coordinator in college football," Norvell said. "I'm here to make sure I put our guys in the best position to be successful. Players, coaches, everybody involved and I also know what it's supposed to look like and I know what I want for this team. Being able to have guys like Gus and Tony, the leaders they are, the minds they have... it's our team."
It's a change to Norvell's status quo, and he admitted there are still things for him to adjust to, especially with Malzahn running the offense.
As both White and Malzahn continue to implement their styles, Norvell said he trusts the plans his staff made during the offseason and is ready for any adjustments that need to be made as the Seminoles go through practice.
While scheme changes can present challenges, running back Kam Davis said it was an easy transition from Norvell's offense into working with Malzahn.
"Very professional guy, slows everything down for you," Davis said. "We might run one play 25 times until everybody gets it right, everybody gets that play down pat. He's not letting anybody sit on the sideline... he's making sure everybody is involved."
Malzahn utilizes running backs heavily in his physical offense, with Davis likely a player the new coordinator will look to utilize next season.
He played in nine games as a freshman, and while he admitted those didn't go the way he wanted, Davis said things are beginning to slow down for him on the field.
Davis cut weight in the offseason to prepare for Malzahn's scheme, and feels prepared to contribute, starting with what he described as a "fast and physical" practice.
He said with the new schemes, practices will continue to be more physical than they were last season.
"Everybody at practice, everything is fast and physical," Davis said. "Even when we aren't in pads... everyone is putting a hand on somebody. Just the efficiency and the movement of practice has been very fast. That's what we are trying to go through for the rest of the year."
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football spring practice: New faces make impact on preparation
Continue reading...
FSU's typical entrance to its practice facility was blocked off by construction, new coordinators Tony White and Gus Malzahn sported FSU gear for their first practices with the program and head coach Mike Norvell put 35 new players through the paces.
"Obviously a lot of new faces, but I thought the guys did a nice job of understanding the structure of what we wanted practice to look like," Norvell said. "I thought there was great speed, energy... felt the coaches did a good job of preparing the players for what to expect."
It was a day for learning for the newcomers, but also for Norvell and the coaching staff.
Norvell gave up control of the offense for the first time in his head coaching career, handing the responsibilities to Malzahn, and it was the first time the new staff operated with each other.
"I think I've got the best offensive coordinator in college football," Norvell said. "I'm here to make sure I put our guys in the best position to be successful. Players, coaches, everybody involved and I also know what it's supposed to look like and I know what I want for this team. Being able to have guys like Gus and Tony, the leaders they are, the minds they have... it's our team."
It's a change to Norvell's status quo, and he admitted there are still things for him to adjust to, especially with Malzahn running the offense.
As both White and Malzahn continue to implement their styles, Norvell said he trusts the plans his staff made during the offseason and is ready for any adjustments that need to be made as the Seminoles go through practice.
Malzahn brings a change of physicality to the Seminoles' offensive preparation
While scheme changes can present challenges, running back Kam Davis said it was an easy transition from Norvell's offense into working with Malzahn.
"Very professional guy, slows everything down for you," Davis said. "We might run one play 25 times until everybody gets it right, everybody gets that play down pat. He's not letting anybody sit on the sideline... he's making sure everybody is involved."
Malzahn utilizes running backs heavily in his physical offense, with Davis likely a player the new coordinator will look to utilize next season.
He played in nine games as a freshman, and while he admitted those didn't go the way he wanted, Davis said things are beginning to slow down for him on the field.
Davis cut weight in the offseason to prepare for Malzahn's scheme, and feels prepared to contribute, starting with what he described as a "fast and physical" practice.
He said with the new schemes, practices will continue to be more physical than they were last season.
"Everybody at practice, everything is fast and physical," Davis said. "Even when we aren't in pads... everyone is putting a hand on somebody. Just the efficiency and the movement of practice has been very fast. That's what we are trying to go through for the rest of the year."
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football spring practice: New faces make impact on preparation
Continue reading...
