Football Practice Report - Friday, March 21

March 21, 2003

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – In spite of another balmy afternoon, it was a productive work day for the Miami Hurricanes football team which completed its third day of spring practice Friday afternoon at Greentree Practice Field on the University of Miami campus. The Hurricanes will continue spring practice Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Greentree.

More than 125 high school coaches from across the nation viewed the workout as part of the first day of the two-day Miami Hurricanes Coaches’ Clinic. Coaches took part in seminars, chalk talk sessions administered by the UM coaching staff prior to practice.

Head Football Coach Larry Coker was impressed with the tempo of Friday’s practice and praised the team for its work on both sides of the ball. But Coker was especially pleased with the performance of the Hurricanes defense, particularly the play of the linebackers.

“This was a real Miami Hurricanes practice today,” an exuberant Coker said at the conclusion of Friday’s workout. “I thought we really had a great tempo and approach to things today. We really looked good today. I think the day off (Thursday) helped us, but I was really impressed with a lot of performances. I really liked what I saw of the linebackers. We really flew around today and the linebackers had a great day.”

The Hurricanes worked out in shorts and shoulder pads on Friday and will have their first full pads session on Saturday morning, a workout that is expected to include the first scrimmaging of the spring. The weather was hot, but breezy, with the temperature reaching 91 degrees under partly cloudy skies. Friday’s practice was the third of 15 sessions that will conclude on Thursday, April 10.

All spring practices are closed to the public with the exception of the Friday, March 28, workout at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale and the Spring Game slated for Saturday, April 5, at the Orange Bowl.