FAMU football players tackle spring drills with pride

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s spring football routine this year looked a lot like the team’s summer workouts, with players controlling drills under the watchful eye of the team’s strength and conditioning coach.

Next year the team will be able to hold full spring practices — including contact drills — but for two weeks, the group worked out primarily with Parker Brooks. Players worked on different offensive and defensive scenarios without head coach Alex Wood or any of the position coaches.

The drills wrapped up on Friday at Bragg Memorial Stadium, marking the end of the spring phase of FAMU’s program a day before FSU’s spring game in Orlando.

Junior running back Gerald Hearns said the workouts have been just as intense as a regular practice, even though the coaches aren’t watching. Players were flying to the ball, celebrating big plays and a DJ kept up-tempo music playing in the background.

“There’s a lot of pride,” Hearns said. “We’re taking accountability and responsibility. Just for us to take on this task, knowing we couldn’t have spring football. We’ve done a great job coming out here every day taking care of business.”

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