PROVO, Utah – The BYU football team held the first of 15 spring practices on Monday, March 1.
On Monday, the team also announced two new helmet designs as well as two future football game series against Ole Miss and Dixie State.
The following are quotes from media availability following Monday's first practice.
Head Coach Kalani Sitake | video
On the first practice
It was a lot of fun. I'm hoping that we can finish up and make sure that we get the next 14 practices going. It's a little different as you're trying to get through the first two practices and make sure you can get to where you're acclimated. Then you get the pads on and we can let it go. But today, there were a lot of really good things.
I would have to say that some of the things I liked from our offense was that it was really clean. You could tell that we had a lot of veterans especially under center and snapping the ball at center. But we had a lot of guys that you can tell that their experience pays off and that they've been through this before.
On the defensive side, we're a little bit young, but I love the energy and the guys ran really well with the ball. Day one was really good and I'm looking forward to improving in day two and challenging the players to get that much better. We're looking forward to getting the next practice in tomorrow, and I'm really pleased from what I saw.
I think what you're used to in day one is the administrative penalty -- guys misaligned and guys being in the wrong spot, and maybe some false starts here and there – and we didn't have any of that. So that's a good sign for us. It was a really clean as far as administrative penalties. We've lined up correctly and that should happen when you have a bunch of veterans there, but what was really cool was the fact that the twos and the threes didn't have any of those either so that's a good sign for us.
On what stood out from the quarterbacks
They can throw. I mean, there were a lot of good throws today. You could tell that there was a competition going on but the guys weren't shy to throw the ball down the field. I was really pleased with the targets that they were throwing to. The guys caught the ball really well.
On new coach Funk and Clune
They’re great. I'm really excited about these coaches and the way they connect with their position groups. We’ve been able to have some meeting time leading up to spring ball and even before that they had already connected with their position group.
I don't see any issues at all. It’s gone really smooth, and I think the players have bought in. They're ready to roll. I liked what I saw from them and specifically they were really disciplined today. So, not a lot of missed assignments and the fact that we went day one without any false starts or any issues with snap counts or even substitution on the offensive side was really nice.
Quarterback Jaren Hall | video
About the guys you’re competing against
They’re a group of studs. It’s going to be a fun competition for the 15 practices we have each and every day. I'm just excited to be here with the good guys we have, to push each other, get better and just enjoy the game that we love so much.
On the highlights from day one
Being back with the guys, competing. It’s just a different energy when you take a break. We've been working out all offseason getting stronger and faster, studying film and just getting ready for today. So, it was a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm. We’re just grateful to be here. I never take a day for granted being out here playing this game we love so much. It was just a fun time.
On his goals for the season
My main goal is just to stay involved, not disconnect myself from the team and be there to help however I can. Whether it's on the sideline and practice, and whatever I’ve got to do. And continue to get mental reps, get better and learn from some of the guys on the field who did their job very well.
Offensive Lineman James Empey | video
On what it is like to be back in spring camp
It's great. I know everybody was talking today about how it felt like time flew. We’re excited to get back out there and get some work in and get a little bit better. So, it's just fun to be able to strap up again with the boys and get rolling again.
On how he is approaching spring practice this season
Every chance you get to step on the field is another chance to get better. So, I think you could miss out on a lot of opportunities unless you look at it as limited opportunities to improve your game, to improve our game as a team and to get better. So really that's what it all comes down to – stepping on the field every day with the right mindset, to go to work and get better and try to put all of our pieces together.
On the offensive line this year
The great thing is the last few years we've had plenty of guys that have been able to step in and give valuable time and really prove themselves. So, it still feels like we've got a big group of guys with a lot of experience that can step in and we're confident in everybody.
Defensive Lineman Uriah Leiataua | video
On his decision to come back this year
During fall camp last year I actually had a really big injury, I broke my leg. I just felt like I had a lot of business that was unfinished and a lot of things that I can leave on the table. I felt that I had unfinished business that I needed to take care of. Last year was supposed to be that year, but God has bigger plans and I'm just going to take advantage of it.
On stepping up to be a leader
I feel like we have a lot of good guys. Being one of the older guys in the group, I feel like I should put more on my shoulders to take more of that leadership role. We're pushing guys, we're trying to see what guys step up. I love seeing young guys like Tyler Batty step up. Tyler’s stepped up a lot lately. We're taking all the young guys and trying to force-feed them all these techniques. We've done a lot of work on our own and continue the success from last year.