Bulldogs Begin Second Half Of Spring Drills
"We probably had our worst practice of the spring today," Croom said. "We can't put a series of good practices together for some reason. We'll have two good ones and then a bad one.
"We had a good scrimmage to end last week," Croom continued, "but we start off this week with a bad practice. They must have eaten too much candy and eggs over Easter must have eaten a lot of bad eggs."
The MState head coach found fault with his team's offensive execution, its propensity for penalties, and the fact that it could not take care of the football. Still, Croom saw a silver lining.
"I think we're potentially better than last year everywhere on the football field, except for offensive tackle," Croom said. "Johnny Wadley (Hernando, Miss.) has had a hard time adjusting to the move from guard to tackle. He's giving us everything he has, but he's struggling. James Redmond (Decatur, Ga./Copiah-Lincoln CC) may have been playing better before he left here and went to junior college. There is room for the freshman offensive tackles we signed to come in and help us right away."
In addition to the position switch for Wadley, an acute ankle injury has limited his mobility. Redmond is coming off winter knee surgery following his one season of junior college ball.
Offensively, Croom has been pleasantly surprised by the play of Jason Husband (Jackson, Miss.), who has made a transition from wide receiver totight end.
"Jason is a good kid, who does everything we ask of him," Croom said. "Everyday, he does something that catches your eye."
Linebacker Gabe O'Neal was mentioned for his work following Monday's practice, and defensive tackle Deljuan Robinson (Hernando, Miss.) again drew Croom's praise.
"He (Robinson) plays with a sense of urgency," the head coach said. "That's what I like about him. He had an outstanding scrimmage."