UC football completes first day of full tackle practice at Camp Higher Ground

WEST HARRISON, Indiana – The University of Cincinnati football team completed its first day of training with full pads on Tuesday.

Head coach Scott Satterfield and the Bearcats now have a handful of practices under their belt at Camp Higher Ground. Tuesday’s practice was the first with full tackling, and Satterfield liked what he saw early on.

“It was good to see who’s going to break tackles, who’s going to run through some of these arm tackles,” Satterfield said. “We saw some of that today and I thought the defense had a good day today; I thought they got out to the passer pretty good, were in the backfield.”

Satterfield and company are already impressed with what they’ve seen in the first few days of practice at Higher Ground, with some details already standing out about the new Big 12 team.

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Full tackle means more scuffles

As expected, as Bearcats ramp up the physicality and the day wears on, emotions rise and little “scuffles” can break out here and there at practice. It’s nothing out of the ordinary for teammates to argue, shove a couple times, and move on after constant battling on the gridiron.

Satterfield mentioned how he understands that practice can get chippy once full tackle is introduced, but as long as players are “being smart” about it and not wasting time, Satterfield doesn’t have a problem with the intensity.

“When you get to this point in camp, particularly when you’re hitting and tackling today, you’re going to have some of that,” Satterfield said about little scuffles throughout camp. “Guys get a little frustrated or whatever, and you’re going to have some of that, but they’ve done a great job.”

Offensive lineman Trevor Radosevich, a transfer from Penn experiencing his first Higher Ground training camp, was at the heart of the physicality Tuesday.

“First day of full pads, it’s going to be a little chippy,” Radosevich said. “I know that we’re all just trying to make each other better, and at the end of the day we all love each other up; we talk to each other about how we can make each other better.

One of his favorite things to do is go up to his defensive counterparts after plays and discussing the techniques they used on the previous play, Radosevich said, and the feedback is invaluable.

“I know it might look like we’re chippy on the field, but as soon as we get in the locker room it’s best buds,” Radosevich said.

Team bonding at a higher level

“Here’s what else I’ve seen since we’ve been out here: the chemistry and the tightness you start seeing, some of that starting to come together, the guys are really getting to know each other,” Satterfield said.

At nights the Bearcats have both a player and a coach lead a talk to share their story and journey. Satterfield said that understanding where your teammates come from, where they’ve been, and where they are helps the team share a higher level of respect for one another.

Long days of football surrounded by no one but teammates and coaches are a unique part of Bearcats football, something that makes it special. Taj Ward, a defensive back who is in his sixth training camp at Higher Ground, is happy to be back and surrounded by nothing but football.

“It’s been great coming out here, hanging with these boys, being on the field with them, bonding and building that comradery,” Ward said.

Standouts through Tuesday  

• Emory Jones has looked comfortable and confident so far at Higher Ground.

  • “I think Emory has had a really good camp so far,” Satterfield said. “(He’s) throwing the deep ball really well. We’re throwing a lot of stuff at him, a lot of offense and a lot of defense, he’s seeing everything out there which is good for him). I think he’s done a great job of taking care of the football, which is the main thing we ask the quarterback to do.”

• There is more defensive depth than initially anticipated, a pleasant development through early practices.

  • “It feels like we’ve got some pretty good depth along that d-line and those guys that are rushing the passer,” Satterfield said. “I really feel good about the depth in those key positions.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati football has first day in full pads at Camp Higher Ground