University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Begins Spring Workouts March 7
2/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 28, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss football team opens 2006 spring football workouts next Tuesday, March 7, with the first of 15 NCAA-allowed practices.
The Golden Eagles finished the 2005 season with an overall record of 7-5, including a 31-19 win over Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl at Lafayette. The winning season was the 12th-straight for Southern Miss, and the bowl appearance was the team's eighth in the past nine seasons. Head Coach Jeff Bower and his squad will practice four times for three-straight weeks and twice the last week of March with the 15th and final practice being the annual Black-Gold Spring Game, set for Saturday, April 1 at 1 p.m.
Tentative times set for spring workouts include Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday sessions starting at 3:30 p.m., and Saturday's time will be announced each week. The times are subject to change.
Bower and his staff will greet nine offensive starters, six defensive starters and two starters on special teams. In all, 49 letterwinners return from last season.
Key returning players include All-American and All-Conference USA kicker Darren McCaleb, Freshman All-American and All-Conference USA tight end Shawn Nelson and Sophomore All-American and All-Conference USA defensive back Brandon Sumrall, along with All-Conference USA performers George Batiste(offensive line) and Travis Cooley (offensive line).
The offensive coaching staff stayed the same from last year and the defensive coaching staff underwent position changes in the offseason. Bill Wilt is the only first-year coach on the staff and will work with the defensive line. He brings an impressive resume and years of experience serving as the defensive line coach at Western Illinois and Marshall and was the defensive coordinator at Marshall for several years. Second-year defensive coordinator Jay Hopson will switch from the defensive backfield to the middle linebackers, Fred Tate will coach the outside linebackers and Lytrel Pollard will coach the defensive backfield.
Of the 15 spring practice days, the NCAA mandates three with no equipment, other than helmets. Twelve of the 15 days may involve contact, but only eight can involve tackling and no more than three can be full contact scrimmaging.
The complete spring practice schedule follows: March 7 (Tues.), 8 (Wed.), 10 (Fri.), 11 (Sat.), 14 (Tues.), 15 (Wed.), 17 (Fri.), 18 (Sat.), 21 (Tues.), 22 (Wed.), 24 (Fri.), 25 (Sat.), 28 (Tues.), 29 (Wed.)
Spring Game - April 1 (Sat.), 1 p.m. - M. M. Roberts Stadium
