Nicholls football finally wraps up spring practices

Nicholls State first-year football coach Charlie Stubbs would probably be the first person to admit his team has plenty of work to do before their Sept. 4 season opener at San Diego State.

The Colonels are adopting a brand-new, pass-oriented system that is a total 180 from the triple option attack the team ran under former coach Jay Thomas.

But with the team’s spring practices having come to a close this past Saturday, the coach admits things are a work in progress, but continually touts one thing about his team – improvement.

“We have gotten better each and every day, and really believe that,” Stubbs said. “But we have a long ways to go.”

Nicholls faced a hurdle this spring in that spring break caused a one-week hold up in the team’s practices.

But the coach said he was proud of the way his players handled the layoff, and everyone reported back to camp in shape following the vacation.

“The student-athletes all came back healthy and in good shape,” Stubbs said. “That’s showing to me that they are serious and are ready to put in the effort to be successful.”

When on the field, the team spent a lot of time trying to iron out the passing game this spring.

Stubbs said his team’s offensive drills throughout the spring were geared to work on timing between quarterbacks and receivers and get rid of the mental hurdle the players have to overcome being in a new offense.

Last season, the Colonels passed the football 149 times and had just 64 completions.

As the offensive coordinator last season at Central Missouri, Stubbs’ offense attempted 403 passes, so the Nicholls offense will see a contrast in style in 2010.

“We have been doing a lot of individual route running, some man-to-man, seven-on-seven, and pass protection drills while also working different blocking schemes,” Stubbs said. “So far, it has gone very well, and we have really pushed these young men pretty hard … I believe that we are capable of accomplishing a lot in spring practice, as long as we progress mentally.”

Nicholls had two quarterbacks on their spring roster, Laquintin Caston and Nolan Dumas.

Stubbs said he is pleased with the strides both players have made in their brief period in his system.

“They both are working very hard to learn the offense,” Stubbs said. “They get better every practice.”

Help will be on the way in the fall as Stubbs signed three quarterbacks in the Colonels’ 2010 recruiting class, but those players will not be on campus until summer camp begins.

All of the team’s 2010 recruiting class have taken some time to attend spring practices – something the coach said is a testament to the quality of men in the class.

“I think that says a lot about the character of the young men that we are bringing in here, and that all of them truly want to be here and be a part of something special,” Stubbs said.

“I have told them all to come in physically and mentally ready to play, this way they will be more ready to go if we need them early in their career.”

In addition to grooming the signal callers, evaluation was one of the primary focuses of the team in the spring.

Stubbs said prior to the open of practice, he did not watch much film of any Colonels’ players because he did not want to develop any pre-conceived notions of his team before they got into his new system.

With that evaluation period has come position changes for a few Colonels.

Stubbs said Brandon Spurlock would move from defensive line to offensive line. The coach also said Josh Warren is moving from halfback to wide receiver, and former option-oriented quarterback Chucky Nichols will move to wide receiver.

On defense, Jake Witt has moved to defense and is currently getting a look at safety.

The culmination of practices for the Colonels was last Saturday, when the team held a spring scrimmage that was open to the public.

The coach said a lack of depth prevented the spring game from resembling the nationally televised spring games that are held at major universities.

But the coach said even despite the hurdles, a few players stood above the rest in terms of making an impact this spring.

“Brandon Ward at left tackle, Jesse Turner at running back, Mike Barba at wide receiver, quarterbacks Laquintin Caston and Nolan Dumas. Fernandez Garner at defensive end, Jordan Piper at linebacker, defensive back and kick returner Bobby Fielder and punter Patrick Dolan. These guys have made a lot of progresses and have been consistent with the new schemes we are throwing at them.”

FORMER COLONELS SIGN WITH NFL CLUBS:

No Nicholls players were picked in the NFL Draft two weekends ago.

But that didn’t stop a pair of Colonels from pursuing the big-time as wide receiver Antonio Robinson signed with the Chicago Bears and defensive back Dominique Daniels signed with the Atlanta Falcons.

Robinson was the team’s top receiver last season in a primarily run-oriented offense and he hauled in 27 catches for 490 yards with four touchdowns. That season made him a second-team All-Southland Conference selection.

Daniels landed in Atlanta following a senior campaign when he started every game and made 42 tackles, broke up five passes and had one interception.

Daniels’ signing marks the third-straight year a Colonels’ defensive back makes it to the NFL. (Kareem Moore in 2008; Lardarius Webb in 2009)

The duo will look to join an elite club of undrafted NFL players who have carved successful careers in the professional ranks.

Dallas Cowboys standouts Tony Romo and Miles Austin, New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott, New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, and San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates are among the undrafted players who have made the All-Pro team in their careers.

Nicholls football coach Charlie Stubbs applauds his team during a recent spring practice. The first-year coach touts his team’s improvement during the spring practice session. * Photo courtesy of NICHOLLS STATE