Super Bowl Update

Guy on the far left in gray shirt pretending to do work. Matt Mays photo

That's me talking to QB Deon Anthony. Adam Prendergast photo.

Sunday was the first day of spring practice for Troy and HERE is what I wrote.

A couple more notes:

***Troy's defense will feature more speed on the field. I spoke with head coach Larry Blakeney and linebacker Brannon Bryan about it. Bryan said it's like a 4-3 with 3-4 personnel. So, you'll have three big guys and a fourth guy up front, but the fourth guy would be a linebacker, and that linebacker would be Jacoby Thomas. Thomas can rush the passer or drop back into coverage. Blakeney said this change would be to combat what other teams' offenses are doing by spreading things out.

Trojans can still play a base 4-3 if they want, especially if the two JUCO defensive tackles coming in turn into mammoths like they hope they will.

***Bryan, now a senior, has been moved back to the MLB position. He started at the WLB the last few games of 2010 and all of last season. He'll be the guy that calls out certain checks, etc. Bryan said he enjoys that position more and I think he'll excel at it.

***Julius Brown was at Troy's practice coaching the cornerbacks. He was introduced to the team following practice. I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but when the hire is officially announced, we'll get the story up. Jeremy Rowell will coach just the safeties, and Randy Butler will take over the entire defensive line.

***Former Troy wideout Gary Banks (2004-07) was at practice on Sunday. Banks, who played three years with the San Diego Chargers, is now coaching at Spain Park High School under former Troy QB coach Chip Lindsey. He now has three kids, a girl and two boys.

***Hard to figure out what's going on with Troy baseball, but the Trojans lost 16-4 to South Alabama on Sunday to lose the series. Troy has lost 3 of the 5 series it has played in this year so far and hosts Alabama on Tuesday night.