Entering his third season at Missouri State, football coach Dave Steckel is saying all the right things, straight out of the coach-approved book of clichés.
All of the starting spots are up for grabs. … The program needs players to step up and lead the team, turning it from a coach-led program to a player-led program. … No position group is more important than any other one.
Don’t kid yourself, though.
Even though Steckel is saying the things you’d expect him to say, there’s nothing usual and ordinary about Sunday’s start of spring practice.
At quarterback, the most visible and one of the most important positions on the field, the Bears’ college experience is easy to count.