Chippewas Begin Second Week of Spring Drills

MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan University's football team opened its second week of spring drills with a two-hour workout in the Indoor Athletic Complex on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s session was the third of 15 spring practice dates for the Chippewas. It marked the first time during the spring that the team took the field in full pads.

"Obviously with today being our first day in pads, it was a little sloppy at times," said Central Michigan head coach Butch Jones. "But, I thought our effort and our focus were good throughout the practice. We need to make great strides this spring on mastering our individual skills and our schemes at each position. It’s still early, but I’ve liked the focus and energy level of our players so far this spring."

The Chippewas are slated to return to the practice field Thursday and Saturday morning this week. Jones is hoping for some cooperation from the weather and to be able to practice in Kelly/Shorts Stadium this weekend.

"We may do a little scrimmaging on Saturday, but it’s really based on whether we’re outside or not," Jones said. "We need to get outside to be able to do more full tackling drills and work on more elements of our kicking game. And, it’s good for the players to work in a different environment and have their surroundings change a little bit."

Special Visitors: Jones and his staff have made a habit of welcoming high school and college coaches to the Chippewas’ spring practices. The visiting coaches have an opportunity to meet with the CMU staff and trade ideas on schemes, philosophies and practice drills, among other things. A number of coaches visited the IAC for Tuesday’s workout.

"I think it speaks volumes about the exposure our program has received and the success we have had," Jones said. "We hope that it is a benefit to them, and we get something out of it as well. It’s a great opportunity to exchange ideas and learn how different staffs do different things."

The CMU staff will host a high school coaches clinic on Saturday, April 12. High school coaches interested in registering for the clinic can find more information by clicking here.

Spring Scrimmage April 19: Chippewa fans are reminded that CMU will host its annual spring scrimmage on Saturday, April 19 at 6 p.m. in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. A variety of pregame events will be held in conjunction with the scrimmage. More details on the day’s events will be announced when they are finalized.