It’s been a strange few months for cornerback Marcus
Cassel. He’s in the middle of a spring practice where
he’s competing for a starting spot, in a position with
gigantic expectations. Meanwhile, he’s finally gotten through
all the repercussions he faced after pleading guilty to DUI
charges. Despite the circumstances, Cassel says destiny has taken
him where he needs to be. “It’s not what I wanted to
have happened,” Cassel said of his summer DUI, which led to a
brief suspension from the team and mandatory community service.
“But if it had to happen like it did, it made me really learn
from it. I’ve become more focused. Now, everything is coming
together ““ it’s all opening up for me.” Cassel
has also had a starting position open up for him, with the early
exit of former cornerback standout Matt Ware for an entry into the
NFL. According to Cassel, he has a long way to go before he adjusts
completely to his fellow teammates, even though coach Karl Dorrell
said Thursday he has been pleased by the progress Cassel has made
this spring and sees the secondary coming along. But becoming
starter comes with the heavy burden of filling the void left by
Ware. “First Ricky Manning was here and Matt has to step
up,” Cassel said. “Now I have to step in and fill the
slack Matt left, and a lot is expected of me.”
TEMPERS FLARED: During Thursday’s
practice, a scuffle occurred during practice drills. After matching
up against each other in the drill, tackle Robert Cleary and
linebacker Danny Nelson had to be restrained. It appeared that
Nelson delivered the first blow, but both players were involved in
the brawl. While Dorrell said it was nice to have that kind of
intensity on the field, the most he’s seen from his players
since his arrival, he was also wary of the behavior. “Tempers
flared,” Dorrell said. “It happens on every practice
field. We just don’t want it to become a problem. That kind
of behavior doesn’t produce anything positive.”
IMPROVING SCRIMMAGE: The football team will
engage in its second scrimmage of the spring practice schedule
today. Dorrell said he was looking forward to seeing the team
implement the improvements it has worked on all week, especially
after the fairly disappointing first scrimmage last Saturday.