Courtesy of Tom McClellan East Carolina University SID…..
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Pirates Continue Drills In Shells
EAST CAROLINA SPRING NOTEBOOK NO. 10
GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina continued its spring football practice schedule
Wednesday afternoon with another two-hour workout in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. The session,
conducted inside the Cliff Moore Complex, was the Pirates’ 10th overall and eighth
in pads.
Wednesday’s practice, carried out in unseasonably warm temperatures and completed
just prior to the arrival of thunderstorms, also initiated preparation efforts for
ECU’s second intra-squad scrimmage of the spring, which is scheduled for Saturday morning
at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
“I was proud of how well they adjusted to things today,” head coach Ruffin McNeill
said. “We had to change our schedule as we went along today because of the
approaching weather, and because the transition was so smooth, I don’t think we missed a beat. We were able to get in a lot of situational work and that’s obviously always one of our key
objectives each spring.”
McNeill also continued to address the tempo on both sides of the ball, speeding
things up during the traditional 26-minute team-on-team segment that junior safety
Damon Magazu highlighted from a defensive perspective with an interception inside the redzone.
Kickoff returns, including coverage responsibilities, were stressed during both special teams periods.
NOTES: Sophomore Shane Carden, one of four candidates vying for the Pirates’
starting quarterback job, will miss the remainder of spring drills because of a right index finger
injury … Carden suffered the injury Monday during the team phase by inadvertently
hitting his hand on a helmet during a follow-through on a pass … An early medical
prognosis includes an early summer return to active status and subsequent participation in
throwing drills … Head coach Ruffin McNeill announced that redshirt freshman
outside linebacker Demetrius McKelvie has left the program … McKelvie, who earned
a roster position as a walk-on last fall after a brief stint in professional baseball, indicated he
was exploring options for a return to the diamond after the conclusion of the
spring academic semester … McNeill proudly earned grandfather status Wednesday
when daughter Renata gave birth to a baby girl – Isabella … Without classes on the ECU campus in
observance of Good Friday, the Pirates will conduct an earlier practice with a
10:45 a.m. start.
EAST CAROLINA’S 2012 SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Next Workout: Friday, April 6 (10:45 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.)
Remaining Workouts: April 7 (scrimmage), April 9, April 11 and April 14 (Purple-Gold
Game, 2:30
p.m.)
Tom McClellan
Assistant AD/Media Relations