April 1, 2008

McNeese State's two time defending Southland Conference champion football team kicked off spring drills Tuesday, going through a two hour workout in shorts, tee shirts and helmets.

Head coach Matt Viator said that he and his coaching staff spent a good bit of the time getting three teams lined up to run the offense and defense.

"It was a typical first day," he said. "The kids just got back from spring break. The attitude is very good."

Viator said that the players would work out in shorts again on Wednesday and Friday and then be in full pads for the first time on Saturday, that workout slated to begin at 3 p.m.

One player drawing a lot of interest on the first day was wide receiver Steven Whitehead, back after missing 10 games last season because of an injury. He had been the SLC's player of the year and had earned all-America honors in 2006 but was sidelined after the first two games of the 2007 season.

"He did real well," wide receiver coach Broderick Fobbs said of the senior from Slidell. "He ran good routes, caught the ball and looked like his old self."

Whitehead will enter the 2008 season with 3,383 all-purpose yards and as the fourth leading all-time kickoff returner in McNeese history and the eighth leading punt returner. He has also caught 79 career passes for 886 yards and rushed 92 times for 499 yards.