2012 Charlotte 49ers Fall Sports Preview - Football

We are taking a closer look at Charlotte 49ers football and
and it's fun to say that we're taking a closer look because
there are players
on campus and
we have a team
It's not the team that we're going to field when the first kickofff happens in August of
of uh... next year but
Coach Brad Lambert and Jeff Mullen
our offensive coordinator are here and
let's talk about what stage we're on now. Your guys are here you've moved into
your new facility. The main field is not quite done yet but you do have practice
facilities.
What is the process now that players are here? I know you're not going to just jump
right into pads and play
We've said all along we want to take about three weeks and go
through a conditioning period that
that we're doing now
We've the guys on the field. We've been trying to get them in shape we've got them in the
weight room teaching them all the lifts and things like that and then
coach Mullen and the guys are also talking to them about our offense and our defense.
They're actually having some meetings with the guys and
teaching them exactly how practice is gonna run and what some of the plays are going
to look like and everything you know for us is we had to teach them
last week how to line up for stretch and teach them all
the basics so but it's fun to finally be doing that.
All right, teaching installing the offense, I'm sure you know you would usually rely on some
of your upper classmen to help with the terminology for younger guys well you've
got to teach
the guys that will be veterans that terminology
a lot of film study lot of examples to the guys what it is going to look like
coaches you start uh... just kind of put this whole package together.
Not only with the players but with the staff that we hired as well leading up to the
kids getting on campus we had to watch a lot of our previous tape
and teach those guys what it is we want to do and what we want to look
like on offense and certainly now that the kids are on campus trying to teach those
guys what it should look like as well using practice tape and things like that
once we get into practice. Now I know
as uh... teams head into that first game the one thing coaches always say
is we're just so glad we're not hitting each other anymore
well that's all you're going to do this fall and into the spring. I know
sometimes tempers can get we've seen it in NFL camps
as they start getting
ready for that first preseason game they've been hitting each other for a month
how do you keep your team united in the sense that alright
we're not going kill each other guys
we've got to build that towards a team goal. No question, Ryan, I think that's the
challenge for us and for me in particular to uh... make sure that we're
spacing practice out we're not going back
to back every day uh... and we've got to take some breaks in there and
our coaches we we've got to go on the road recruiting we're still recruiting
uh... for next year's class so
we've got a break it up keep it interesting we've even you know
investigated some situations about going to practice at different spots you
know whether that's in Winston-Salem or another spot here in south charlotte
we're looking into some things like that to keep it interesting for our team and to
not run into that because essentially we're going to have three
spring practices where normally you have one
and that's always an issue guys get tired of hitting each other but we've gotta keep it
interesting
and not do too much back-to-back.
Now we got we got a piece of playbook here there's a lot in this and it's going to get bigger
to get bigger I'm sure as guys start to learn and things like that but
as the install happens
we're gonna actually put it on the field in October I know that you're wanting fans to
come out and see these guys
what can we expect
to see out of these teams
by the time October hits
on those Saturdays when you want guys come out and want fans to come out
kind of get a taste of it. What should we watch for by that
point?
Well we're still learning truth be told we've got kids on campus that we're trying
to fit
their skills to our system but we're still trying to figure that
out we want to be up
pace. We want to be fast and play loose and shotgun and all that kind of
stuff we've got to see what these kids can execute in practice until we get to that day
Is there going to be... are we going to see some guys playing that may not even be
in that position the following year because I'm sure
as you get to know these guys on the field you may determine even as late as
next spring
even as late as next July, Gosh
this linebacker would be much better on offense or linemen switching sides or you
may have a guy or two
be a backup on the other side of the ball
Yea I think that was kind our whole philosophy in recruiting these guys, we wanted versatile guys
you know we took a lot of quarterbacks knowing they're not going to play quarterback but they're really
good players so
there's gonna be guys switched around and switch positions uh... and we know
that going in uh... we do have time to look at guys you know that was a
recruiting sell for us
we think you're going to be this but you pretty versatile so you might end up
playing this so
it'll give us a chance to to look at guys in different positions and this guy
might fit better over here and
and there will be some guys uh... you know that will walk on that they're going to
end up raising some eyebrows and end up playing for us so fitting those pieces
is the trick this fall and and next Spring.
We've advanced that into April
the twentieth is when the last practice is. The spring game
do you hope you have a much better sense at that point of of where you're going
to be come
August of next year?
Oh yeah I think we will we'll have uh... you know cause
the trick in this recruiting class is going to be put some age on our team
some of those kids will come in in January
at mid-year so
we will have a much better feel once we get the April twentieth our spring game
hopefully it's a real good atmosphere for us people come out and watch us in the Spring game
and our kids will be
you know really excited about doing that
and we'll have a good feel for where we are
you know who our quarterback is going to be things like that so it's going to work out. It's been nice to have a chance
to visit with you guys uh... I know this last year once
you get in to that team phase we won't see you guys again, you'll be huddled up down at the
fieldhouse having meetings late into the night
these guys have been without players for a year So they finally
get to hit the field. We're very excited about that we encourage all of the fans to come down they said
most practices are going to be open if you want to see what's going on come get a
taste of it as it kicks off
in August of 2013.
Jeff Mullen our offensive coordinator and Head Coach Brad Lambert thanks guys for your time we really apreciate it
that's our football segment football is here at Charlotte. Wow I can not wait.