Football

March 24, 1999

CORAL GABLES, Fla. –The University of Miami football team spent thethird practice of spring wearing full pads for a two and a half hoursessionat the Greentree Practice Facility on the UM campus. The Hurricaneshadpracticed in helmets and shorts for the first two days of spring.

The team opened practicewith fundamental drills within respectiveposition groups. After working on the middle drill the team concludedwiththe traditional 11-on-11 drills between the first, second and thirdteamoffense and defense.

“I think practice went verywell today,” said Head Coach ButchDavis. “It was our first day in pads. The intensity, effort andattitudehas been outstanding. This football team has made conscientiouseffort towork hard everyday and try to get better.

“The position competitionis very evident. You see guys reallyconscientious about their performance every single day, knowing thattheyhave someone breathing down their neck. The way that this footballteamwill climb back into that illustrious top 10, top five spot in thenation isby pushing each other everyday in practice.”

The Hurricanes will takeThursday off, before returning to thepractice fields at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 26 at the Greentree PracticeFacility.

The UM coaching staff willhost its annual Spring Football CoachesClinic on the UM campus this Friday and Saturday, March 26-27. Theclinic isopen to all junior college, high school and junior high school footballcoaches. It includes meals and materials along with lecturesfrom Hurricanehead coach Butch Davis and his assistants, special presentations fromMinnesota Vikings’ defensive line coach Andre Patterson and PittsburghSteelers’ team psychiatrist Kevin Elko, in addition to an inside lookintothe UM football program. All coaches participating in the clinicwill haveaccess to Friday’s practice and Saturday’s scrimmage.

The clinic costs $40 foradvance registration and $50 for walk-up.For additional information contact the UM football office at (305)284-2563.