Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
CATS IN CAMP: Day #2 Notebook
8/4/2018 4:17:00 PM | Football
Exterior padding on helmets hopefully help lessen impact
BOZEMAN, Montana – Newcomers often take center stage for some amount of time early in preseason football camps. That was the case early in Montana State's first practice sessions, but the attention didn't center around a player. Or even a person.
"They're very experimental for us," MSU Athletic Equipment Manager Justin Jessop said of the exterior pads which lined the helmets of all offensive and defensive linemen, and selected other players, as preseason practices began. "The idea is that they reduce the impact (to the head), and anything we can do in that area we'll try."
MSU head coach Jeff Choate concurred with Jessop's assessment. "If there's one thing we can do to help prevent head injuries," he said, "we're going to do it. If it's best practices in terms of tackling, emphasizing proper techniques, whether it's putting guys in the best equipment we can possibly put them in, or whether using something that may be able to prevent a head injury in practice. We want to be on the cutting edge not just in the techniques we use but in technology."
Choate said he expects technological advances to as the industry becomes more focused on injury prevention. "Work is being done," he said, "and it's important work."
Junior defensive lineman Derek Marks is fine with the new padding. "It's one more thing they're trying to do to protect us," the defensive lineman said.
Safety, Choate said, is the bottom line. "I don't have scientific evidence that this is going to prevent anything. But if it helps even one player, then it's worth any investment we can put into it."
MISTER MICROPHONE: Communication during practice became a little easier for Choate and his staff Saturday when the program broke out its new portable microphone-and-speaker system. "That's the first day we've had it, so it's a new purchase," Choate said. "It's weather-proof, it probably won't make the neighbors around the stadium as mad because it's not as big (as the stadium public address system), we can use a remote mic." Choate utilized the system to communicate with specific position groups and expectations that under former circumstances wouldn't have been possible. The system was paid for partially by Montana State Football's Quarterback Club, and it even allowed Choate the opportunity for a bird's-eye view of practice while maintaining a hands-on approach. "I've been going (on the program's scissors lift) and trying to figure out a way to communicate. It helps us run practice a little more efficiently, the music is something the guys like, and I think it'll work."
POSITIONAL VERSATILITY: Sometimes ideas will strike at funny times, as when Jeff Choate saw quarterback Travis Jonsen break loose on a long run in Friday's practice. "I thought, huh, OK, that looks pretty good, how do we get that done?" That led to Jonsen taking snaps at receiver on Saturday, with Troy Andersen and Casey Bauman at quarterback. Choate said the possibilities with Jonsen playing positions other than quarterback are "endless, I think he can do a lot of things." But he said that is a point of focus for this year's offense. "I think we've got a lot of guys like that. How do we get Willie Patterson and Kevin Kassis their touches? Tyrel Burgess has had a good couple first days of camp and I'm really happy for him. He had an injury in the spring that was nagging and a couple things that didn't go his way. We're going to have that problem with Travis and a number of guys, and that's what fall camp is for. We want our leaders and our playmakers to emerge."
QUARTERBACK COMMENTS: Choate liked the progress he saw from each of his quarterbacks on Saturday, but Ruben Beltran joined the mix after paperwork delayed his debut by a day. "Ruben Beltran was drinking out of a firehose today, his first day out there, getting yelled at all the time, but he'll be better. The guy has no conscience, he's a gunslinger, he was throwing it every single time, open or not, he was throwing the ball. I think he's a very confident kid, a state champion in high school." Choate also lauded Troy Andersen and another freshman, Casey Bauman. "I thought Casey had a really good day on the other field, he had an excellent day."
NEXT UP: The Bobcats practice Sunday at 10:30 am, likely in Bobcat Stadium.
#GoCatsGo
"They're very experimental for us," MSU Athletic Equipment Manager Justin Jessop said of the exterior pads which lined the helmets of all offensive and defensive linemen, and selected other players, as preseason practices began. "The idea is that they reduce the impact (to the head), and anything we can do in that area we'll try."
MSU head coach Jeff Choate concurred with Jessop's assessment. "If there's one thing we can do to help prevent head injuries," he said, "we're going to do it. If it's best practices in terms of tackling, emphasizing proper techniques, whether it's putting guys in the best equipment we can possibly put them in, or whether using something that may be able to prevent a head injury in practice. We want to be on the cutting edge not just in the techniques we use but in technology."
Choate said he expects technological advances to as the industry becomes more focused on injury prevention. "Work is being done," he said, "and it's important work."
Junior defensive lineman Derek Marks is fine with the new padding. "It's one more thing they're trying to do to protect us," the defensive lineman said.
Safety, Choate said, is the bottom line. "I don't have scientific evidence that this is going to prevent anything. But if it helps even one player, then it's worth any investment we can put into it."
MISTER MICROPHONE: Communication during practice became a little easier for Choate and his staff Saturday when the program broke out its new portable microphone-and-speaker system. "That's the first day we've had it, so it's a new purchase," Choate said. "It's weather-proof, it probably won't make the neighbors around the stadium as mad because it's not as big (as the stadium public address system), we can use a remote mic." Choate utilized the system to communicate with specific position groups and expectations that under former circumstances wouldn't have been possible. The system was paid for partially by Montana State Football's Quarterback Club, and it even allowed Choate the opportunity for a bird's-eye view of practice while maintaining a hands-on approach. "I've been going (on the program's scissors lift) and trying to figure out a way to communicate. It helps us run practice a little more efficiently, the music is something the guys like, and I think it'll work."
POSITIONAL VERSATILITY: Sometimes ideas will strike at funny times, as when Jeff Choate saw quarterback Travis Jonsen break loose on a long run in Friday's practice. "I thought, huh, OK, that looks pretty good, how do we get that done?" That led to Jonsen taking snaps at receiver on Saturday, with Troy Andersen and Casey Bauman at quarterback. Choate said the possibilities with Jonsen playing positions other than quarterback are "endless, I think he can do a lot of things." But he said that is a point of focus for this year's offense. "I think we've got a lot of guys like that. How do we get Willie Patterson and Kevin Kassis their touches? Tyrel Burgess has had a good couple first days of camp and I'm really happy for him. He had an injury in the spring that was nagging and a couple things that didn't go his way. We're going to have that problem with Travis and a number of guys, and that's what fall camp is for. We want our leaders and our playmakers to emerge."
QUARTERBACK COMMENTS: Choate liked the progress he saw from each of his quarterbacks on Saturday, but Ruben Beltran joined the mix after paperwork delayed his debut by a day. "Ruben Beltran was drinking out of a firehose today, his first day out there, getting yelled at all the time, but he'll be better. The guy has no conscience, he's a gunslinger, he was throwing it every single time, open or not, he was throwing the ball. I think he's a very confident kid, a state champion in high school." Choate also lauded Troy Andersen and another freshman, Casey Bauman. "I thought Casey had a really good day on the other field, he had an excellent day."
NEXT UP: The Bobcats practice Sunday at 10:30 am, likely in Bobcat Stadium.
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
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QB
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RB
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QB
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WR
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DL
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WR
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