Tulane's Defensive Line Continues to Impress During #SpringBall
Apr 2, 2019 | Football
By Evan Drexler
TulaneGreenWave.com
NEW ORLEANS – Coach Willie Fritz celebrated his 21st birthday "for the 38th time" at the conclusion of spring practice at Yulman Stadium on Tuesday morning. The Green Wave football team sung "Happy Birthday" to their head coach as practice ended, spoiling Fritz's chance for practice to end with his birthday going unnoticed.
"I thought I got away with it, but not quite," Fritz said, laughing.
With Justin McMillan as the clear returning starter heading into the fall, Fritz discussed the role of the other quarterbacks on the roster with the media following practice.
Keon Howard, a transfer from Southern Miss who joined the team last year, is eligible to play with the team in 2019 and looks positioned to be McMillan's backup. Second-year player Christian Daniels will likely be the team's third quarterback in the fall.
"Keon Howard has got a lot of experience and started I believe eight games at Southern Miss a couple years ago," Fritz said. "He's really a student of the game and comes in every day wanting to gobble up everything he can as far as what we're doing offensively. Christian Daniels is doing some great things, too, so we feel good about all three of those guys."
Defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson and Patrick Johnson also spoke with the media, discussing their potential for the upcoming season.
Jeffery Johnson, a rising sophomore from Brookhaven, Mississippi, is confident in his abilities with a full year of Tulane football under his belt. He has slimmed down from 338 pounds to 325 and feels faster and more agile in his second spring practice with the team.
"A lot of people say I look slim," Jeffery Johnson said. "Conditioning is much easier now. My body feels great. I just feel much faster, more athletic. I might not look as fast as I am, but I feel like I can run pretty fast."
Patrick Johnson will be much more visible on opponents' radars heading into 2019 following his breakout sophomore year. Johnson racked up 10.5 sacks last season, leading the nation among sophomores.
With nearly the entire defensive line returning from last year, he is confident in the unit's ability to compete in the American Athletic Conference.
"In my opinion, I think we're the best in our conference, easily," Patrick Johnson said. "We're very, very dominant. We come to work. Coach [Kevin] Peoples, [Johnny] Jernigan, [Jack] Curtis, they're big on the defensive line dominating the game. We're prepared every single day coming in, and it pays off."
Tulane's spring practice continues Thursday and concludes April 13 with the annual spring game at Yulman Stadium.
Tulane opens the 2019 season on Thursday, August 29 at home against FIU with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
For season ticket information, please call 504-861-WAVE (9283), log on to TulaneTix.com or visit the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
Follow Tulane football on Twitter, Facebook and @GreenWaveFB on Snapchat. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
TulaneGreenWave.com
NEW ORLEANS – Coach Willie Fritz celebrated his 21st birthday "for the 38th time" at the conclusion of spring practice at Yulman Stadium on Tuesday morning. The Green Wave football team sung "Happy Birthday" to their head coach as practice ended, spoiling Fritz's chance for practice to end with his birthday going unnoticed.
"I thought I got away with it, but not quite," Fritz said, laughing.
With Justin McMillan as the clear returning starter heading into the fall, Fritz discussed the role of the other quarterbacks on the roster with the media following practice.
Keon Howard, a transfer from Southern Miss who joined the team last year, is eligible to play with the team in 2019 and looks positioned to be McMillan's backup. Second-year player Christian Daniels will likely be the team's third quarterback in the fall.
"Keon Howard has got a lot of experience and started I believe eight games at Southern Miss a couple years ago," Fritz said. "He's really a student of the game and comes in every day wanting to gobble up everything he can as far as what we're doing offensively. Christian Daniels is doing some great things, too, so we feel good about all three of those guys."
Defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson and Patrick Johnson also spoke with the media, discussing their potential for the upcoming season.
Jeffery Johnson, a rising sophomore from Brookhaven, Mississippi, is confident in his abilities with a full year of Tulane football under his belt. He has slimmed down from 338 pounds to 325 and feels faster and more agile in his second spring practice with the team.
"A lot of people say I look slim," Jeffery Johnson said. "Conditioning is much easier now. My body feels great. I just feel much faster, more athletic. I might not look as fast as I am, but I feel like I can run pretty fast."
Patrick Johnson will be much more visible on opponents' radars heading into 2019 following his breakout sophomore year. Johnson racked up 10.5 sacks last season, leading the nation among sophomores.
With nearly the entire defensive line returning from last year, he is confident in the unit's ability to compete in the American Athletic Conference.
"In my opinion, I think we're the best in our conference, easily," Patrick Johnson said. "We're very, very dominant. We come to work. Coach [Kevin] Peoples, [Johnny] Jernigan, [Jack] Curtis, they're big on the defensive line dominating the game. We're prepared every single day coming in, and it pays off."
Tulane's spring practice continues Thursday and concludes April 13 with the annual spring game at Yulman Stadium.
Tulane opens the 2019 season on Thursday, August 29 at home against FIU with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
For season ticket information, please call 504-861-WAVE (9283), log on to TulaneTix.com or visit the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
Follow Tulane football on Twitter, Facebook and @GreenWaveFB on Snapchat. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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