After one full season under the guidance of head coach Turner Gill, the Bulls began work towards next season hoping they will be the team to put Buffalo football on the map. That path to glory started Wednesday as the team held its first spring practice.
"I want (the team) to compete, continue to believe in what we are trying to get done, see it in their eyes, see it in their actions," Gill said. "Then everything is going to take care of itself on the football field eventually."
Potential is the best word to describe the Bulls, as sophomores James Starks and Naaman Roosevelt each showed signs of greatness as freshmen on special teams and offense in 2006. Both hope to carry that momentum over to this season.
Roosevelt excelled last season as both a wide receiver and kick returner for the Bulls. He was the Bulls second leading receiver, finishing with 31 receptions for 429 yards to go along with two touchdowns. He also set a school record, averaging 25.9 yards a kick return, including a 94-yard return for a touchdown on his first collegiate attempt against Bowling Green.
With the departure of quarterbacks Tony Paoli and Stewart Sampsel, junior Drew Willy returns as the only experienced signal caller on the Bulls' roster. Willy finished the season with 1,391 yards passing, along with six touchdowns and just as many interceptions while being plagued by a thumb injury.
This lack of experience at the position and doubt concerning Willy's health has allowed Roosevelt to compete for the job during spring practice.
"Me and coach talked about seeing how spring ball goes, how it plays out," Roosevelt said. "If it doesn't work out, he said I could always go back to receiver. But my mind right now is on playing quarterback, definitely."
Quarterback recruits Zack Ingle and Ed Young will enroll in school in the fall of '07 to add depth at the position. Yet for the meantime Roosevelt will have an opportunity to prove himself worthy of the job.
"It's tough for a true freshman to come in here and play right away," Gill said. "Hey, you never know what's going to happen as time goes on. (Willy and Roosevelt) are both very talented young men and they'll have opportunities to compete too."
Starks took over the tailback position three games into last season and never let it go. Starks led the Bulls with 704 yards on 175 carries to go along with six touchdowns. The breakout season earned Starks on the All-Mid-American Conference second team. With three running backs from last year's roster gone due to graduation, Starks will be heavily relied on to carry the load for the Bulls.
The Bulls will come into the season returning 17 of 22 starters from last season's team. Of the 17, nine starters will return on defense along with eight on offense.
All the Bulls' starters on the defensive line return this year with senior captain Trevor Scott leading the way at defensive end. Scott finished with nine sacks, the most for any Buffalo player since joining Division I.
Joining Scott as a captain for the Bulls this season is senior center Jamey Richard. Richard has started 23 games in the last two seasons and has the potential to be an all-conference player at his position this season.
"We're excited to get back to work," Richard said. "We made strides with Coach Gill last year and were always trying to get better. We want to come out and build on what we started."
Like last season, Buffalo will again face a daunting schedule. In 2006, the Bulls faced three teams that finished in the top 25 in the nation, all on the road. This upcoming season Buffalo will travel to face Big East schools Syracuse and Rutgers as well as the Big Ten's Penn State.
"We have guys working out on a consistent basis, getting a lot stronger and faster," Richard said. "If we want to be a good team, we have to play good teams."
Spring practices will continue up to April 14, when the Bulls will participate in their annual Blue-White game.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
