March 10, 2017
More than 350 friends, followers, parents and guests of the San Jose State University football program stopped by for Friday Night Lights in CEFCU Stadium.
One barely needed a jacket to stay warm after sunset and the lights took hold of a complete coaching staff and nearly 70 players were on the field with a live disc jockey spinning lively modern tunes from the 50-yard line while individual, group and team drills occurred.
"That was pretty exciting to have all those people show up and support what we're doing. The DJ was phenomenal and provided a lot of energy and excitement for the kids. It was a great start," said new head coach Brent Brennan, who was thanking people for coming to his first practice as head coach more than 30 minutes after it ended.
Former players from 10 or more years ago at the first practice included quarterback Adam Tafralis, who will be inducted into the Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame on April 13, outside linebacker Leighton Lang and running back Lamont Robinson. Running back Josh Brown, wide receiver Jabari Carr and defensive back Esston Al-Uqdah were among the more recent Spartan alums. Plus, a number of Spartans who will be participating in the March 14 Pro Day were on the sidelines.
"Obviously, we have lots of things to correct, lots of things to work on, but I'm excited about the tempo and the energy which was great. It was one of the main focuses of what we wanted -- kind of our introduction to `Spartan Speed.' You could see it at times, but at other times, it sputtered little bit. We'll get it going."
San Jose State will conclude its first week of spring practice, Saturday, March 11, with practice #2 starting at 11:00 a.m. The practice is "open" to the public. Parking is available in the Park & Ride Lot on 7th Street across CEFCU Stadium.
Coach Brennan's complete post-practice interview is available on www.facebook.com/@sjsuspartansfootball.