We Talking About Practice?

Allen Iverson may go all ballistic on us but yes indeed today we are talking about practice and nothing but practice. Football practice to be more exact.

On an absolutely delicious Winter Day in Central Florida the Under Armour All-America Game practices concluded today at the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

If you live in Florida or have been to Disney World and have never been to this beautiful facility then you need to get there and get there soon.

It is a magnificent and expansive maze of soccer, football and baseball fields for high school, college and other amateur sports competitions.

The site also serves as the official Spring training facility of the Atlanta Braves and as a result plays host to some of major league baseball's most famous and talented athletes each year.

Each year the Wide World of Sports complex hosts a week of practice leading up to the Under Armour All-America game for some of the Nation's most talented and highly recruited high school football players.

And when you go there you always have a good time but you never know who you are going to meet.

I met current Miami Hurricane DE Anthony Chickillo and his famous former Hurricane father who told me...well, due to confidentiality clauses I signed I can't really tell you what they told me, but trust me it was all good!

The actual game is not played at the Disney Complex in Orlando but at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, in St. Petersburg near Tampa.

This year's contest is scheduled for tomorrow night, January 5th at 7 PM.

University of Miami recruits and verbal commits RB Randy "Duke" Johnson (seen above in kick return formation) and WR Angelo Jean-Louis were on hand to participate in the drills led by former NFL head coaches Steve Mariucci and Herm Edwards.

On the practice fields the coaches were a contrast in styles. Mariucci was all business and talking techniques with his offensive players while Edwards was all about his defense and yelling out loud to motivate his players.

At one point Edwards, who was working with former NFL WR Keyshawn Johnson to coach Team Blur (black), could be heard yelling across the field:

"Don't follow the eyes (of the QB). The eyes are trying to look you off of the real target. Play your area of the zone and follow the QB's shoulders. When you see the shoulders start to turn or the top hand come off the football that's when he is gonna let it go and then you break on the ball."

Later he was in a joking mood with Keyshawn and his team when he teased them out loud:

"Sure, you say you wanna be a star but can you get it done when the lights come on? Can you get it done in crunch time? Don't come out here if you are afraid. If you're afraid just go buy a poodle and put a pink bow on it and stay home."

On the other practice field Mariucci the technician was seen in the offensive backfield working with the QB's of Team Highlight (white). He could be heard coaching up UM verbal commit Duke Johnson and saying:

"You have use the play fake to decoy into the line and be patient; pause and then pop out to the left side to set up the screen properly. That will help set up your blockers for a big gain."

Marucci had his team work specific down-and-distance situations, player substitutions, nickle and dime packages on defense, the "Hail Mary" play and then spent an incredible amount of time for an All-Star game working on special teams.

Team Blur practiced kickoff coverage, punt returns, field goals from the center of the field, the left and right hash marks and even ran several on-side kicks. They also learned and how to cover of a fake field goal by their opponent where players and coaches yelled "FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!"

After the practices ended the media (and me) had the opportunity to interview some of the players who were made available.  Unfortunately, Duke Johnson was not among them.

But WR Angelo Jean-Louis was. He is an impressive and out-going young man who is articulate, out-spoken and a lot of fun to be around.

I wrote down every word he said on my notepad during a lengthy interview and when I got home and translated my notes here is what he really said:

I'm just saying!

Comments

[SinisterCane]

Bush=BOSS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdunAkFH_Io&feature=youtu.be

[Q]

As of now IMO raphael kirby, ereck flowers

[4-Real]

Lucas Thompson picks...

[SinisterCane]

Lucas to ECU

[SinisterCane]

Can Golden get academic amnesty just for this class? :(

[SinisterCane]

0-2

[SinisterCane]

At least we're everybodies top 3 :,

[Massivcane]

First off you want a kid that can talk!

[4-Real]

STOP while ur ahead Sinister :(

[4-Real]

Duke looks lost :(

[UpNorthCane]

Duke is just warming up people ...... And im 0-2 tonight Ohio i guess my feeling was wrong :-(....

