Through another sun-drenched outing decked in shells (helmets, shoulder pads and shorts), the Rebels enjoyed temps in the 70s Thursday as spring practice finally inched over the halfway point.
Repping the defense for post-practice interviews this time around was a couple of veterans, junior-to-be linebacker
Kyle Beaudry and senior-to-be safety
Bryce Jackson.
A local product from Liberty High School, Beaudry is challenging for an even bigger role this fall at the MIKE spot but is more concerned on helping the overall defense improve.
"We remember the feeling of last year when we didn't really get a spring ball for fall camp," said Beaudry. "Now we're getting that experience and for us it's about consistency, relying on our fundamentals and really depending on each other and building that trust. If the guy next to you can trust you and you can trust him, then we're going to play a lot faster.
"I'd love to compete for the starting spot but I think the best thing for me right now, and the rest of the guys in spring ball, is just worrying about making each other better and then the best 11 are going to trot out there. If that's me – then I'm excited -- but if it's not -- as long as I got to be a part of making the guy that's going to be out there better, that's a success."
Jackson, out of Chandler High School in Arizona, has a lot of game experience, including leading the team in total tackles during last fall's abbreviated season with 42. Vying to start at strong safety in 2021, he was asked about the fun of competition in practice.
"It's always fun to compete and push each other to our maximum potential," said Jackson. "To just come out here and go best-on-best and get better, sharpen our tools. You know, iron sharpens iron."
And how is the Rebel D getting better during spring?
"We're making each other better. Everyone has that ambition to get to the ball and just lay a hat on the ball. We have an emphasis on trying to create turnovers to get the ball back to the offense -- that's our job. So that's how we're getting better.
"This staff is really demanding -- they push us in everything we do -- in every aspect of life. They want us to be better men no matter what we do, so they push us to our limits to be the best versions of men that we can be, on and off the field."
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