HEAD COACH JOHN HARBAUGH
Did you get out of tonight’s practice what you were hoping to in front of these fans? (Gerry Sandusky) “I really did. It was kind of interesting: We got into a no-huddle drill, and they started shooting T-shirts into the stands, and the crowd came alive. It was deafening, and we jumped offsides twice. (laughter) So, it was a good experience for us. It was great. Guys had fun; they’re still having fun. The crowd was great to be around, and it was just a fun night. Our guys will appreciate it too, because it was so much cooler. It’s interesting how when the sun goes down, it gets a lot cooler. Maybe we’ll do night practices for now on. But it was a good night.”
How do you think the rookies handled tonight, as it was their first time in front of the fans? (Cordell Woodland) “I thought the rookies did a really good job. There were some plays made by those guys. It didn’t seem too big for them. I really just liked some of the deep throws, some of the back-shoulder throws. Seeing the receivers and tight ends step up in one-on-ones was good to see. So, it’s positive.”
Does it seem like WR Rashod Bateman continues to keep flashing throughout camp? (Jamison Hensley) “He does the same thing every practice. Every practice is the same. He’s very consistent. And we tell the guys, the true testament of mental toughness is consistency – the ability to do it not just once, but every day, day after day, [and] he’s certainly doing it.”
Is the situation with G Ben Cleveland the same, or did he have an injury setback or anything? (Childs Walker) “No, it’s just passing the conditioning test. He’s been struggling with that part of it. We’re not going to put a player out there until he can do it; we think it’s that important. I know he can do it; he’s going to do it; he’s just got to get out there and get it done.”
How many opportunities to do the conditioning test does he get a day? Do you give him multiple a day? (Jerry Coleman) “One a day, one a day. You couldn’t do multiple a day.”
WR Devin Duvernay seemed to get dinged up a little bit. (Jamison Hensley) “He’s going to [have] a thigh bruise. He hit his thigh, so [it’s] good news [that] it’s nothing serious there. He could have come back; I just said, ‘No, not tonight.’”
How excited are you to see the guys in pads? (Kirk McEwen) “The pads are coming on Monday, so it’s going to be exciting to see. That will be the first time. The biggest thing to look for with practice [Monday] is how the guys handle the mental part of it. All of a sudden, they’ve got something more to think about – the physical part of it – and not let it be too big for you. They’ll handle the assignments, the cadence, being in the right place and stuff.”
We saw WR Devin Duvernay working from the backfield, taking some jet sweeps. (David Andrade) “Yes, it’s something he’s doing his whole career [and] in college too. But he’s going to be a big part of that. I don’t know if he’ll be in the backfield as a running back, per se; I think [it’ll] be more as a jet-sweep guy, a mover guy. But that’s part of our offense. Running backs run those plays, too, so he’s going to definitely be doing that.”
You said DB Brandon Stephens is more of a cornerback than safety now. How do you think he’s been adjusting to playing a lot more corner in camp? (Cordell Woodland) “He’s been doing great. And [he’s] more of a corner just because that’s what he’s playing more, but he can play both. He’s been playing everything. I thought he had a really nice play on an out route; you saw him breaking that out and breaking [up] the pass to James Proche [II]. So, he’s done a good job.”
