Football’s spring practice brings out competition in wide receivers
By Ryan Eshoff
April 14, 2010 9:37 p.m.
The eyes attempting to read your every move belong to a friend.
The legs trying to hinder your progress down the field belong to a teammate.
The hands waiting to intercept every ball thrown your way belong to a Bruin.
The bragging rights? Well, those can belong to you, if you can come down with a catch.
Spring football practice features a variety of drills, but most serve as an undercard to the daily battle that rages between wide receivers and defensive backs. Theirs is a friendly competition that tends to tilt far more toward competitive than friendly. In this arena, no player gets left unscathed and no trash talk gets left unspoken.
“Every day they’re real intense,” said wide receiver Randall Carroll of UCLA’s group of defensive backs. “You can see just the whole defense is a whole different animal over there. It’s all about the intensity.”
Having an aggressive, attacking group to match up against at every practice could be the ideal formula for a UCLA receiving corps that may very well on the brink of becoming something special. The depth chart lost Terrence Austin to graduation but returns rising juniors Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree, as well as a Carroll, a big-play-in-waiting who expects to see an increased role as a sophomore.
The balance of the corps has been on full display throughout the spring, whether it be evidenced in Rosario using his 6-foot-5-inch frame and jumping ability to haul in one-handed grabs, Embree snagging balls through traffic, or Carroll utilizing his blazing speed to run under deep balls a la Willie Mays.
“We definitely have different types of talent that we can use, and I think that it’s just going to open everything up,” Embree said.
All that is assuming, of course, that the defensive backs haven’t harassed them into ineptitude. The collection of cornerbacks that includes Aaron Hester, Sheldon Price, Courtney Viney and Andrew Abbott has taken it upon themselves to ensure that nothing comes easy for the Bruins’ gifted pass-catchers.
And should the defense succeed ““ with a pass break-up, a knockout hit or, God forbid, an interception”“ the receivers know to prepare for some chatter.
“That’s probably the best competition we got out there at practice,” Embree said. “The DBs, they’re real loud, real energetic, they’re a wild group. It’s definitely a heavy, intense competition but it’s a lot of fun too.”
The competition has its roots at the end of the 2009 season, when ““ as Embree describes ““ the practices leading up to UCLA’s appearance in the EagleBank Bowl featured a number of intense one-on-one drills between the two sides, and those duels carried over into the spring session.
Bragging rights aside, the variety and versatility of the defensive backfield presents the Bruin receivers with an opportunity to prepare for a number of different looks.
“We play DBs that play different kinds of techniques,” Embree said. “You got Hester, who’s real aggressive, he’s going to jam you real hard, he’s strong, he’s fast. You got Viney who’s real quick, he kind of plays off of you and then makes a play. So you’re seeing different looks from each corner, and you’ve got to bring different techniques to match their techniques every play.”
The wild card that may tip the scales in the wide receivers’ favor has been unable to suit up for much of spring practice. Josh Smith, the dynamic transfer from Colorado, injured his knee during a drill last week and is sidelined indefinitely. With Smith in the fold, UCLA could find itself with a surplus of targets. Even in street clothes, the rising junior is an active and passionate part of the receiving corps. And he is itching to be a part of the fun.
“Man, it is so hard to watch, it really is,” said Smith. “There ain’t a moment I don’t think about it. As soon as that warm-up music comes on, I’m always ready to go, and I don’t get to do anything but watch. I try to stay involved as much as possible, just help all the guys out as much as I can and let them know I’m still here with them.”
The lively banter that darts back-and-forth across the field between receivers and cornerbacks after each play reflects the necessity and drive of each side to succeed. While the pass defense may need to compensate for a depleted defensive front, the receivers should face considerable pressure to perform now that quarterback Kevin Prince and offensive coordinator Norm Chow are both firmly entrenched in their respective positions.
At least one thing is certain, and that is that the daily battles of spring should benefit each group come autumn.
“We’ve got a great receiving corps, and we’ve got a great DB corps that we go against every day,” Carroll said. “We’re probably going to be one of the best this year.”
When the 2010 season does roll around, the receivers will be sternly tested by the stout defenses of Big-12 heavyweights Kansas State and Texas. But with the trees surrounding Spaulding Field still a long way from losing their leaves, the battles these days are between teammates. The receivers want to snare more than touchdown passes, they want the last word. Or, if the post-play activity is any indication, words.
“We complement each other well,” said Smith of the collection of receivers. “I just feel like once we really get this going here, there’s no way anyone’s going to be able to stick all of us.”
