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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Go Through First Two-A-Day Session
8/9/2007 | Football
The Ole Miss football team went through its first of five two-a-day practices Thursday on the practice fields adjacent to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, putting on full pads in the afternoon.
“It was our first day of two-a-days, and we got a lot of work done,” head coach Ed Orgeron said. “We put in a lot of plays. It was a back-and-forth day for us. Our run game continues to improve. Dexter (McCluster) made some big plays. Defensively, in the morning Greg Hardy had a lot of sacks. LaDerrick Vaughn showed a lot of speed at defensive end and had three sacks.”
Coach Orgeron was asked about only having five days of two-a-days as opposed to when they used to have two-a-days everyday.
“Things have changed. They’re here all summer, so they’re in better condition. Back then camp was for conditioning. Now they usually come here in pretty good condition, so we are in good shape.”
Two new faces joined the team on the practice field Thursday as Jerrell Powe and Chris Strong were both provisionally admitted to the University, eliciting smiles all around camp.
“We were excited to see #57 (Powe) and #53 (Strong) out there today,” Orgeron said. “Jerrell looked good. They went through some drills and looked excellent. It was a big boost for the team to have those guys out there. It was a big moment to see those guys walk out on the field.
“There is a unique difference when guys come from the state of
Ole Miss fans have been waiting for Powe and Strong to get on the field, but Orgeron cautioned expecting too much too soon.
“I coached Warren Sapp, Cortez Kennedy, Russell Maryland and Mike Patterson. They think all those guys stepped up off the bus and went out there right away. Very few were ready-made to come. They all needed some work. The end result is going to be what we all expect, but there will be some things that will have to be fixed.”
Powe, a former Parade All-American from
“I am excited about being a part of the Ole Miss family and finally getting on the field,” said Powe after Thursday’s practice. “It’s been a long wait. I’ve got to work hard to get back in football shape, but once I get the rust knocked off, I’ll be ok.”
Added Strong, “It was great to get out there today with my teammates, especially the guys from
In other news, Brent Schaeffer has moved back to quarterback after a temporary move to wide receiver for Wednesday’s practice.
“Schaeffer moved back to quarterback today,” Orgeron noted. “He played third team quarterback. He came in and met with us and he felt that was where he wanted to play.”
The Rebels will continue practice Friday leading up to the annual “Meet the Rebels Day” festivities on Aug. 18. Fans will have the opportunity to pick up autographs, posters and other Rebels merchandise while listening to coaches address the crowd in the Indoor Practice Facility.
