Eags Pad Up, Please Kramer Coach Likes Condition Of His Veteran Squad
Eastern Washington’s veteran football team strapped on pads for the first time Tuesday morning and engaged in a brisk, spirited 2-hour workout that delighted coach Mike Kramer.
But it was what Kramer saw - or, in this case, didn’t see - after practice that said the most about how far the Eagles have come since last fall.
“Look at that,” Kramer said, nodding out toward the nearly deserted intramural fields Eastern is using as practice grounds while its regular facilities are being occupied by the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
“We’ve got six guys doing punitive conditioning because they didn’t pass their (conditioning) tests.
“Last year on this day, we still had 24. We’ve obviously come back in admirable shape.”
It helps, Kramer admitted, that 37 letterwinners - including 18 starters - return from last season, another year stronger and another year wiser about what it takes to succeed at the Division I-AA level.
“And that maturity is going to impact us in every single area of our team - the way we travel, the way we practice, the way we play, even the way we go to class,” Kramer added.
“It’s definitely different,” said junior middle linebacker and co-captain Greg Belzer. “All those practices and those 11 games last year meant a lot. We’ve got a lot more experience, a lot more confidence and lot more leadership.”
Kramer recalled last fall - after losing 15 senior starters from his 1997 team that went 12-2 and advanced to the semifinals of the I-AA playoffs - that some segments of early practices had to be devoted to learning how to get in and out of the huddle. This fall, most of the playbook has already been installed.
“We’ve gone from paint-by-numbers to actually doing some landscapes,” Kramer said. “We’re real pleased with where we’re at after only our ninth practice.”
One key player who is still not up to speed, however, is starting quarterback Fred Salanoa. The junior transfer from Snow College suffered through a shaky first day of pads, struggling with his reads, throws and recognition of the blitz.
“It feels a little easier, but I still have a lot more work to do,” admitted the 6-foot, 200-pound Salanoa, who practiced with the Eagles for the first time last spring. “I’ve got to get my head back in the (play)book and start making the right reads. I had a bad practice today. I’ve got to bounce back and get on track.”
Kramer said he is neither surprised nor disappointed with Salanoa’s slow progress.
“Defensively, we’re not playing our spring ball tempo, anymore,” Kramer explained. “We’re playing our game tempo now, so Fred isn’t just looking at cover-two (secondary coverages) on every play, and it shows.
“Athletically, he’s what you want; mentally, he’s what you want, but experience-wise, it’s going to be a long learning curve for him, and he’s still working on the uphill parts.” Kramer added that Salanoa’s confusion will get worse before it gets better.
“Sure, he’ll make plays, but it’ll be by accident or by natural instinct rather than by his knowledge of the system,” he explained. “But when he develops internal knowledge of our system - the way this whole organization functions - that’s when people will see what we see in him.”
Notes
Eastern will hold its first scrimmage of the fall Thursday afternoon at 3 in Woodward Stadium… . Fred Salanoa spent his summer back home in Aiea, Hawaii, working out with his brother, Vernon, who is an assistant strength coach at the University of Hawaii. Salanoa increased his bench press by 40 pounds to 305 and his squat by 40 pounds to 390. … Four players - senior defensive end David Kimball (knee strain), freshman defensive tackle Romanus Chodorowski (flu), freshman wide receiver Nick Bates (shoulder bruise) and senior defensive end Adam Kellar (groin pull) - were held out of Tuesday’s first padded practice.