University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Dons Pads for First Time this Spring
3/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 23, 2012
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The 2011 Conference USA champion Golden Eagles donned the pads for the first time this spring for just over two hours on Friday on the turf of Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
It was the first opportunity for new head coach Ellis Johnson and his staff to see the Golden Eagles in live tackle situations and all parties came away understanding that there is still plenty of work to be done.
"I thought it was a good day," Johnson noted. "When we went live I didn't think the tackling was very good, but that's to be expected. We'll go full-tilt with a scrimmage tomorrow so hopefully we'll see some progress in that area tomorrow."
Southern Miss will hit the field again tomorrow for their first scrimmage of the spring season and provide the coaching staff with yet another opportunity to see the talents of their players.
"I just expect to see continued improvement and execution," said Johnson. "Hopefully we'll have a little more contact, and better contact and tackling."
The Golden Eagles will continue practicing up to their NCAA-mandated limit ahead of the April 14 Spring Game, a part of the Eagle Fest 2012 weekend - a celebration of the Black and Gold in Hattiesburg.
