It’s a late-summer rite with an almost universal effect.
For college football players, donning full pads for the first time tends to make things start to feel real.
Under an unforgiving late-morning sun, Old Dominion held its first full-contact practice Monday. It was the Monarchs’ sixth practice since fall camp began, and there was no mistaking the difference between it and the other five.
“It’s a lot more intense,” junior receiver Ali Jennings said. “We know we have live periods where we can actually get tackled and stuff. It’s no more tag-off and stuff like that. Now, every play we catch the ball or run the ball, we’re trying to score. We’re not trying to get tackled, and the defense is trying to stop us from that. So it’s more of a game-like feel with all the pads on.”
Under NCAA rules, the Monarchs can have nine full-contact practices before the Sept. 2 season opener against Virginia Tech. Third-year coach Ricky Rahne said the team might or might not use all nine.
But he liked what he saw during the first one.
“I thought they did excellent,” said Rahne, who will begin his second season on ODU’s sideline after the program sat out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I thought it was a lot of energy. A lot of times in full pads, you get some guys playing outside their technique, outside the scheme and just trying to hit people and make plays and do things like that. I didn’t see that today. I saw a lot of good ball, so I was excited about that.”
The Monarchs’ battle at quarterback continues, Rahne said, with all three contenders showing improvement while pushing each other to get better.
Only the quarterbacks were immune to the contact, which echoed throughout the L.R. Hill Sports Complex until shortly after noon.
For most, the noises were long overdue. ODU’s players last hit each other at the end of spring practice.
“It was real fun to me,” senior linebacker Ryan Henry said. “Every time we get in pads, linebackers, we’re ready to hit.
“It’s just fun getting each other better and making contact.”
Rahne, a former offensive coordinator at Penn State, said the Monarchs remain a work in progress as the days count down to the season opener.
The Monarchs went 6-7 last season, including five straight wins before a loss to Tulsa in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. It’s early, but Rahne is optimistic with an offense that returns 10 starters.
“I do feel like we’re where we want to be,” Rahne said. “Are there a lot of things to clean up? Yeah, and I think that that’s almost a good thing as well. I think we’re giving each other good looks on both sides of the ball, which is challenging and stressing our schemes and our players. And I think that’s a positive thing as well.”
David Hall, david.hall@pilotonline.com
