Their jerseys were drenched, not by rain or water, but by their own sweat, which ran down their hands and trickled off their fingertips at an unyielding pace. Their muscles ached, and their legs burned from the conditioning and the full speed, bone-crushing contact drills that they were put through.
The flaming sun had burnt the back of their necks, which elicited a stinging sensation with every head movement. And their eyes were tired, full of exhaustion from the three- hour hell that is known as spring practice. It was then, after that very first spring practice in full pads, that one begins to understand the message Sylvester Croom was trying to send to his players. Get tough and survive or leave.
That message has been implanted in every football player remaining on the team, a team that has been ravaged by dismissals and quittings, but a team that is much better than this time last year, even with 17 less players.
“They’ve gone through the fire this spring, and they’re better because of it,” Croom said shortly after the scrimmage Saturday. “The one’s that are still here should take pride in themselves and in each other because they have gone through one of the toughest spring practices on record.” So, what’s their reward for not getting burned in the fire that is spring practice? Do it again.
The annual spring scrimmage was transformed into an actual spring game with the first stringers, or the Maroon Team, winning 7-0.
Led by quarterback Omarr Conner, the Maroon Team marched to the White Team’s one-yard line on their first possession before running back Brandon Thornton rumbled into the end zone for the only touchdown of the afternoon.
“We didn’t score as many points as I thought we would have with the Maroon offense,” Croom said. “But I was pleased with the fact that we didn’t have a lot of pre snap penalties. We stress it all the time; we talk about it. We cannot do anything prior to the snap of the ball to beat ourselves. We have to be perfect.”
The Bulldogs were perfect as far as penalties are concerned. There wasn’t a flag thrown on either team throughout the game.
Again, something that was stressed over the course of spring practice has paid off.
If a player jumped off sides or committed any sort of pre snap penalty during practice, he was forced to do up-downs, a punishment where a player has to fall and make his chest touch the ground, bounce back up again and repeat the action 20 times consecutively.
Receiver Will Prosser stood out the most of anyone on the team. Early in the game, the Starkville native made two leaping grabs over defenders’ heads, including the opening play of the game, which was a 43-yard underthrown ball.
Prosser rose, literally, to the occasion, not only saving an interception, but in the process, making a catch and putting the Maroon Team in scoring position.
“I’ve tried to learn the concepts of all four receiver positions, and I think if you do that it helps you understand where your supposed to be on the field,” Prosser said. “I just try to go out there and work hard. I think I’ve always worked hard.”
Prosser pulled down another underthrown ball as the first quarter expired. He leaped over corner back Keith Fitzugh’s head and cradled the 38-yard pass into his chest.
“He made plays today and in our last scrimmage, [plays] that he did not make the previous year,” Croom said.
Early in the third quarter, Conner was taken out of the game due to the risk of injury, meaning the Maroon offense was now without two of their best players, Conner and Norwood, who did not play at all due to the risk of injury.
Conner finished the game four of eight for 118 yards.
“Omarr is definitely ahead of where he was at the end of last season,” Croom said. “When he makes mistakes now, he understands where his mistakes are, and you have to understand what you’re doing wrong before you can correct it.”
Norwood’s replacement, and the projected backup to the starter for next season, Brandon Thornton carried the ball 11 times for 49 yards for a 4.5 yard average.
Thornton has been battling Demarcus Johnson for the second string running back spot all spring long.
Johnson, who was on the White Team, had only two rushing yards on four carries. But the red-shirt freshman had two kick returns for 67 yards, including a long of 36, which he nearly broke for a touchdown.
The White Team had a chance to possibly take the lead or tie it at the end of the game. They had a fourth down and goal from the four-yard line.
A delay handoff to running back Kentrel Brooks was stuffed for a loss of two yards, ending any hope of a win for the second stringers.
But no one really lost. After the game both teams came together and exchanged hugs and hand shakes. It was a time of joy and relief. Spring practice was over, but off season workouts are just beginning.
“I told our players, what kind of season we have is going to be determined by what they do between now and when we come back in August,” Croom said. “I know from being on championship teams that this is the time. The self discipline, pushing each other, motivating each other between now and August is the difference between winning and losing.”