The hooting and hollering from Kent State’s defensive players after every forced turnover was louder and more animated than usual on Monday morning as preseason football camp rolled into its second week.
Those of us who were watching from the sidelines weren’t sure why there was so much excitement after every fumble and interception until the close of practice when head coach Paul Haynes and his defensive assistants hit the Dix Stadium turf for an extended round of pushups.
As it turns out, the coaches have a deal with their defense. Force three turnovers and its pushups for those mentors. Fail to force three turnovers and it's pushups for the players.
Monday was the first time the coaches had to pay up, and safety Jordan Italiano made the most of it, shouting “up, down, up, down … ” in their ears. Some coaches had a little more difficult time than others.
The scene was a display of the relationship growing between this coaching staff and their players in the second year under Haynes. It’s a bit more than the typical healthy respect most coaches demand from players. For the most part, they genuinely like each other. Players are learning that this group of coaches are interested in more than just their success on the field.
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| Haynes and the defensive coaches hit the turf for pushups |
I talked to one member of the coaching staff last week who pointed out the impact running backs coach Don Treadwell is having on charges like senior Trayion Durham. While Durham isn’t quite game ready as he returns from injury, Treadwell is giving him plenty of mental reps and talking him through some individual work after practice. He has also been a mentor to Durham off of the field. According to that same member of the coaching staff, Treadwell has had a big impact on other backs like Anthony Meray, who is more ready than ever for an increased role in his senior season.
With Durham coming back from injury and the loss of several highly regarded ball carriers from last year’s roster, including current Pittsburgh Steeler Dri Archer, the backfield has to be considered something of a question mark heading into 2014. That’s where having a coach of Treadwell’s stature could be such a big key to the coming season. He is a former Division I head coach who was considered one of the top offensive coordinators in the country from 2007-10 at Michigan State. I’m eager to see the impact he can have on freshman backs like Miles Hibbler and Raekwon James, possibly getting them ready to play in year one. Junior Tristin Boykin has also had some nice moments in the last week, including a 70-yard catch and run for a touchdown last Thursday.
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| Charlie Batch watches Monday's practice at Dix |
We are less than a week away from the first scrimmage of the preseason. That is coming up on Saturday. I’m looking forward to watching Meray and some of those younger backs and finding out what they can do behind an improved offensive line.
There was a special visitor on the Dix Stadium sideline on Monday as longtime NFL quarterback Charlie Batch watched practice.
Batch is a former Mid-American Conference player from Eastern Michigan who spent 15 seasons in the NFL, most of those in Pittsburgh where he won two Super Bowl rings as a backup to Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers.
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