The Huskies, who were back on the practice field after their first off day of camp, practiced in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets. While it may seem a contradiction in terms, the Huskies turned in laid back, but intense practice. It was a professional-like session.
"There is a level of physical dominance that these guys are starting to play with and I think it becomes this is who we are, this is what we are, this is how we go about our business," NIU head coach Hammock said. "These guys understand if they don't show up they're not going to play. They understand every day they have to make sure to put good stuff on tape because everything is being evaluated, everything is being graded and you don't want to go from starter to the third string because the depth chart changes daily. There is professionalism in that they understand they have to show up and go to work."
Players were deliberate in their actions, pace was high, and competition fierce. The one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive skill players early in practice were a microcosm of the day. After a wideout would make an incredible catch, a corner would come back with a great pass break up or a linebacker, going up with a tight end for a 50-50 ball, would come down with the ball.
"These guys are not afraid to mix it up," Hammock said. "I think that's the biggest thing. What they do understand is we can practice hard, we can practice physical, we can practice aggressive, but then when we walk in that lockerroom we are one team."
Hammock has been happy with the way each side of the ball has been physical and how they feed off each other during the first week of camp.
"For us, obviously the physicality has certainly increased," he said. "I think along with that physicality, they brought the energy, they brought the urgency. These guys are anxious to get out and get better and work. Today was another good day. The defense did a fantastic job. It became contagious, the energy that they played with and the passion that they played with and they started making plans and that's normally how it goes. That's what I see."
Friday was also NIU's first workout following Wednesday night's scrimmage. After evaluating the film, Hammock felt there was plenty of positives by the offense and defense and the post-practice score reflected that.
"The score was even, for the first time [this camp] and there was give and take," he said. "What you saw were guys staying in the moment, they thought about the next play. We had some guys make some serious plays. The running game is looking strong. The receivers are making contested catches.
"I thought we tackled well. You didn't see a lot of missed tackles on film, which is a point of emphasis for us, something that we worked on and trying to drill as much as possible so when we do play, we can give ourselves a good chance."
News & Notes
Jersey Boys: A pair of Huskie defenders were wearing the jerseys of the day on Friday. Safety Jordan Hansen was sporting the yellow BYOJ (Bring Your Own Juice) jersey, while defensive end Raishein Thomas donned the red POTD (Player Of The Day) uni.
Schooley on Scholly: Following practice, Hammock announced that offensive lineman Matt Schooley earned a scholarship. Schooley was promptly mobbed by his teammates who were happy for the second-year Huskie. It was a great way to open week two of camp.
NIU opens the season at Georgia Tech on September 4 before welcoming fans back to the stands at full capacity in Huskie Stadium beginning with the home opener versus Wyoming on September 11. Kickoff for the game is at 12:30 p.m. (CT) and the game will honor First Responders and Health Care Heroes, while also serving as a Welcome Back Fans celebration.
Season tickets for NIU's complete six-game home schedule remain on sale with season ticket prices as low as $85. Purchase a minimum of four tickets for all six games via the Family Pack for just $90 per ticket (in sections B and F) or $66 per ticket (in sections A and G). Three-game or four-game mini-plans are also available with Mission's 3-Game Mini-Plan priced at $79 (including processing), while Victor E.'s 4-Game Mini-Plan is $107.
To see all the ticket options and prices, and for more information on premium seating, see the Football Ticket Page at NIUHuskies.com. To purchase tickets, call 815-753-PACK (7225) or go to NIUHuskies.com/MyHuskies.
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