Old Dominion football preview

NORFOLK

Each day is an adventure at Old Dominion University practices these days.

Coach Bobby Wilder expects that to be a theme.

“With most any college football team, there are upperclassmen that can show the incoming freshmen how things are done and where to go on campus and what to do at practice and how to act in the locker room,” Wilder said. “We don’t have that here. .… We’re all learning together.”

In some cases, the Monarchs are learning simple detail. For instance, shoes go on and come off in the mud room, not the locker room. And attendance is mandatory at all team meals. And every player mus t wear ankle braces or get ankles taped for every practice.

Oh, and those guys wearing red jerseys? They’re the quarterbacks and they are off limits for hits during practic e.

Welcome to the slow rebirth of ODU football, a fall of practices with the real s eason still a year away.

At least it’s being done first-class. The Monarchs work out on two practice fields that were part of the new $17 million Powhatan Sports Complex. And they will play at refurbished Foreman Field, which is in the process of a $24 million facelift. And, in 2011, they will become members of the Colonial Athletic Association, cur rently the best Division I-AA conference in the nation.

This year, however, is all about learning where the practice field is, which doors that weight room is behind and where the dining hall is.

“We are a fat team right now,“ Wilder said. “We had our body fat tested the other day and as a team; we have 20 percent body fat. That’s terrible for a football team, but it’s the norm for any freshman class.

“By this time next year, you won’t recognize thi s bunch. ”

The slightly chunky Monarchs w ill play inner-squad scrimmages Sept. 27 and Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 1:30 p.m. – all open to the public.

The rest of the fall will be devoted to installing the spread offense and an Iowa-based defensive scheme.

The Monarchs are not without talent. The coaching staff feels it did well with its first recruiting class at the skill positions, primarily receiver and defensive back. Bu t there’s ground to be made up on the front line, particularly on offense.

For the time being, Wilder said he believes he will spend the majority of his fall drilling into his players his No. 1 concept: “how to start fast and finish fast.”

“Right now, we’re not even close to understanding the concept,” Wilder said. “And we need to find some team leaders. These guys are so concerned with their self and surviving the day that they aren’t even thinking about being an actual team leader.

“They all have to learn how to carry themselves like a Division I college football player and people need to understand that we’re not trying to find starters right now. We’re a year away from playing. I’ll begin to look for starters two weeks before that first game.”

For those wondering, that’s Sept. 5 against visiting Chowan.

That’s 373 days to figure it all out.

Rich Radford, (757) 446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com