Northwestern coach
Pat Fitzgerald
is notoriously tough to please, but he walked away from Thursday’s practice glowing. Or perhaps those were beads of sweat on an 80-degree day.
“It was our best practice of the spring,” he said. “Real physical, real intense. I thought the passion was there. … If we have our attitude right, we have a chance to keep improving. And I like it right now.”
Fitzgerald singled out several players and units for their work during spring ball, which concludes April 24 with a 12 p.m. scrimmage at Ryan Field.
He praised middle linebacker
Damien Proby,
superback
John Plasencia,
defensive linemen
Jack DiNardo
and
Niko Mafuli,
quarterbacks
Dan Persa
and
Evan Watkins,
the offensive line and receiver
Jeremy Ebert.
Ebert was kicking himself Thursday for not hauling in a deep ball from Watkins, a redshirt freshman from Glenbard North. Ebert slowed down, thinking Watkins could not reach him.
“I wish I had that one back,” Ebert said. “It got in the wind and he out-threw me a bit. He has a cannon. He can bomb it.”
Two thumbs up: Despite that play, Ebert feels quicker than ever. The 6-foot, 180-pounder from suburban Columbus, Ohio, had left hip surgery one year ago. Doctors repaired a torn labrum and shaved some bone, similar to what
Alex Rodriguez
of the Yankees has had.
After contributing as a freshman — his first career catch was a 16-yard touchdown against Syracuse — Ebert was limited most of last season. He did snag six passes for 64 yards in the Outback Bowl.
“It’s an awesome feeling right now to be 100 percent,” he said. “I feel fast again.”
Fitzgerald called him “a really dynamic athlete.”
Go Cubs Go: Offensive lineman
Neal Deiters
, a Cubs fan from Elmhurst, is excited about the idea of playing Nov. 20 at Wrigley Field against Illinois.
“Yeah, that would be a blast,” said Deiters, whom coaches have shifted from right tackle to right guard to take advantage of Deiters’ quick feet and open a tackle spot for
Patrick Ward.
DiNardo is a White Sox fan from Hinsdale but said the game would be a “great opportunity to involve the Chicago area and showcase our program.”
DiNardo’s uncle,
Gerry,
who played at Notre Dame and was the head coach at Vanderbilt, LSU and Indiana, is an analyst for the Big Ten Network.
