April 9, 2010

DEKALB, Ill. - NIU head football coach Jerry Kill and his staff put the Huskies through a light workout, practicing for an hour and 45 minutes in shorts and helmets, Friday afternoon at Huskie Stadium. The attire for NIU's eighth spring practice was twofold.

NIU has to get in three practices in wearing helmets without full pads and Kill felt Friday was a good opportunity to get that third helmets-only workout in while at the same time keeping his team fresh. Friday was a make-up day for Tuesday morning's workout which was canceled due to inclement weather and it was the second of three straight practices for NIU.

"We felt it was good because we practiced hard on Thursday with a lot of contact. Today we went back to learning and tomorrow we're going to get after it again," NIU head coach Jerry Kills said. "Going this late in the afternoon and then going again tomorrow morning, we slowed things down a little bit and got some things in that the kids needed to get in."

While it was toned down, it didn't mean it was any less productive.

"We're doing a lot of different things and trying to install as much stuff as we can through camp," Kill said. "We're trying to get everybody to learn it, not just a certain amount of kids. What we wanted to get out practice, we got out of it."

With Friday's practice signifying the midpoint of spring practice for the Huskies, Kill has been very pleased with what he's seen from the team so far.

"Usually you have a really bad practice or you really have to do something to get the kids going. We have not had that," he said. "The kids have been locked in. This has probably been the quietest spring for me as far as being able to watch, teach and learn. I think the kids want to do well, and we don't have to get after them to work hard."

Kill credits several different factors that have contributed to what the Huskies have accomplished to date.

"The expectations continue to grow. As the expectations continue to grow, people learn to concentrate more," Kill said. "Our kids understand we're looking down the barrel of a pretty tough schedule. When you look down that barrel, there better not be any days where you don't get better. They understand where we're at. They're having fun and enjoying spring ball. There's a lot of competition, which helps."

The Huskies will return to the FieldTurf of Huskie Stadium Saturday morning at 10 a.m. for practice No. 9.

-NIU-