Some answers: The Campbell situation

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 15, 2010 | 0 Comments

I posed some questions about Caleb Campbell’s effort to sign with the Detroit Lions.

I received a few answers from a spokesperson at Ft. Sill, where Campbell is currently stationed.

Campbell has 20 days of leave that he does plan on using if he is granted early leave from the Army to sign with Detroit.

Campbell is a 1st Lt. in 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Ft. Sill, where he was assigned on March 7 after completing his officer basic training.

The time Campbell spent training with the U.S. bobsledding team for about 10 months was not under Army’s world-class athlete program. He was still on active duty during the training.

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Pondering: The Campbell situation

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 11, 2010 | 0 Comments

The Detroit Lions contract offer to former Army safety Caleb Campbell Thursday brings many questions to light.

I’m efforting to get some of these answered by the Department of Defense and sources.

Will the Department of Defense rubber stamp Campbell’s request for an early release (of about a month or two) after the way they handled the whole revision of the alternative service option policy? Campbell was ordered to report back to the Army on the day the Lions opened training camp in July 2008. Awful timing.

Can Campbell use saved leave time to help in an earlier release?

Are the Lions willing to wait if Campbell has to wait until May to get his official release?

Do the Lions know something that we don’t if they are offering Campbell a contract in the first place?

Remember how Campbell was training with the United States bobsled team chasing an Olympic dream? Was Campbell in the world-class athlete program for 10 months? I’ve heard conflicting stories. Bobsledding falls into the world-class athlete program, I would think. If so, would that count towards serving in his required 24 months of active duty before being granted a release?

Does Air Force grad Chad Hall’s signing with the Eagles Thursday help Campbell in any way? Hall’s final season on the field was 2007, just like Campbell. He could have graduated early.

If you have any questions let me know in the comments section below.

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Campbell offered contract by Lions

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 11, 2010 | 0 Comments

Former Army safety Caleb Campbell said he’s been offered a contract by the Detroit Lions, the team who drafted him in the seventh round in 2008.

Now it’s up to Department of Defense whether Campbel, a 2008 West Point graduate, will be allowed to sign the contract and attend rookie mini-camp after the April draft.

Campbell, who worked out for the Lions Tuesday, is in the process of preparing the paperwork to request an early release from his active duty.

Current policy allows athletes with professional contracts to pursue their sport two years after their graduation date from West Point.

I’ll have more on this later.

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Day off for Army

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 10, 2010 | 0 Comments

Army coach Rich Ellerson said Monday he’d probably “chicken out” on practice Wednesday.

Ellerson was right. Army didn’t practice. Even if they did, it was going to a light one.

Some players are knicked up and others have been feeling under the weather.

Army’s final practice isn’t slated until March 24, three days before the team’s spring game.

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Brooks and Aaron still jawing

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 10, 2010 | 0 Comments

They started jawing with each other at Army Prep.

There’s where the battles between wide receiver Davyd Brooks and cornerback Antuan Aaron began.

Aaron recalls one of their first encounters.

“I was playing press jam on him,” Aaron said. “I jammed him off the line and he couldn’t get off the line. He got really frustrated about it. Even since then, we went at it…We’ve become really good friends.”

Brooks had a picture of him and Aaron up on his Facebook page this week. He’lll let Aaron and the world know when he gets the best of his buddy in practice. And Aaron will fire a reply back.

“We started a little rivalry kind of resembling (outgoing seniors) Mario Hill (cornerback) and Damion Hunter (wide receiver),” Brooks said. “I just keeps the fire going in practice a little bit and gets us going in games.”

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Spring game time

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 9, 2010 | 0 Comments

Army’s spring football game will be at 1 p.m. Saturday March 27.

Black Knights Alley will open at 11 a.m.

Hope to see you there. I’ll be the goofy guy with a notebook in hand.

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Practice blog: March 8

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 8, 2010 | 0 Comments

This was Army’s final physical practice, coach Rich Ellerson.

“By Wednesday, I will have chickened out,” Ellerson said. “We are rehearsing. We are making sure that all these things we are going to be visualizing ourselves do between now and August, we are visualizing the right things. So a lot of error correction and less running into each other. That fine-tuning of footwork and path.”

Wednesday is Army’s final practice before Spring break.

Sophomore cornerback Josh Jackson and junior free safety Donovan Travis chest-bumped each other after Jackson went low and nearly picked off a Max Jenkins pass intended for Justin Allen.

Freshman safety Ty Shrader went all out trying to punch the ball out of slotback Jameson Carter’s hands after a catch. Shrader’s momentum took him into the sidewall.

Freshman guard Frank Allen has found a home on the first team and has impressed Ellerson. “Frank Allen is an evolution,” Ellerson said.

The X-factor at wide receiver could be freshman Malcolm Brown. Brown, who was moved from slotback last week, made a diving catch and showed the speed (on a bad wheel) to get deep and nearly caught a 40-yard pass from Trent Steelman.

“He’s a natural ball catcher,” Ellerson said. “He’s got a great learning curve. The thing that’s going to help him is good news and bad news. You got moved around a bit when you are a guy like Malcolm because you can do a lot of things physically but you can also learn it and manage. He’s only been there a few days and son of a gun, he’s not lost. He’s a natural competitor. I like that move.But I also know  he would be able to compete in at least two other positions on that side of the ball.”

