Quotes from Spring Practice, Week 2 Day 1

About how JJ is having him take snaps under center, Colt said:
"I grew up playing under center and I know I can do it really well. Coach Jones said he would give me some work this spring at it and see how things went and maybe put in a package that would work this fall." (HSB)

"Right now we're fresh into it and today was the first time going live with it and we did all right. I think it worked out pretty good, we completed some passes. It'll take some time to get used to, but it won't be a big deal by any means and I think I'll have it within a week or so. It is different for sure. ... There's a lot things we have to work on, it's not just dropping back and throwing it. Now I'm handing the ball off differently, different steps. But all that stuff, I think I can handle it pretty easily." (HSB)


About how JJ tries out different things each Spring Practice, Colt said:
"He's got some ideas. He's trying to run through everything to see what works — what he likes and what he doesn't like." (HA)


About running pass patterns, OL/TE Cameron Allen-Jones said:
"It's my first day actually being in there with the team learning the plays and stuff. I'm just trying to get used to it. ... It's real different, I just have to get used to running routes." (HSB)


About Cameron being used as a TE, Bess said:
"Not too many big linemen can catch the way he can. He's got big, bear-claw hands. Coach thinks Cameron could be a really good candidate for that job and he's shown he's got some good hands and good ability. I think he shows a lot of potential and it's fun just to try something different." (HSB)


About Cameron being used as a TE, Colt said:
"It was surprising to see him out there at first. Coach Jones loves doing things like that. In my experience, he's pretty smart doing that. He was successful with Reagan (Mauia as a running back). And it looks like he's right about Cameron. Cameron can catch the football. He's pretty good. He's got some good hands." (HA)


About playing safety during pass drills yesterday, Colt said:
"Coach Jones kept it fun and tried to give us things to do. The focus is on the younger guys this spring, so the older guys didn't have a lot of work." (HA)


About playing defense on the scout-team, Colt said:
"He knows I like doing that stuff. I used to play linebacker a long time ago. I wanted to play there, but he wanted me back at safety." (HA)


About being in charge of all the LBs now instead of just coaching the inside LBs last season, Cal Lee said:
"It's a minor adjustment." (HSB)


About his LBs (current starters are Eliminian, Leonard, and Soares), Cal Lee said:
"The thing is they're all good football players. We didn't lose anyone to graduation so everybody comes back and if we just keep getting better from last year to this year, it makes us a better ballclub." (HSB)


Happy to be working as a DE, Amani Purcell said:
"It's nice to play with my hand down again." (HA)

HA Note: "At Penn State, Purcell was the top backup at both defensive end positions in the 4-3 scheme. Last year, he struggled to make the transition to outside linebacker in UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville's 3-4 defense."


About how UH's 4-3 scheme is similar to Penn State's defensive scheme, Purcell said:
"I was tripping out when (McMackin) was going through the slides. I saw some of the plays I already knew." (HA)


About how responsibility as an outside LB in the 3-4 defense last year, Purcell said:
"It's a soft-read position. You're not sure if you're going forward or backward or whatever until the play develops." (HA)


About how he bulked up during the offseason to prepare to be a DE in the 3-4 defense, Purcell said:
"I gained about 25, 30 pounds. I knew I had to get bigger to play as an end (in the 3-4). I was eating a lot of Polynesian and Samoan food — corned beef, taro, chicken." (HA)


About how his father (a manager of a tuna factory in American Samoa) sends him 8 cases of tuna every couple of weeks, Purcell said:
"(Tuna) is in my system already. I love eating it with rice and ketchup." (HA)


Happy UH switched to the 4-3 D, sad that he had to undo his bulking up, Purcell said:
"I was excited, but at the same time I was bummed out because I gained all of this weight and now I had to lose it." (HA)

"I'm slowly losing the weight. I'm getting rid of the fat." (HA)

Note: Purcell got up to 285 pounds, but his goal is to weight 265-270 when the August training camp opens.


About how he has almost recovered from the torn PCL in his right knee, Purcell said:

"It's better. I did a lot of rehab. It's not going to be a problem." (HA)


About how things were different yesterday because it was their first day in pads, JJ said:

"When you put on the shoulder pads, you always do a little bit more." (HA)


About how Michael Washington and Aaron Bain, plus the others looking for playing time at slot, have a chance to show what they can do during Spring Practice because Bess and Grice-Mullins are working at wideout, Ron Lee said:
"It's a critical spring for Michael and Aaron. They have to step up and make plays, especially on (7-on-7) and elevens. It's game-tempo, that's when they have to step up their performance. We all have to get better if we're going to be a good football team." (HSB)

"Now they get their chance this spring to fight for positions and position themselves on the depth chart. That's going to make us better as a team, if everyone focuses on their assignments and getting better." (HSB)


About his big chance during Spring Practice, Michael Washington said:
"Everything feels good, the offense is basically in my head so it's a matter of me of ballin' out right now. The plays, reading defenses, that's all locked down." (HSB)


About Washington and Bain, Bess said:
"They know what they're doing so when they get in there it's just a matter of them making plays. They're there mentally, they just have to make plays." (HSB)


About his opportunity this Spring to compete for playing time, Greg Salas said:
"I'm looking forward to it big time. Right now it's kind of up for someone to step up and take it." (HSB)


About how the 11 remaining practices left are key for the veterans also, Ron Lee said:
"It's always a good reminder even though you've got a lot of returnees, you have to pay attention to detail and execution. The older guys have to really focus on getting better. There's a lot of room to get better and not be happy with the past. This is a whole new season and how they approach this season is critical. They have to really look at this spring as important to set the tempo for how they're going to be for the year." (HSB)