Is it ne or ricardo louis look like a bosss we shudve pushed harderr

[SinisterCane]

STOP while ur ahead Sinister :(

Posted by: 4-Real | January 05, 2012 at 08:13 PM

What did I do?

[4-Real]

Stop keeping stats Sinister! Only gonna get worse til signing day

[Q]

He says that he only commuted to ECU cause that's the only school he had an official to......he will be on campus and switch. Vault me

[UpNorthCane]

Duke has had two real nice runs shows his patience and running ability i like it..... That was a helmet to helmet hit on duke

[4-Real]

Duke got knocked the f**k outt!!

[4-Real]

Fsu got some monstas :(

[Montreal_Cane]

Duke got knocked the f**k outt!!

Posted by: 4-Real | January 05, 2012 at 08:38 PM

I just hope it's not a concussion...Helmet to helmet.

[Montreal_Cane]

Do we have any recruits on the white team?

Dewey injured. Not playing.

[Montreal_Cane]

Some players who declared for the NFL are reurning to college. I hope it will happen to us also.

[Montreal_Cane]

Al will have to recruit a lot more in the north east and get some ballers who can qualify at the U. Some FSU commits cannot write or speak but are good players.

[4-Real]

Everybody getting paid 2 promote the B.C.S.E.C. Damn announcers makin me sick!!! Lsu this, Alabama that!!! Bama only in the shytt cuz Okie st gettn screwed!!

[4-Real]

I'm out. Time 4 King of The Hill :)

[Montreal_Cane]

Chad kelly not too impressive.

[Q]

I believe the players we have declared except Aravious are the.players Golden wanted to leave anyway....clock punchers....

[Montreal_Cane]

Duke back in the game good sign. Landry Jones will be back for his senior year at OU.

[Ohio_Cane]

Well, I'm officially 3 for 3 on the hat picking game so far. I'll have my predictions for Saturday's Army game tmr. Tho I think I already know who's picking us. Initial reaction is we'll get 2 out of 3 possible Saturday. Will post for sure tmr

[UpNorthCane]

Fsu got some ballers on that line thats for sure but at the end of it all we will be back sooner than later fellas be confident...

[Da U N Houston]

Hmmm... Guess Al knew what he was doing when he decide to walk away from Kelly, not lookin good at all!!!

[Montreal_Cane]

Posted by: Ohio_Cane | January 05, 2012 at 09:16 PM

Ohio this is why i read all your posts.

[UpNorthCane]

Randyyyy dukeeeee johnsonnn!!!!!!! Beastttttt

[Montreal_Cane]

Duke 83 yards return...Love the stiff arm.

[Montreal_Cane]

I call Duke "the magician"...He always comes out of the pile and you don't know how he did it.

[Montreal_Cane]

Duke 28 yards run.

[Q]

Reports saying Randy Shannon to be the Defensive.Coordinator at Tennessee.....

[Ohio_Cane]

Duke's quickness to jump-cut and then cut of field is remarkable. Seriously. Wow.

[Ohio_Cane]

Cut UP field**

[Montreal_Cane]

This game was sponsered by Alabama.

Good night folks!

[SOUP]

LB...welcome to Canespace.

Post here, post often!

[SOUP]

Glad Duke was not concussed on the earlier helmet-to-helmet hit and returned to play well. GO CANES!

[Montreal_Cane]

Record-setting junior quarterback Landry Jones announced Thursday in a statement issued by the Sooner program that he would be returning for his SENIOR SEASON in Norman and postponing his chance to be a FIRST ROUND NFL Draft pick. Jones had been rated the 22nd prospect overall by NFLDraftScout.com and had been projected by some to go in the first 15 picks if he had declared early.

Just like Andrew Luck last year...Boy is it time to recruit kids like that at the U...Got it Street,Lamar,Vernon and co. Some former UM kids will lose millions but it seems they can afford it...Lol...

