BYU football opens spring ball

PROVO, Utah – BYU football opened spring practices Tuesday morning, giving new and returning players the chance to work with head coach Kalani Sitake and the new coaching staff. 

Check out the BYU Photography Exposure Gallery of the opening practice and read below what some of the coaches and players had to say after practice. 

QUOTES

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake

On being out there today:
It was fun. It was cool because I was able to look at both sides of the ball and help out on the little things. You try to pick apart what things could be better as a head coach trying to see what we could do differently. From the offensive and defensive side, I was so used to being more involved and coaching a lot more that this was nice to be able to manage the team and try to see what we could do time-wise. Not as much hands-on as I’d like to be, but we’ll get there eventually.

On the players:
I’ve always thought this was a very talented team. I’m not really worried about that. I think that it’s hard to really evaluate right now until we get the pads on, but they’re exactly what we thought in all the workouts and stuff we’ve been able to do in the offseason conditioning. We’re really excited. They’re used to winning. We’re just trying to get our identity established on offense and defense working with the coordinators. I think that we looked pretty smooth. I think the guys are adapting to what we’re asking them to do defensively and offensively, and so far it’s been a smooth transition. I thought it was a good day one.

On Taysom Hill:
A great player, a great leader. So we want him around as much as possible. I think that his presence is huge for us right now. He wants to do a lot more, but we have to make sure Taysom’s not doing too much. It’s just natural for him to get in there and go. He looked good in a lot of the things he was doing. More than anything, it’s just great to have him out there with the guys.

On Jamaal Williams:
Jamaal’s a fun guy, good leader as well. I think he just fits in with what we’re trying to do offensively. I think he’s really comfortable behind the center, running downhill. We were able to do a lot of things with the run game today. 

On position changes:
Some are permanent. Others we'll just kind of feel it out. There are a lot of players I think could project to other positions. It's a work in progress. They had some really good things that we saw. Francis Bernard did some great things at linebacker today. I don't know if Tuiaki would be willing to give him up any time soon.  I think the move of Micah Simon at receiver looked really good too. I know how Ed and E think. They'll be trying to look at getting some of the receivers as possible DBs. Overall, I thought the linemen looked a lot bigger than when we first got here. We're going to keep trying to get bigger and stronger. With the positions, we'll see how it all works out though.

On pass rusher role and defensive positions:
There are a lot of guys that can rush the passer and a lot of guys that can fill that role. We're just working through some things. We're keeping things pretty simple so we can evaluate still. We'll start getting settled in more when we get towards fall camp. Right now you'll probably see a lot of guys moving from inside backer to outside, trying some defensive end. Safeties and corners will be moving around quite a bit too to see what the best mix is.

BYU offensive coordinator Ty Detmer

What was day one like for you?
Day one was good. It’s great to get out on the field. We’ve had a few meetings and couple light walk-throughs with half the group so it’s good to finally get a ball in our hands and run through some of the plays. It’s one thing to be out there versus air, and it’s another to be flying around against the defense. The big thing is we want to see guys go to the right place and take the right steps.

First impressions of the quarterbacks?
They’re all talented, they’re all athletes, they understand the game. Some of it’s new to them, understanding exactly where to go and we’re getting blitzed day one, so it’s understanding where that’s coming from and that will come. It was just good to see them out first day. The timing is going to be off to start with, but it was a good start. I was impressed with their attitudes and they were paying attention out there and really into practice and that was great to see.

What place does Jamaal have in your offense?
We want to establish the run game. We want to be able to run the ball and he’s a big part of that. He’ll have a big hand in what’s going on, but if teams are really loading the box we’ve got the quarterbacks and receivers to be able to throw it as well.

With Taysom so limited, how does that impact the way you evaluate the quarterback position during spring?
We’ll evaluate the guys that practice. We know Taysom, we know what he can do. He’s not a guy that needs a ton of reps. Nobody’s winning a job in spring.There’s a lot more to go--we only get fifteen practices. For the coaches, it's more to get to know the guys, see them, teach them the right way to do things and then fall camp is where a lot of the battles will take place."

