CMU Football Media Day

CMU held its media day today at the Indoor Athletic Complex and Kelly-Shorts Stadium. We weren't expecting too much to happen in terms of big news, but coach Butch Jones had plenty to say about his football team after several practices and a couple scrimmages. We had the chance to talk to him, plus several players (which you'll see more comment from in our football preview on Aug. 27).

I did jot down a few notes from Butch Jones' 3 p.m. press conference:

• The first thing to note is Jones' attitude this year from last year's media day. He was a lot more stressed at the podium last year, admitting the team still had a lot of work to do prior to its game at Kansas. This year, he's more upbeat, talking about his incoming freshmen class and how he's getting everybody into as many competitive situations as he can.
• Jones talked a little bit about the new 40-second play clock that's going to be implemented this year around college football. He said he's getting his players used to that extra 15 seconds between plays, amongst other minor rule changes, thanks to some officials that came to practice.
• The team has 39 freshmen in training camp, compared to 11 seniors, Jones said. He said the seniors are spending extra time off the field with the younger players and helping them out, setting a good example of leadership.
• Several injuries to report on:
• Freshman defensive back Lorenzo White is out for the year with a knee injury he suffered working out with his dad.
• Senior tailbacks Ontario Sneed (broken arm) and Justin Hoskins (ankle) are day-to-day.
• Freshman tight end Rocky Weaver sprained his ankle over the summer, but shouldn't be out too long, Jones thinks.
  

• Speaking of the running back position, sophomore Carl Volny continues to impress, picking up where he left off in the spring, Jones said. With all of the talk surrounding him, I wouldn't be surprised to see his name atop the depth chart come the first week of the season. The way Jones talks about him reminds me of last year, when he called then-freshman wideout Antonio Brown " lightning in a bottle" during media day.
  
• Jones calls this year's freshman class the best he remembers seeing at CMU.
• On sophomore linebacker Nick Bellore: "The leader of the defense," Jones said. "He's having a better summer than last year." Speaking of the rest of the linebackers, Barron Miles, Tim Brazzel, Matt Berning and Mike Petrucci's names were brought up to help fill the voids that Ike Brown and Red Keith left.
  
• Sophomore wideout Antonio Brown is putting on muscle, Jones said, and is learning a lot in terms of running routes and such. That's quite a bit to say about a guy that broke 100 receptions in one season for the first time in school history - in his first year, no less.
  
• CMU's first game, despite against a Football Championship Series opponent, is no cakewalk. Eastern Illinois is the same caliber as a North Dakota State, Jones said. He points out that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo played at EIU and their running back is a transfer from the Florida Gators. He also mentions he's never seen a schedule quite like this year's, with a couple three-game road trips and the No. 1 team in America, the Georgia Bulldogs, on tap. Yes, it could be a tough road for CMU this season.
  
• The Chippewas possibly could see freshman defensive lineman Josh Allison, one of the star recruits last year, fighting for playing time.
• A lot of emphasis on special teams work this year, Jones said. The depth chart won't be determined until the week of the Eastern Illinois game. (Check out CM Life's Aug. 27 issue for our Football Preview, which will have the final depth chart heading into the season opener)
• Jones talked about the change in tradition at CMU, particularly this year. The halls of the Indoor Athletic Complex, as he pointed out, are getting facelifts here and there to showcase the tradition of CMU's football program. "Those things don't just happen overnight," he said. "I love talking about building a football program because so much goes into it, there's so much behind-the-scenes work that is critical."
• Finally, someone asks about junior quarterback Dan LeFevour. The definition of a great player, Jones said, is a player that not only plays his best, but makes players around him better. We've heard the rest... and nobody on the team is paying much of a mind to the Heisman talk, even with the giant advertisement at Comerica Park.
  
• As far as wide receivers go, sophomore Kito Poblah's had a very good camp, Jones said. He had even more things to say about senior Joe Bockheim. "What a great story," Jones said. "He came in and said he'd do anything. Every coach wanted him on special teams. He's done a great job there."

Next came the player interviews. For the first time, we got to speak to Antonio Brown. He wasn't available to the media last season, so it was good to get to know him a little bit and see what he's working on. Hopefully we'll talk to him a little bit more as the season progresses and see how he's able to move so quickly on the field!

I don't have too much else to say on the interviews quite yet, we're going to save a lot of it for the football coverage the week we get back to printing newspapers, but I did take a few pictures while I had my camera on me:

The team setting up for the picture.

Ontario Sneed, Antonio Brown, Bryan Anderson, Dan LeFevour and Justin Hoskins... kind of a preview of what to expect in a couple of weeks on a story we're working on.

LeFevour chats with WNEM TV-5 in Saginaw.

Sneed and Hoskins. Both are day-to-day heading into the final weeks of preseason.

I'm still finishing my internship at The Saginaw News, so expect more regular updating next Monday, Aug. 18. It's been a heck of a day today trying to juggle this event and a split shift at work! Until then, take it easy!