[4-Real]

Aside from the Fswho kids I wasn't overly impressed with any of the' cadillacs' in the ua game. Saw a bunch of ford fusions in that game.

[RayChanCaneFan]

We will get a lot of PennState kids via....decommits, change of verbals, and kids possibly on the team now filing hardships and being released of their scholarships....not worried about next season 12% is Always Optimistic....

RCCF12%

[RayChanCaneFan]

And U can vault tht no inside sources jus kinda seems like given but we shall see....

[Six]

Got to the UnderArmour game around 4pm. Lots of people there

Here’s my story from the sidelines ……

Talked with: Herm Edwards, Mooch, Cam Newton, Prime Time, Chris Weinke, Ron Zook, Ty Detmer, Preston Dewey, Duke Johnson, Dante Fowler and Nelson Agholor for a bit

Hung out with: Chick, Daddy Chick and Leon McQuay III (again, remember the name b/c he was already the top rated Junior in the nation at his position – he will most likely be top 3 in the nation this upcoming year at his position) during the game

When talking with Mooch, he came up and saw my “U” hat on – he asked me if I was from the “U”, I said no but I’ve been a die hard fan since I was a kid. He said that he knows all about the “U” b/c he works with Sapp and Irvin, he then paused, looked at me with wide eyes for a bit and then said .. “they’re …. intense .. about their school”, then exhaled his breath and shook his head a little. Funny ass guy, real good guy as well

I asked Herm Edwards how his life was going so far, if he loves doing TV more than coaching – of course he does. TV is a hell of a lot easier, the money is good and he gets to spend more time with family. He then said that his neighbor back at home in Cali was pretty cool .. I asked him who it was .. he said “Clint Eastwood”. That must be nice. Herm said Clint has a 27,000 square foot house he chills in. That must be nice as well. Herm was cool as hell when he was a coach with the Bucs back with Dungy – he hasn’t changed, cool cool cat

Cam Newton is large.

Talked with Preston Dewey, he was standing next to Ty Detmer for basically the entire game. He and Ty would talk to each other after each snap, do a little pointing – must be nice to have a Ty Detmer as your high school head coach and also QB coach. Preston told me he wasn’t playing, said his hammy was acting up. Kid throws a nice ball during warm ups. He was throwing with Chad Kelly – that kid likes to run. When I say likes to run, I mean like he’s a squirrel that got loose on the field type of likes to run

Eddie Goldman is a man already. Big big kid

Nelson Agholor had Duke, Chick, Dewey & Jean-Louis in his ear all night. Agholor is a great kid, real personable, smart. When his team was getting blown out and it was almost over, some big ass OLineman came up to him, Duke and some other players who were sitting on the bench and said “it’s not over, it’s not over, remember that we’re All-Americans and we’re going out like All-Americans” – he was slapping hands with Agholor, Duke, etc. and then walked off. Agholor then turns to these 3 kids who were standing behind the bench and said “now look kids, I’m not saying you should ever quit, ever, and I don’t know why he came over and was trying to tell us that it’s not over (their team was down by 30+ with 2 mins left in the game) -but- there’s something called reality and he hasn’t grasped it yet b/c ya, this game is over” .. and then Agholor pointed to the scoreboard. The kids laughed, I laughed – sh*t is true

When the #1 Safety committed to ‘Bama on the air, I was standing with Agholor and Duke – they both said “damn, ‘Bama getting another player? They’re gonna have the #1 class”

Chick is great. I hung with him for about half a quarter. I talked to him about how everything is going down there. Asked him about him being seen on crutches, he said that he just had to get some bone spurs taken out, nothing big at all. Kid is big and he’s gonna fill out even more. I asked him what he thought of Duke Johnson .. Chick said one word .. “beast”. When Duke’s team was waiting for a kickoff, Chick was standing about 30 feet behind him, yelling at him, “Dukeee. Dukeee. Dukeee”. Duke turned around, nodded, had the ball come to him – then Duke did his thing and almost housed the kickoff. Chick said he was talking with Dante Fowler all night, that’s his boy, he’s trying to do everything he can to flip him. I then had to ask Chick my favorite question …. “why the hell is Gray Crow going to Miami?” … I can’t say what Chick said. Sorry.

