Saturday’s practice was the first day that the
Lobo football
team practiced in full pads, according to Rocky Long the rest of this
spring
the team will at least be wearing shoulder pads if not full pads. Not
that it
has made a difference anyway, as I’ve seen some physical play even in
shorts
and helmets. Seriously Lobo fans, would you expect anything less from a
Rocky
Long coached team than 100% intensity?
Ivan Hernandez
Mike Cannon
When
the pads go on, the group I love to see the most? Well
that is easy, The O-line, the road graters, the guys that pave the way
for the
running backs to get over 1000 yards the past 6 season, the guys that
let
Donovan Porterie stand tall in the pocket. The guys that don’t always
get the
love at other schools, but always get the love of The Red Menace! The
guys we
call The Hitmen!
Little Cookie No More!
I first met Erik Cook years ago when his older
brother
played center for the University of New Mexico. I believe he was
running track
at the time and he had just received his drivers license, so he drove
out for a
Spring Cherry Silver game, had a couple of burgers and off to do what
all us
first time drivers do… No not an accident fool!
As Erik’s continued to hang out with older brother
and
teammates while playing football for Cibola, the term “Little Cookie”
could be
heard as Erik had to endure the plight of the younger brother is always
fair
being compared with your older brother…
Erik is set for another season at UNM, one that
finds him as
one of the leaders of “The Hitmen” as he is one of the players coming
back with
significant playing experience. Erik is listed at 6-6 312 but looks to
be a
beast for Coach Lenzmeier’s Hitmen this season. At this point he is the
starting center but can be moved to the tackle position at any time,
either way
look for Erik to assert himself and kick some butt whenever he chooses.
By the
way, you can put that “little brother” thing to rest as Erik is now the
monster
in the middle, beware MWC… Beware!
Click here to
listen to Erik Cook
Coach Long Prepares to join The Menace?
I’m
not much into watching kickers or punters and leave that
up to Dom as for some reason he loves those guys that boot the ball,
but you
had to be impressed with Adam Miller’s punting Saturday as he booting
them off
the field, sending none other than Coach Long into the stands to field
his
punts. Can someone tell me: Did Coach Long field punts when he played
for the
CFL?
Rodney Ferguson scored a TD for the Lobo
offensive, but also
had a ball poked out by DeAndre Wright that was recovered by Zach Arnett… While
we hate to see Ferguson lose a fumble, it is nice to see the Lobo
defense still
loves those turnovers!
Rodney drags defenders into the end zone!
Rudy C. Unplugged
My job was to get a few
minutes with new
Defensive Coordinator Troy Reffett after today’s first full pad
practice. Coach
Reffett takes over for Coach Osai Lewis who, paradoxically, becomes the
new D
Coordinator at UTEP, where Coach Reffett was before he came to UNM.
(Are you
still with me?) I asked the new Coordinator what it feels like to take
over the
Rocky Long Defensive Machine.
He beamed and said how it
is truly Coach
Long’s scheme but also an awesome honor to coach in this system. He
observed
that UNM is known as a “defensive minded” program so it is a high
standard
indeed to live up to. He said that many people were interested in the
position
and he felt honored to be selected by Coach Long. He promised me that
he would
try to remember all that he was learning from The Rock, but he said
that this
spring he is seeing things for the first time while Rocky has probably
run
those wrinkles years ago and is coming back to them, always keeping the
oppositions Offensive Coordinator up late on New
Mexico
week.
I asked Coach Ref
his impressions of
the first practice, and, once a coach always a coach, the answer was a
polite
and firm “I’ll have to watch the tape”. It was hard not to be impressed
with
the defense today as it was the usual hard hitting, flying to the ball,
gang
tackling bunch that looked to me, to be the same defense that pestered
and shut
out the Nevada Wolf pack in last December’s New
Mexico bowl victory.
Coach Ref did have to
admit that the effort was
there and he said he looks forward to a defensive line that could be
the
strongest it has been since Coach Long arrived. He also reminded me
that two
experienced defensive backs, Blake Ligon, who will be a senior and Ian Clark,
who will be a junior are sitting out spring ball after each underwent
off
season surgery, although it looked to me that the players idea of
sitting out
was to be in full pads, just not joining the fray! I did get a chance
to speak
with Ian Clark and he said that he is really healing well and expects
to be
more than ready for fall camp. As the team left the field, Ian was out
running
wind sprints to get back his full shape. As I watched him run and
marveled at
his chilled frame, I wondered out loud how much better he could get, to
which
my nephew Devin, a six year old current Red Menace and Lobo fanatic,
responded
“A lot uncle Rudy, HE’S A LOBO!” Out of the mouths of babes!
Offensive Player of Practice
#87
Sina Shabazz
We
try to watch all aspects of practice, including when wide receivers are
willing
to stick their nose into people’s faces. During some alley drill action
today
Shabazz had to be the pride of the WR’s as he flattened more than one
DB. In
this offense WR have to block and today Shabazz flat out got it done!
Defensive Player
of Practice
#35
Jake Bowe
Jake
is battling back from surgery and thus far stepping up… today Bowe
leapt high
to intercept a ball, and knocking another down, as well as playing
tight
coverage when called upon.
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