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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Preseason Report 08.17: Rebels Get Physical
8/17/2009 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. -- After a light workout indoors on Sunday, Ole Miss returned to full-contact drills Monday, training for over two hours in full pads on the practice fields.
"We had a very good, long practice," said Rebel head coach Houston Nutt. "We got a lot of plays in, probably 70 plays, mostly the first and second teams. It was a very physical practice with a lot of hitting."
After watching the defense get the better of play in Saturday's scrimmage, Nutt continues to be encouraged by the interior of the defensive line with tackles Lawon Scott, Ted Laurent, Jerrell Powe and LaMark Armour.
"They're working very hard," Nutt said. "I like those four guys, although I hate Justin Smith got hurt. The experience and intensity that Peria Jerry brought every single day is hard to replace, but they're working and that's what you go by."
Joining the mix at tackle is freshman Craig Drummond, who played defensive end during his prep career.
"His head is on a swivel after being used to being on the edge," said Nutt. "He's such a big body and looks so good in a uniform. He made some good plays today. Right now we need him inside."
On the injury front, redshirt freshman linebacker Lekenwic Haynes returned "sparingly" to the practice field, while sophomore fullback Dan Hoffman was forced to leave the workout after suffering a slight concussion.
"We'll keep him in the hospital overnight and make sure he's ok," Nutt said. "I don't think it's anything serious."
Ole Miss players will greet fans Saturday as part of "Meet the Rebels Day" festivities at the Indoor Practice Facility on campus. The event begins at noon with the UMAA Foundation luncheon.
Nutt and the other coaches will address the crowd at 1:30 p.m., and will join the Rebel players in signing autographs and meeting fans from 2 until 4 p.m. A maximum of two items per person may be signed. Raffle tickets for VIP passes, official team gear and other merchandise will also be available.