Chick then took off into the stands to go hang with Josh Grady (Armwood QB that is a Frosh at Vandy). That’s when Leon McQuay III walked up and I hung with him for a while. Real real quiet kid, shy, big ass smile though, insanely humble it seems. Chick is friends with him as well, you know Chick is in his ear about heading to Miami

Talked with Daddy Chick. Guy has hands the size of catcher’s mitts. He had some interesting takes on the Canes D. Also had some interesting takes on the players that left early. Said he was beyond impressed with DZP and told Chick that he needs to hang with him as much as possible, learn how to tackle from him as well. Daddy Chick also told me that when they first got down to Miami, he told Golden that Chick was better than any of the DLineman they had presently – including #35 (who he thought should’ve stayed another year to get some tape on him for the NFL to evaluate b/c he might play OLB in a 3-4 .. said he didn’t see him at DE in the NFL and that he’s hurting himself by leaving early)

One more thing, my co-worker is good friends with Avery Young's coach. Had a nice long convo with the coach at the game tonight - he said that he talked to Saban a couple of days ago and had to tell him that Avery wasn't thinking about 'Bama anymore

[Six]

Here’s some pics I took with my cell

UA program
http://i42.tinypic.com/11aejo5.jpg

Herm Edwards & our Sports Director
http://i44.tinypic.com/23mn6uw.jpg

Mooch & our Sports Director
http://i43.tinypic.com/qqzdci.jpg

Ken Griffey Jr. (his kid was a WR on the White Team)
http://i39.tinypic.com/16c979c.jpg

[Six]

More pics I took with my cell

Chick and Leon McQuay III (he’s in the blue hoodie)
http://i39.tinypic.com/nwlmie.jpg

Nelson Agholor & Duke
http://i42.tinypic.com/29wo7xw.jpg

Prime Time (red hat) with the DBs (his son is to the far right)
http://i42.tinypic.com/afexqd.jpg

Ty Detmer & Preston Dewey (Chad Kelly & Chris Weinke in background, Weinke has on white hat)
http://i41.tinypic.com/k01t2r.jpg

[LB]

Doesn't sound like a lost night at all.

Thanks for the warm greetings, fellow o-rang-a-greeniacs. Just curious of what kind of soup "Soup" is.

Am I crazy to think Ryan Williams will be the starter? Based on the buzz, I seem to be in the minority.

[Hassan]

Six

LOL at your Crow comment. I have a feel for 4 years we will hear about crow from you lol maybe 5 due to RS.

Who looked better then advertsied out there?

[raizecane]

Six - thanks for the info and the pics. Great job my man.......

[TJL]

Six-great job thanks for the scuttlebutt!

[Ohio_Cane]

Well done, Six! Great info and pics!

[Ohio_Cane]

Awkward moment between Safety Landon Collins and his mom at the UA game. He picks Bama, she's waving gold LSU gloves. She was not happy.

On the bright side, that means S Deon Bush most likely picks Canes!

[Ohio_Cane]

Canes making strong push for DE Leonard Williams

[3G Cane]

Great stuff Six!!!

[UMike]

The SEC is becoming such a juggernaut (however you spell it lol), in large part to the media, that in a few years its going to be very hard for any team outside the SEC to recruit top talent. All these kids here all year long, every game, every sportscenter, bcs etc etc is how good the sec is, sec that, "he is a sec guy", etc...makes me want to vomit lol

[3G Cane]

All these kids here all year long, every game, every sportscenter, bcs etc etc is how good the sec is, sec that, "he is a sec guy", etc...makes me want to vomit lol

Posted by: UMike
-------
You aint lying...

[3G Cane]

Really AWKWARD. It seemed like no one in his entourage was happy about Landon's decision.