What difference does it make to have the experience of Taysom and Jamaal and offensive leaders on day one?
It’s huge. Across the board we’ve got guys with experience. The players really make things go. That’s one thing I learned in the NFL. The good teams had good leadership in the player department. When Reggie White came into Green Bay, it changed the whole makeup of the team because he was a leader in the locker room and really expected Favre to come along. We have a lot of that in a lot of positions. Those guys run the team. Coaches can only motivate so much. It’s go to come from the players and we have those types of guys.

Can Tanner and Taysom work together?
You see them out there talking through plays together. They’re not competing against each other, they’re competing against themselves. They want to be the best players they can be, not just better than the next guy. And if you’re really trying to get to the next level, that’s the way it should be. How good can I be? And the coaches decide the rest after that.

Would you say you are a yeller or a non-yeller?
Practice? A non-yeller. Game? I’m might get a little more animated.

Why is Jamaal a good fit in the system?
He’s a downhill runner. He runs real well between the tackles, but he’s got the ability to bounce it if they force the bounce. He’s a guy that can do it all. I think he’s going to be really good with what we’re going to ask him to do. He’s a very talented player. I know he was excited to be out on the field, it’s been a while for him so he brings that enthusiasm and that attitude.

Senior RB Jamaal Williams

There are a lot of young players out there. A lot of players I’m getting used to but it still feels like the same team I’ve been with all the time since I’ve been here. I really like all the freshmen and all the new players. They really add energy. They’re just like me, just two years younger I think.

How do you feel after the first day?
I feel like I’m good. We’re just taking precautionaries right now. Everybody knows that I’m a hundred percent, I’m ready to go, but mostly for spring ball it is just getting used to the new offense and learning all the plays. Getting used to running all the run plays, the pass plays and everything. Taking it a day at a time.

Do you like the new offense?
Yeah, I can breathe. I don’t have to worry about looking to the sidelines anymore. Looking at the pictures and everything. Now it’s a huddle. We crack jokes in the huddle. Take our time going to the line. Once we get up there, it’s full speed. I like it a lot. I like being back there seven yards back, being able to look at the whole defense and knowing exactly where I’m going.

On coming back to BYU
I was going to come back. I was going to come back, play and finish my years here and everything. Be a mature person. You gotta finish what you start. I’m always loyal to where I started. I always come back to where I started, and I finish where I started. I was always going to come back to BYU and finish my college career here.

Senior QB Taysom Hill

It felt great, I was joking around with some of the guys after and I felt like I never left. It was so much fun to be back on the field with the guys and to be able to put on a helmet, jersey, and cleats and strap up a little bit. It was like Christmas morning, I loved it.

What ultimately brought you back here?
There’s a lot of factors that went into that decision process. My wife and I spent a lot of time and there were a lot of people that were closely involved. That’s a long conversation. So I’m happy that I'm here. It was the right place for me and I'm looking forward to the future.

Physically where do you feel like you’re at at this point?
I’m no where close to 100 percent. I can’t give you a number but I’ll tell you that I started jogging on dry land for two weeks now and that can give you an idea.

How has your current recovery compared to others?
This is slower for sure. I’m five months and change out of surgery and at that time with other surgeries I was feeling really good. So it’s definitely slower. I’m hoping in another month or so I can start to run around pretty good. The nice thing is Kalani and Ty have said we need you ready for September so I don’t feel any pressure to come back too soon and to re-aggravate it. I’m going to take my time and make sure that I’m healthy and ready to go.

How much can you do in spring?
I suspect there will be some progression involved, but through conversations with Kalani and Ty, they’ve made it pretty clear that there’s no real value added to come out and trying to do something too soon. They have been pretty straight forward about needing me healthy for September so that’s our goal and our target.

What’s it like for you and the other seniors going through this coaching change?
It’s been a weird career throughout my time at BYU because this is the third time I’ve done it. We’re used to it. I think the other seniors are just excited to play football. We all like the staff and we’re looking forward to working with them and so far so good.

How is this quarterback competition different than others in the past?
At the end of the day I’m trying to be the best that I can. I’m competing against myself. I need to get healthy and then I think it will take care of itself.

How’s it been with Ty Detmer so far?
It’s been great. I really like Ty and I think his experience with being in different systems definitely shows and I’m looking forward to working with him.

Was it more special to be on the field today after all you’ve been through?
It was really nice to be back on the field with the teammates. At the end of the day, I told the team that I’m coming back for them and I wanted to do this with those guys so it’s great to be out there with them.