March 1, 2008

2008 Baylor Spring Football Roster

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The Baylor football team completed its first workout under the direction of new head coach Art Briles Saturday afternoon with a 150-minute workout in helmets and shorts on the grass practice fields at Floyd Casey Stadium.

"The funny thing about is when we were talking to some of the players earlier, this is my 30th season and I feel like a youngster again," Briles said. "It is fun and exciting. Our guys are anxious, we (the coaching staff) are eager and ready to get on the field and prove something.

Briles said there is much to be accomplished between now and the Bears' April 5 spring game.

"Continuity, relationships, tempo, discipline, attitude, the things that you have to feel out to determine where your football team is at (are all things the BU coaching staff will be looking to establish this spring)," Briles said. "There are so many variables out there and so many things we need to look at that we are just going to jump in there, see how it goes and we'll evaluate tonight."

The Bears return nine starters on the offensive side of the ball, including junior Blake Szymanski, who started 10 games under center a year ago when he established school single-season records for passing attempts (461), completions (264), yards (2,844) and touchdown passes (22).

However, Szymanski will be challenged this spring by senior Kirby Freeman, a transfer from Miami who started seven of 24 career appearances over three seasons for the Hurricane, as well as true freshman Robert Griffin, rated as the nation's No. 3 dual-threat signal caller in his final season at Copperas Cove (Texas) High School and sophomore Tyler Beatty, who is entering his third year at Baylor.

"We are going to work four guys this spring and just see how it goes from there," Briles said. "It's a deal where it's not really an issue. We have to all flow together. A couple of them will step up and play a little bit.

"But, it's not like I'm sitting here panting and worrying about who's going to be our quarterback, I'm not," he added. "We've got a lot of a lot of concerns on the table."

The Bears will practice on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday next week before spring break begins at Baylor, March 8.

Notes: Running back Andre Pierce (Rowlett, Texas), who was not with the program last year, has returned to the team and went through practice Saturday ... Among the notable position changes include senior John David Weed (from quarterback to inside receiver), junior Mikail Baker (from wide receiver to inside receiver), sophomore Krys Buerck (from wide receiver to cornerback), sophomore Antonio Johnson (from defensive end to linebacker), sophomore V.J. McElroy (from cornerback to inside receiver) and junior Sam Sledge (from offensive line to defensive line) ... Baker returned to the practice field for the first time since last season's Rice game and has been granted a medical redshirt after missing the final 10 games with a broken collar bone ... The Bears return 15 starters all-told, nine on offense and six on defense, from last year's 3-9 team ... Baylor opens its 2008 season Aug. 30 against Wake Forest in Waco and plays three straight and five of its first six games inside the friendly confines of Floyd Casey Stadium.