SU Junior Marcus Sales was under pressure all year long to perform up to his potential, but now the pressure may be to help lead the way. Of course, Sales had a breakout game at the perfect time for the SU Football team, scoring three touchdowns in their 36-34 win over Kansas State in the Pinstripe Bowl back in December. The perfect ending to a season where Sales was actually left off the depth chart at one point, an assumed move from Head Coach Doug Marrone to create some motivation. Now, at Spring Practice, sales is motivated to ride him Pinstripe Bowl success into his senior season, and help lead the other receivers to further accolades.
"I've been with Marcus for a long time," says junior wide receiver Alec Lemon, "I know what he can do, I see it everyday. He shined at the Pinstripe Bowl, and I'm gonna be there with him and grow as a player make this team better."
"There's a lot of expectations," admits Sales, "I'm going into my senior year so I've got a lot of expectations, I just have to go and be a leader and help the young guys out. It seems like just last year I was just coming in and looking at (the experienced players) and looking to them for keys, and now it's crazy that kids are looking up to me now."
Click on the video link to hear more from the players. The following is a full report on Spring Practice from SU Athletics.
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The Carrier Dome echoed with the yells and whistles of players and coaches as the Syracuse Orange football team held practice for the first time this spring in its regular season home. The focus in the sixth Spring session was to implement all the phases of offense and defense.
"It's progressing well and we have to just keep pushing it," said head coach Doug Marrone, "It goes by fast and sometimes you look back and you feel like you want to move faster, but you have to make sure you have that foundation."
While the veterans continue to build on the solid foundation built during Marrone's first two seasons, the first-year student-athletes and those who enrolled in January are in the early stages of development.
"I'm trying to get better every day," said wide receiver Jarrod West, a sophomore who missed the 2010 season due to an injury. "I'm pushing harder and harder every day. I'm trying to better myself and fix all of the little things on my resume."
West is one of 31 second-year players on the roster, while linebacker Dyshawn Davis is one of the six who joined the program in January.
"I am getting a lot of help from Marquis (Spruill) and Danny (Vaughan) - the two starting linebackers," Davis said. "Before every play, they are checking on me, making sure I know the right keys, making sure I know the right assignment. We are connecting pretty well at this position. Marquis was in the same position last year with Derrell (Smith) and Doug (Hogue). They helped him out. Marquis is a young guy like me, but he is more experienced. He wants me to catch up and make plays."
Marrone has noticed the manner in which the young players have adapted to the college game.
"I look at the way they handle things, at the way they handle the speed of the game, and nothing is too fast for them, so I've been very happy with the way they've gone about their business," Marrone said. "It's still early yet, but I am really impressed with all of them, all of the first year guys who are here and how they have acclimated to the team, the way we practice, and our coaching."
**Courtesy SU Athletics**
