Spring Is In The Air As Cardinals Open Football Practice
March 21, 2017 | Football
The Cardinals worked for two hours in shorts and helmets.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - – With veterans dotting the roster but also several key positions to be filled, the University of Louisville football team opened its 2017 spring camp on Tuesday afternoon at the Howard Schnellenberger Football Complex.
The Cardinals took the initial step toward building on last year's nine-win campaign, which ended with a disappointing finish in the Citrus Bowl loss to LSU. However, that is in the past, and the Cardinals are building toward the future.
With 14 returning starters, which includes quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won the school's first Heisman Trophy a year ago, were back on the field Tuesday in shorts and helmets.
"It was a good first day," head coach Bobby Petrino said. "I like our receiving unit. There isn't enough guys out there right now, but we have good size and good speed."
After the two-hour practice, Petrino singled out his award-winning quarterback for his growth and development after a good first day of work.
"Lamar did a good job throwing the football on the first day," Petrino said. "I could see him concentrating on what we asked him to work on. He was accurate and his decision-making was good."
While Jackson is cemented as the starter, Petrino also praised redshirt freshman quarterback Jawon Pass for his growth displayed in the first spring practice. A talented signal caller from Columbus, Ga., Pass is a former U.S. Army All-American, who passed for 2,197 yards in his senior season.
"Jawon had a good day," Petrino said. "It was good to see. It was fun to see him take what he learned from last year and show marked improvement."
Leading the Cardinals in sacks a year ago, senior James Hearns, who missed the bowl game after suffering a severe injury, returned to practice for the first time since the incident. Widely considered one of the top pass rushers in the nation, Hearns put his explosiveness on display.
"It was good to see James Hearns back out there," Petrino said. "He played with good speed and power. It was fun to see him back out there on the practice field."
Louisville will practice again on Wednesday and Friday, the first practice open to the fans.
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