East Carolina Football Practice/Workouts Update

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Courtesy of Tom McClellan ECU SID…..

Pirates Use Early Morning For Second Workout

EAST CAROLINA SPRING NOTEBOOK NO. 2

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina conducted its second official spring workout with
an 80-minute practice early Thursday morning on Hight Field inside the Cliff Moore Complex.

After beginning camp with a pair of introductory sessions in shorts and helmets to
comply with the NCAA’s mandated “acclimation” period, ECU Head Coach Ruffin McNeill
and his staff will direct the Pirates’ first full-pad drills Friday afternoon.

“We wanted to get that second day of acclimation where we can’t wear pads and we did
that this morning,” McNeill said. “It was a bit of a change for them but I thought
they got warmed up and it turned out to be a real good practice.”

East Carolina continued to stress positional basics throughout the abbreviated
workout, which was scheduled as a make-up after Wednesday’s practice was postponed
because of lightning. After opening with traditional individual work, both units spent the
remainder of the morning engaged in skeleton, situational, unit-specific one-on-one
and 11-on-11 team segments.

Defensively, secondary personnel and outside linebackers directly engaged with
receivers and offensive tackles, respectively, to emphasize pass coverage and pass
rush technique
work.

“I see the kids talking to each other (on that side of the ball),” McNeill said. “I
see them discussing techniques and calls, which is great. I heard two guys talking
fundamentals
and position on a certain call and that’s a big part of it. The staff is adding
more and more as we go.”

The Pirates will follow Friday’s practice with another full-gear session Saturday
morning before opening the second week of work Monday.

NOTES: East Carolina conducted its annual Senior Pro Timing Day later Thursday
morning … A
total of 13 players who wrapped up their eligibility last November underwent
testing in the Murphy Center and on Hight Field in front of a collection of 20
scouts representing National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League
(CFL) franchises …
After physical (height, weight, hand, arm) measurements were taken, the former
Pirates were tested in the vertical jump, broad jump and bench press before moving
outside for 40-yard dash and short shuttle course times, along with various
positional workouts.

EAST CAROLINA’S 2012 SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Next Workout: Friday, March 23 (3:45-5:50 p.m.)
Remaining Workouts: March 24, March 26, March 28, March 30, March 31 (scrimmage),
April 2, April
4, April 6, April 7 (scrimmage), April 9, April 11 and April 14 (Purple-Gold Game,
2:30 p.m.)