 Spring is here for UH football
Jones more alert, able to sit up
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
It has been said that watching a football practice is as exciting as watching grass grow.
Last fall, turf specialist George Toma actually would watch the grass grow — or thought he did — and then mow the University of Hawai‘i field after every Warrior football practice.
But UH’s spring football practice, which opens today (7 a.m. to 9), doesn’t have to be opera dull. Like a two-hour zoo pass, it just takes planning. Less time at the reptile house means more time at the really fun exhibits. Here are some pointers to watching UH’s practices, which are free and open to the public:
 Fast-Hands Drill: Blockers should be viewed the same way as pickpockets: Watch the technique, movements and where they put their hands.
Those skills are on display during the fast-hands drill, in which two blocking bags are held up three yards apart. The blocker shuffles side to side, punching one bag with both open hands and then the next.
"It's a balance-coordination drill," UH assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh said. "You can see if a guy is fluid, if he can be a decent pass protector."
Grabbing Cloth: Early in the practice, the defensive backs will practice open-field, one-on-one tackling. The tackler will work on bending his knees, lowering his hips and wrapping up or, in football parlance, "grabbing cloth."
While tacklers are not allowed to bring an opponent to the ground during workouts, UH assistant Rich Miano said, the drills can be "pretty aggressive, pretty violent."
And they can be revealing. Miano said he first realized starting right safety Nate Jackson was a skilled tackler from this drill.
Circle Drill: Know that party game where you place your forehead on the bottom of the handle of an upturned bat, spin around several times and then try to run in a straight line? That’s the concept, sort of, in this drill for defensive linemen, who are asked to run figure eights, then race toward the quarterback.
"It's a good conditioning drill," UH assistant coach Vantz Singletary said. "And it's kind of fun to watch, too."
One-on-Ones: The best show is when an offensive lineman and defensive lineman go head-to-head in a solo pass-rushing drill. In particular, the best matchup will be right guard Vincent Manuwai against defensive tackle Mike Iosua.
With contact limited through Saturday, the first one-on-one drill probably won’t happen until the middle of Tuesday’s practice.
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