The LSU football team hit the practice field Saturday for its first day of fall practice, and a couple players even admitted they had trouble getting some rest the night before the first big day.
“I couldn’t really sleep that much last night,” senior wide receiver Early Doucet said. “I kinda stayed up pretty late last night mostly because I was pretty anxious to get back out here. This offseason went by so fast.”
The veterans practiced at 9 a.m. in the morning, while first-year players and selected veterans practiced later in the afternoon.
“I was actually pretty excited; I slept a little bit,” senior starting quarterback Matt Flynn said. “It’s always going to camp — I don’t know if you’re excited to be sleeping or dreading waking up in the morning. It was actually a lot fun going out there playing.”
After the veterans’ morning practice, a few players met with members of the media and addressed many issues, including the start of camp and the load of expectations fans have for this 2007 squad.
“We know there are a lot of expectations, and expectations just make you want to work harder because people expect you to be good,” senior linebacker Luke Sanders said. “We want to be the best, and everybody wants us to be the best, so anything besides No. 1 to us is a letdown.”
Senior defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was back to his old ways of laughing and joking when he met with reporters Saturday. Dorsey said, besides the heat, the first practice was enjoyable.
“I told the guys I miss ’em because it’s been a while since I’ve been out there battling with them,” he said. “I think it was a good day overall.”
Saturday was also the first day Flynn met with reporters since spring practice.
“It’s nice to go out there and know you’re the guy and your team is looking up to you,” he said.
Flynn spoke highly of the new system first-year offensive coordinator Gary Crowton is implementing. Crowton was the offensive coordinator at BYU and Oregon before coming to LSU.
“I actually remember last year watching film on Arizona, and we were watching all week Oregon against them, saying how much I liked their offense,” Flynn said. “It’s not going to be anything that people are going to step back and say, ‘Wow, it’s so much different than what they’ve done in the past.’ ”
There will be a few small, noticeable differences, Flynn said, such as more shotgun formations and more running plays out of the shotgun formation.
LSU coach Les Miles spoke later in evening, saying both practice sessions were encouraging but acknowledged that the first-year players have a few things to learn about how to practice at a big-time college football program.
The team will practice again tomorrow in two groups — veterans in the morning and first-year and selected veterans in the afternoon. Both groups will practice in shorts and helmets. The team will dress out in full pads for the first time Aug. 8, which is also the first day all players will practice together.
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