It may have been the first day of April, but the fact that there was football being played on the UCLA campus was no practical joke.
Thursday marked the beginning of spring football for a team that finished 7-6 and won the EagleBank Bowl.
The execution fluctuated from spectacular ““ a one-handed grab by Nelson Rosario over a defender on a fade from Kevin Prince ““ to shaky, but the mood remained generally exuberant. Coach Rick Neuheisel, entering his third spring as UCLA’s head man, threw out the word “energy” multiple times in summarizing the year’s initial practice.
“Obviously lots of mistakes, lots of things that we’ve got to get better,” Neuheisel said. “But just to be out here coaching again, it’s what we love to do, and it’s a blast for the players to be here.”
Although the primary feeling was that of celebration, there is more pressure than in years past, as UCLA looks to take the next step into the upper echelon of the Pac-10.
“We’ve got to have an urgency about us this spring,” Neuheisel said. “We’re more capable physically, but we also have higher expectations, both internally and externally.”
On the physical side of things, the players acknowledged that it can take a while to get back into the swing of things; although early on, any sign of progress is a good one.
“Getting back in the groove, everyone’s feeling kind of rusty,” acknowledged linebacker Akeem Ayers. “It’s been a few months, but it feels good to just get out there and get back to work.”
“We put in some new things, tried to speed up the offense a bit,” said offensive lineman Jeff Baca. “That went well. I’m happy for the first day.”