Green Wave Football Goes Back To Practice

The Tulane Green Wave returned to the practice fields Monday for the first time since Saturday’s scrimmage, working out for one hour and 45 minutes in both the morning and the afternoon at the Westfeldt Facility. After taking a day off from practice Sunday, Tulane worked in full pads in the morning workout and was in shorts, helmets and shoulder pads in the afternoon.

“Both practices were good today,” said Head Coach Chris Scelfo. “The guys came out ready to work and they practiced well. It was cooler this afternoon and that allowed us to get some good work in on some things.”

Scelfo said his team is progressing through the first 10 days of preseason camp and noted that they worked through the heat and adversity of Saturday’s scrimmage better than he thought immediately after the workout.

“After watching the tape of the scrimmage, I saw that the guys competed harder than I originally thought,” Scelfo said. “They fought through the tiredness well and it was not as sluggish as it seemed. I was pleased with several of the younger players. Billy Harrison and Alvin Johnson were good on the edge at defensive end. I was pleased with Aryan Barto at center. He’s making strides. Their effort was good.” Scelfo noted that while younger players are stepping up in practice, the real test won’t come until Sept. 1 when Tulane faced TCU in the season opener in the Louisiana Superdome. The contest will be broadcast nationally by ESPN beginning at 7 p.m.

“The biggest thing to adjust to, especially for the younger guys that haven’t been through it before, is the pace of the game,” Scelfo said. “They don’t have a grasp of the demands, both mental and physical, that are required in a game situation. In practice, you can see who can react to adversity, but it’s hard to get a true gauge of that without playing in a game.”

After losing eight starters from last year’s defense, competition for starting positions is ongoing, Scelfo said.

“Right now there aren’t too many positions that are locked up,” said Scelfo, who begins his fifth season as the Tulane head coach in 2003. “There are battles at nickel-back, where Byron Parker is coming on, and at cornerback with Bruce Youmans, Jeremy Foreman and Israel Route. The linebacker depth chart changes daily and we’ve had a some changes along the offensive line too where there is good competition.”

Senior linebacker Wesley Heath, who was taken off the field in Saturday’s scrimmage, was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and his status is listed as day-to-day.

Tickets for the 2003 Green Wave football season, as well as all six football home games at the Superdome and Tad Gormley Stadium, remain on sale at the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office in the James W. Wilson Center, or by calling 504-861-WAVE.

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