The defense worked against the defense towards the end of practice. Sophomore rover Josh Jones, a high school quarterback, was under center and looked pretty good.  He completed a crossing pattern to cornerback Antuan Aaron.

Sophomore Eric Jones, a cornerback who missed the 2009 season with injury and hasn’t practiced, didn’t. Jones, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, was picked by sophomore linebacker Steve Erzinger.

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Who is Emerson Follett?

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 5, 2010 | 0 Comments

Army’s search for speed at the slotback position has given junior Emerson Follett a new football life.

Follett played defensive back and was punt returner for Army’s sprint (lightweight football) team.

Follett hasn’t lined up against the big boys since he was a wide receiver at Lewiston (Idaho) High.

“I’m getting back into things, learning the offense and the routine of playing football,” Follett said. “It’s coming along now.”

Now Follett, who has also ran sprints for Army’s track team, is getting a crash course in Army’s triple-option offense.

“He’s not new to football but he’s brand new to the style of play,” Army coach Rich Ellerson said. “These next few practices will be really big for him.”

Follett looks like he’s getting his assignments down in practice. He’s still getting use to the pitches and tosses of the option. But he’s shown some speed getting to the corners. Follett also could be in the mix for punt returns.

“They are having me do that and that was kind of one of the reasons they brought me here,” said Follett, who had 12 tackles and an interception in five games last fall for the sprint football team.

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Practice blog: March 5

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 5, 2010 | 0 Comments

One of Army’s objective this spring – find a slotback fast enough to get to the outside quick on pitches.

Freshman Brian Cobbs, a converted cornerback, could be that player. Cobbs was also one of Army’s best special-teams cover guys last season.

“He brings some real speed to that position,” Army coach Rich Ellerson said. “He’s not as rough as you might expect being new to the position. Part of it is having a guy like JC (junior slotback Jameson Carter ) because you have a great picture in front of you of the fundamentals and details of what the job scription looks like.”

Carter’s had a good spring and is a steady as they come. If Carter can stay away from nagging injuries, he’ll be a calming force this fall.

Ellerson’s take: “It’s been a productive spring. I’m not happy about everything and every position. But we’ve definitely have made some strides. We’ve done a lot of good physical work and we’ve stayed healthy.”

Observations: Sophomore quarterback Max Jenkins throws a better ball when he’s on the move.

Carter stretched out to catch a pass from Max Jenkins. Freshman wide receiver Kyler Martin made a diving grab on a pass from Jenkins.

Freshman cornerback Josh Jackson picked off a pass intended from Malcolm Brown and made a nice play to break up a pass to Mark Allen.

Junior quarterback Chip Bowden was riding a stationary bike during practice. Bowden is recovering from a torn ACL, suffered on Nov. 7, 2009 at Air Force.

Turning heads: Freshman Nate Combs is seeing reps at bandit (defensive tackle/lineman, Victor Ugenyi’s old position) and middle linebacker. “We moved him around a little bit on defense,” Ellerson said. “He’s playing a couple of positions and it looks like he’ll have a chance to get in the mix in both of them.”

Port Jervis representing: More than a handful of high school and youth football coaches from Port Jervis were on hand to watch practice. Port Jervis athletic director Jared Kahmar told me they were invited by Army rovers coach John Brock.

Next: Army will head outside to practice in Michie Stadium Saturday (March 6). Practice will start at 8:30 a.m. Part of the practice will be in scrimmage-like conditions.

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Practice blog: March 3 (Updated)

By Sal Interdonato | Published: March 3, 2010 | 0 Comments

Army wide receivers coach Andy Guyader talked.

The six players, who stayed after practice, listened. Army’s wide receiving corps is getting thin.

Sophomore Austin Barr is the most experienced out of the group.

Junior Mark Allen played special teams last season.

Sophomore Jake Arbanas, who was recruited as a tight end by former coach Stan Brock, is making the move from the defensive side of the ball.

Freshman Kyler Martin, who played middle linebacker last season, may have the most upside.

Freshman Malcolm Brown, who made five starts at slotback and rushed for 112 yards, is giving wide receiver a try.

Freshman Justin Allen rounds out the group.

Missing in Action at practice were sophomore receiver Davyd Brooks, who figured to receive a lot of reps this spring, and George Jordan, who was injured to start the spring.

Slotbacks Brian Austin, a freshman, and Emerson Follet, a senior and first-year player, lined up wide on some plays.

Quarterback Trent Steelman showed he could play in pain throughout his freshman season. Steelman was gutting it out in practice, favoring his left leg.Steelman looked pretty good passing the ball. He connected on 20-yard pass across the middle to Martin and threw a bullet, which Mark Allen hauled in.

Sophomores Max Jenkins and Jimmy Reitter was the only other quarterbacks taking snaps.

Returning starter Andrew Rodriguez, sophomores Justin Schaaf, Billy Prosko and Chad Littlejohn and freshman Zach Watts were working with whip linebacker coach Robert Lyles.

Freshman Chris Boldt boomed a nice punt. Can he provide enough competition to incumbent junior Jonathan Bulls?

Army coach Rich Ellerson rushed off to see his son, Andrew, play for James I. O’Neill in a Section 9 Class B semifinal at Marlboro after practice.

Update: See below. Brooks says he’ll be back at practice Friday.

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