Bears Put On Full Gear
8/16/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 16, 2001
Waco, Texas - The hitting commenced on the Baylor football practice field Thursday, but Head Coach Kevin Steele was just as happy with the progress the Bears are making with their timing as he was with their physical play. Baylor spent both of Thursday's workouts in full gear, their initial full-contact practices of the fall.
"We've had good effort and good work ethic," Steele said. "The timing is starting to come. The players are understanding what they're doing, we've just got to keep polishing and polishing and polishing our execution. We're way ahead of where we've been in past years at this point and time. Way ahead."
"The defense is probably a little bit ahead right now, but the flipside of that is we had one drill where the offense put a series of plays together that was some of the best execution we've had since we've been here. That was positive.
Backup defensive end Khari Long suffered a separated shoulder during the afternoon practice and is expected to miss a few weeks.
"I've seen some guys take a while to recover from those," Steele said, "and I've seen some guys come back very quickly. We'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully it won't be long."
Steele also mentioned that receiver Ray Harrington, a junior college transfer, is close to returning to action after sitting out most of this week with an ankle sprain.
Two-a-days continue through Sunday. Classes on the Baylor campus begin Monday. The Bears open the 2001 season Sept. 8 at home against Arkansas State.
