Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Practice Outside for Seventh Day of Spring Ball
4/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 7, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Despite the winter-like temperatures and gusting winds, the Wildcats conducted a brisk but thorough practice outside on NU's FieldTurf practice field Friday afternoon. NUsports.com caught up with senior Shaun Herbert (Oxon Hill, Md./Bishop McNamara) to see how the receiving corps is progressing.
NUSports.com: What kind of added pressure is there going to be on the receiving corps as the team breaks in a new young quarterback?
Shaun Herbert: For me, I just need to be a leader and try to help everyone come along and keep everyone in the system. The pressure on us as receivers is to stay with the quarterbacks no matter what, to keep giving them confidence, to keep making the tough catches for them so they can keep their confidence up. We just have to be there making the plays we are supposed to make and some of the plays we are not supposed to make just to help them out, just to get them going.
NUSports.com: What kind of leadership role do you envision for yourself as the only senior on the receiving corps and after your breakout 2005 campaign?
Shaun Herbert: Well, I'm not the most vocal guy, so first I want to lead by example and try to do everything right. Then I'm trying to be a little bit more vocal, just to get guys going the right way, get things looking right. I try to be up front, do every drill first and then in team drills, I try to be the calm, composed one, trying to get the team going the right way, not panicking.
NUSports.com: Who has impressed you most in practice in the receiving corps?
Shaun Herbert: Kim [Thompson]'s looking real good. I think Sam [Cheatham]'s looking pretty good. I think now that Jeff Yarbrough's getting healthy and he's looking a lot better. I think a guy that a lot of people don't know about is Kevin Frymire. He's looking pretty good too. I mean, everybody's looking good.
NUSports.com: How is the experience on the receiving corps going to help you through the season?
Shaun Herbert: Everybody has been thrown in the fire, everybody has played and we've all been in the game against Iowa down by two scores with two minutes left so everybody knows how to handle themselves under pressure. Nothing will surprise us now. All the guys have been there before, all the guys have made big plays in games and so everybody's hungry to get back out there. All the other guys want the chance to get on the field and take the spotlight, get all the catches, get all the glory, be that next go-to guy. I think that the experience and the hunger that everybody has is going to help us throughout the whole year.
Practice Notes:
• ESPN has announced that the Wildcats' season opener at Miami (Ohio) will be televised by either ESPNU or ESPN Classic. That means Northwestern's two nonconference road games will be televised nationally. Kickoff has been tentatively set for 6:30 p.m. CT in Oxford, Ohio.
• Northwestern will conduct an extended scrimmage during its 10 a.m. practice on Saturday.
