Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell met with the media following the Flames’ annual Spring Game on Saturday afternoon as the Flames conclude spring practice.
“A lot of positives to take out of it. We did have some injuries through it that we will have to see if we can get some of those guys back as we get later in the season. We stayed healthy through it for the most part. Now, once we get through the spring break we will have opportunities to work on some areas that we have to improve on. You can always improve on the knowledge of your system, but just technique and some things we’ve got to improve on.”
“If we are going to be the type of program we want to be and be in contention for championships every year, fundamentals and techniques have to be our cornerstone. Those are the things we have to continue to improve.”
HOW DO YOU BALANCE HEALTH AND CONTINUING MOMENTUM FROM LAST SEASON?
“We started February 7-8th, somewhere in there. 20-something days. Our recall from the season until spring practice was really good, as far as understanding the system and knowing those things. I think we had a jump start going in because we had an extra how many practices from that bowl game. A lot of those young guys got opportunities, from that stand point of knowing what to do I think we are way ahead.”
“Now, knowing what to do and actually doing it with someone that is across from you when they are doing something, that was some of the things we had to work through this spring. We did our best this spring to make sure our ones got work but they never got taken to the ground. Quinton Cooley doesn’t need to be tackled. Kaidon Salter doesn’t need to be tackled. Some of those guys, Joe Carter and Jay Hardy, they don’t need to be tackling anybody. We did a good job of protecting, making sure those guys got better but also stayed as healthy as possible.”
“Because it’s closer than normal, as far as your practice, I think our recall was good and that helped us have a good spring as far as putting more things in and saying can we do these things. That’s what spring is for. Last year was completely different, we feel like we were trying to establish something. Now, you feel like you are established, they understand what they are capable of, now we have to build off of it.”
HOW DO YOU THINK SALTER PERFORMED THIS SPRING?
“We were all impressed with Kaidon. Kaidon could have easily won the most improved. From last spring to the end of the season, obviously tremendous improvement, but there were things he needed to improve on from timing to leadership. This spring he did a really nice job of that. I thought he took control of our team in practices and showing up every day and being consistent. That’s the key from a quarterback, if your quarterback is consistent every day in his attitude and what he brings to the table, then your team has the ability to do the same thing. He did a nice job of that. Pleased with how he improved himself, pleased with how he improved his leadership, but also how he mentored the younger quarterbacks. Three brand new quarterbacks and he did a nice job leading them.”
WHAT WAS IT THAT RYAN BURGER DID THIS SPRING TO EARN MOST IMPROVED?
“Any time you are new, you are trying to learn your way and learn your system. From 1-15, he did a nice job of improving each week in understanding. Him being in college before definitely helps. He understands college practice, he understands how to prepare himself. He really made a lot of strides from 1-15 that we felt like he improved more, not that they all didn’t. I thought they all improved. You saw with those other quarterbacks, Jayden in particular, Jayden’s got some ability as well. We are excited about the quarterback crew behind Kaidon and Nate. Ryan did a really nice job from 1-15. Fought through some illness, he was sick when he first started. Fought through that and did a nice job of getting better. Also, I think putting himself in a position where guys view him as could be a potential leader for our team.”
HOW DO YOU JUDGE THE PROGRESS OF THE DEFENSE DURING THE SPRING?
“Any time you are “thud”, you could have made the tackle or the guy would have made it through, it’s hard to tell. From our spring, from one until today, 1-14, today we were very vanilla defensively, we did a lot of different things we wanted to see, whether that was things we wanted to see from last year that we were good at or not good at, and did some other things, maybe new schemes, maybe new adjustments. We made a lot of progress. I think we have a chance to be an overall better defense. We lost some really good players up there, especially in the secondary. It’s going to be hard for us to replace that with one guy, we are going to have to do that by committee. That is our biggest question mark is the guys that we did lose there, can we replace that. I do think with our recruiting and the people that we added during high school recruiting and also during this last portal recruiting, that we brought in some guys that are going to help us. I think we improved some depth in a lot of areas. Now, it’s just getting guys better at technique, understanding what their roles are. I do think we are going to be better there. Might not look like it right now, but I do think we will be better. We still have to have some late signees/portal, we need some opportunities to bring some different people in on both sides of the ball. We are aware what those positions are. I was pleased with the effort and I was pleased with what we put in, the different adjustments and schemes, what can we handle and what can we not. We can’t play defense the way we did on some of these. We were a heavy man team, which we had the people to do that, we might not this year, we might need some adjustments.”
HOW IS YOUR LOCKER ROOM THIS SPRING?
“That’s what I think we are pleased with is now being here a year, the guys that return understand what our expectations are and how to do that. Now, they do have to be the ones that take that lead. The guys that you bring in, you’ve got a chance to recruit those guys for a while, at least high school wise. They know what you are about, so those are good additions. Any time you have as much turnover, with the way college is, it’s always going to be a challenge to do that, but in the two months we’ve been here since January, our new guys, I like the direction our older guys are doing and the accountability they are having. Can it improve? Yes, but I like our locker room. I think we’ve got a good cohesive unit and we’ve got to continue to build off of it.”
CAN YOU EXPAND UPON THE BIGGEST BENEFIT TO HOLDING THE SPRING GAME SO EARLY?
“Now, we have up to two hours a week that we can do football with our team. Out of your eight hours, two hours can be meetings/on the field work. Now we’ve got 15 practices, I know this receiver, this quarterback, you need to improve these areas. Well, we can go do those things with him. These are the things we need to improve as a team. Now, we’ve got more opportunities to do that. Having spring at a normal time, you get done in April and you figure out what you’re good at and what you’re not good at. Then, you break for summer and you have to wait until they come back. It gives us an opportunity, I believe, and it’s my opinion, that from a development stand point it helps our players develop scheme-wise, technique-wise, fundamental wise. If we are developing, then our team is better, they are better individually, it gives them the best opportunity to continue playing at a high level. Continue to play the game as long as they can, that’s our job as coaches is to give them the best opportunity to be successful, and we believe that is the best way we can maximize the ability the Lord’s given them.”
HOW DO YOU THINK JAYDEN BRADFORD DID, WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT HIS POTENTIAL?
“Jayden is very intelligent. He’s coming in not like a typical guy because he understands offensive quarterback, he understands plays, systems, he knows our system pretty good already as a young guy which is hard to do, truthfully. We’ve been really pleased and impressed with that. As you can see, he has a nice calmness to him in the pocket. Today, he stays in there, he goes through reads and he can make some plays with people. He’s got a chance to be a really good player. He’s got a lot of learning to do, still, and growing and gotta get stronger. Excited about him and his future. He showed some of his ability today. As he continues to grow and get stronger, then he will continue to be better.”
