Rodney Allison	- Download MP3-

Not long after the sun rose over Finley Stadium on Wednesday morning, Raeshon Ball jogged off the field with a smile on his face. He was a football player again.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defensive back had just completed the Mocs’ first practice of the spring, his first practice since tearing the ACL in his left knee during spring practice last year.

“I was a little fatigued at first, but I’m working my way back,” said Ball, who had 40 tackles and six starts during the 2006 season, his first at UTC after transferring from Central Michigan. “At the end of practice I felt way better than (at) the start. I feel good.”

Ball and Buster Skrine, who started three games as a freshman last season, are the only returning starters in a UTC secondary that must replace seniors Chris Camacho, Jeff Phillips, Ronnie Jackson and Brandon Golder. Mocs coach Rodney Allison said Ball’s return will add some valuable energy and experience to a young group.

“He just brings an energy to our defense that we need,” Allison said. “He does it in the weight room, he does it in the offseason, he’s kind of that leader by example, plus he talks some, too. It was great to have him back out here.”

Ball’s older brother, Reggie, played quarterback at Georgia Tech and younger brother, Marcus, is a sophomore linebacker at Florida State. Ball said Marcus helped him get through the injury because Marcus suffered a season-ending knee injury four games into his freshman year.

“My brother tore his knee up so I knew what to expect,” said Ball, who will have the chance to play against his younger brother Sept. 13, when UTC plays at Florida State. “It was hard (not playing), but I just took it for what it was, did rehab and went to school.”

Practicing in shorts and helmets — though a few players had on extra layers to ward off the chilly mid-40s temperature — the Mocs worked on fundamentals with their position coaches during the 90-minute workout.

There were a lot of new players and coaches on the field together for the first time; in the offseason the Mocs brought in five junior college players and had to replace seven assistant coaches.

Offensive coordinator Carmen Felus worked with new quarterbacks Jare Gault and Michael McDonald. Each got plenty of repetitions Wednesday, as did returning quarterbacks Tony Pastore, the only QB on the roster to have started a game at UTC, Cody Romans and Sloan Allison.

New defensive coordinator Dick Hopkins spent most of the practice working with the defensive backs. By the end of the workout, Hopkins’ voice was gone, but he said he was pleased with what he saw during the first of the team’s 15 spring practices.

“I can’t believe I lost my voice already, but other than that it was a good first day,” said Hopkins, who joined UTC after two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Rhode Island. “I thought for a first day their attention and energy was very good.”

The Mocs are off today and will practice Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and will follow that same schedule leading up to the spring game on April 18 at Chamberlain Field.

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