Florida A&M has officially crossed the halfway point of spring football.
On Thursday, the Rattlers held their eighth of 15 practices at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
And so far, FAMU head football coach James Colsey III likes his team's responsiveness and adaptability to his leadership and nuanced execution.
Colzi will test the team's intrasquad scrimmage on Friday. He said he would place high responsibility on the team.
The focus Friday will be on red zone situations that will test the offense's execution and the defense's ability to make short field stops.
“He has the ability to come out of adversity,” Colzi said. “We throw things at them when we do ‘fire drills’ or put pressure on them.
“[Friday], we're going to move the ball up and down the field and put it in certain situations and see what we do. ”
Colzi attended practice.
Colzi says he spent weeks trying to coax quarterbacks into throwing interceptions to relive his days as an All-Atlantic Coast Conference cornerback for the Florida State Seminoles.
On Thursday, Colzie jumped a pass and targeted FAMU's backup quarterback. The FAMU coach said he would have “taken it home” if he wanted to.
“For the past few days, I've been trying to trick them into thinking I'm not going to break down,” Colzi said. “I caught it so well with my hands that I probably took it home with me. I might still have it, but I probably only played with it a couple of times.”
Last year's transfer used prior knowledge to attack FAMU's spring football practice
Last season, FAMU assembled one of the top transfer classes in the country.
The new players added depth and were instrumental in the Rattlers winning Southwestern Athletic Conference and Black College Football National Championship titles.
They are currently participating in their second spring football season with FAMU.
Wide receiver Jamari Gassett transferred from Buffalo last season. Gassett has emerged as the Rattlers' top target this season, following in the footsteps of former FAMU All-SWAC receivers Marcus Riley and Jermaraye Sherido. The senior also hopes to play kick and punt return this season.
Gassett, a Tampa native, had 24 receptions for 320 yards and three touchdowns for the Rattlers last season. His most memorable score was a 12-yard winning touchdown catch by former FAMU quarterback Jeremy Musa in a 26-19 win over Southern in Week 6.
“Honestly, last year humbled me because I was always starting,” Gassett said of his first year at FAMU. “I had to turn it on, stay ready and stay hot. Just knowing what the standards are here makes me feel more calm and confident.
“I'm having fun here. I know everything is on me for this season. I'm ready.”
Defensive back Deco Wilson transferred to FAMU from Jacksonville State last season.
Wilson, a Talladega, Ala., native who slipped into the shuffle of a star-studded secondary, blossomed late for the Rattlers.
Wilson caught all three interceptions in the final four games of the season, including one each in the SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl. In addition to the three picks, Wilson recorded 39 tackles and one forced fumble in 11 games last season.
Wilson's role in the FAMU secondary will grow even more in 2024 as All-SWAC players like Javan Morgan and Eric Smith pursue their pro football dreams.
“Last spring, I was just scratching the surface and trying to learn the system,” said Wilson, a graduate student. “As the season progressed, I just tried to stay on my toes and take advantage of every opportunity.
“This year is different. I want to be more of a leader and help young people.”
FAMU football receives second evaluation in upcoming scrimmage during practice
Gassett is scheduled to undergo his first game simulation with the 2024 Rattlers team on Friday.
He missed last Friday's scrimmage to pay his final respects to his grandfather. However, Gassett watched a scrimmage game during his film studies.
Returning to the field, Gassett is looking forward to seeing how he can contribute to FAMU's offense.
“We're heading in the right direction and getting better every practice,” Gassett said. “We need to have a good scrimmage and get everyone moving around quickly and getting into the swing of things.
“Play fast and have fun.”
Wilson is looking for continued progress as spring football continues.
He said the 15 practices will be a good gauge of the team's performance when the regular season opens in August.
“We're just trying to put all the pieces together,” Wilson said. “As the spring goes on and we get closer to the spring games, we’ll get a glimpse of what it’s going to be like in the fall.”
Florida A&M Rattlers Spring Football Practice Schedule
Practice 9: March 29th (Friday)
Practice 10: April 2nd (Tuesday)
Practice 11: April 4th (Thursday)
Practice 12: Friday, April 5th
Practice 13: April 9th (Tuesday)
Practice 14: Thursday, April 11th
Orange and Green Spring Game at Bragg Memorial Stadium: April 13th (Saturday) 4:00 p.m.
Gerald Thomas III covers Florida A&M University athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him by email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as his Twitter. @3peatgee.
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