[UMike]

The SEC has a huge "competitive advantage" in recruiting via the media. Teams like Bama, LSU etc are easily...easily..able to come to miami, other parts of florida, pa, ca etc and pluck whomever they want..and that trend is just going to continue.

[Fran]

Six ...hits a homerun over the Trop L/ Field wall. Great stuff as always.
Fran

[Keoki]

Great pics Six

[Texascane]

If you look at the BCS Championship game, prior to ESPN signing the 15 year deal with the SEC in 2007-2008, an SEC team was in the champiohsip game twice...LSU in 2003 and Florida in 2006 (9 games-18 teams).

Since the signing, an SEC team has appeared in the Championship game every year...culminating in two SEC teams this year...

Just sayin...

[Ohio_Cane]

Canes continue to recruit CB Gary Simon 6'1, 178. Visits UM shortly

[Ohio_Cane]

Future Canes DB Rayshawn Jenkins named 1st team 2A All State

[UMike]

Texas..i know..its crazy..soon it will be the SEC and then everyone else..even before the year starts the "experts" say "any 1 loss SEC team could be in the title game", that is without knowing who that loss is to and what other 1 loss teams are out there. They also say things like "if you win the sec, you play in the title game", without knowing in the SEC winner will be a 3 loss team etc....I mean..bama already lost to LSU, move to the side..Okie State beat more ranked teams, Oregon loss a close game to LSU on the road to start the year..I think if Miami is going to get to the top again is to keep these kids in south florida..which I think Golden will do with the relationships he is building with local coaches, the camps etc

[Ohio_Cane]

VT RB Davi Wilson going pro

[Ohio_Cane]

David***

[j.w.]

Greawt stuff, six! Re: Crow: just hope for the next Buck Ortega.

[CaneRock]

While there were some pretty good players in the game last night, AIN'T NO WAY IN HELL! that Mini Deion was an All-American. Good to see Cooper bombed His little previleged ass, get a job at the car lot sellin' cars son, BIG TIME CFB ain't for you...

[UMike]

I didnt watch all the game, but when I did watch it I was really hoping someone would knock the camera guy who is like 5 yards behind the qb..so stupid lol

[herbieibis]

We're going to have to win and be consistent doing it, if we are to keep our homies from jumping to the SEC. More Quality teams, more quality games and playing in front of 80 thousand or more will sway a lot of kids, not to mention playing for the Nat'l Ship on a regular basis. Adding Syracuse & Pitt, didn't push this conference over the top. All they care about is basketball, always has been and always will be about B-Ball. To many some timey football teams in this conference, for it to ever be on a national scale.

[New Guy]

The SEC is dominant now for two reasons.
1. They have 2 of the best top 5 coaches in CFB. Saban and Miles. Makes recruiting easier, and gives you stability and national noteriety in the media. Once one or both of those guys leave both programs will fall on hard times for a few years.
2. ESPN and the media in general hype the SEC more than what it really is. Yes LSU and Bama are among the top 3 programs in the country. But no way should Bama be in the title game when their strength of schedule was not as tough as OK State. Its perception and the perception right now is that the SEC has the best conference. They have two dominant teams with a bunch of middle of the pack teams, same as every other conference.

Look for USC to potentially knock the SEC out next year. Its really getting tiring hearing about how great the SEC is, when its just a fallacy. Do they really have the best overall conference? I don't think so.

[UMike]

herbie..I agree with all that. And I know its not the "miami way", but we need to schedule a few cupcakes here and there so we can post some 9 and 10 win seasons. It shouldn't be hard to win the acc, imo, but you add a few cup cakes, we had a few wins, more national exposure, better recruiting. Like you said..easier to keep local kids home when your winning.

[UMike]

New Guy...welcome...and great post

[TonyCane]

UMike, I believe the hard opponents are necessary to draw revenue. Cupcakes will draw 20-40K. Bring a Notre Dame or Ohio State to South Florida and you have a sellout.

[SOUP]

NEW BLOG IS UP!