No spring game for FSU
Despite injuries, Seminoles excited about drills
Posted: Tuesday March 16, 1999 05:42 PM
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Weinke is one of the many Seminoles who will miss spring practice because of an injury. Scott Halleran/Allsport |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida State coaches welcomed their 1999 football team to spring practice Tuesday with several important players missing because of injury.
Coach Bobby Bowden was also absent from the first day workout, traveling to New York where he received the first "Leahy Lads Coaching Legends Award" named after the former Notre Dame coach
Frank Leahy.
The awards dinner at the New York Athletic Club also honored former Notre Dame star George Connor and New York Yankee great Yogi Berra.
Bowden has a 292-85-4 coaching record in 33 seasons, including a 219-53-4 mark at Florida State in 23 seasons. Bowden's teams have won at least 10 games for an unprecedented 12 straight seasons.
And he expects one of his best teams in 1999, particularly if several key injured players are healthy by summer.
Among the walking wounded who will miss spring practice is starting quarterback Chris Weinke, who hopes to be recovered from a serious neck injury in time for Florida State's opener Aug. 28
against Louisiana Tech.
Three of Weinke's chief protectors, offensive linemen Jason Whitaker, Ross Brannon and Jerry Carmichael, are still recuperating from offseason injuries and fullback Dan Kendra is still
rehabilitating the knee injury he suffered in last year's spring game.
"You'd like to have them all out there because that's where playing together and knowing what the other guy is doing is so important," said Bowden, who will turn 70 during the upcoming
season. "But this should give us a chance to look at some of those young 'uns."
Because of the injury to Kendra, who was the starting quarterback at this time last year, Bowden is putting green jerseys on all of his quarterbacks.
"I'm just sorry I waited one year too late for that," said Bowden, who has also decided to cancel the spring game after the crushing injury to the highly publicized Kendra.
With Weinke sidelined, junior Marcus Outzen and sophomore Jared Jones will share the snaps this spring. Jones, who lost a redshirt season last fall when he played a half dozen snaps against Wake Forest, may sit out this season if Weinke returns healthy.
All-American defensive tackle Corey Simon and running mate Jerry Johnson are also out with injuries which will give defensive coaches a chance to look at several promising freshmen.
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