NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Norfolk State football took the field at Dick Price Stadium with something it did not have a year ago at this time- a head coach in Michael Vick that had a spring game under his belt.
Saturday, the lead Spartan was much more prepared for spring game number two.
"So much more comfortable and still gaining more confidence and getting more comfortable each and every day," Vick said after Saturday's spring game. "Just trying to just do what I know, but trust my coaches and their preparation and trust their experience."
Vick's green and gold group played for just under 90 minutes during the annual scrimmage on Saturday. As the dust settles on the spring workout program, one unit in particular is jumping out to the head coach above the rest.
"Our defense really stepped it up the last couple of weeks and showed me that they could potentially be as good as they want to be," he noted. "I knew it was just about pushing them to lock in."
"It feels good," added defensive back Cameryn Simmons, a Maury product. "I feel like defense wasn't as up to par as we needed to be to back our offense up last year so it definitely feels good knowing that we're getting better."
The defense came away with three interceptions, including two pick-sixes, along with a handful of sacks during Saturday's spring game.
On the offensive side of the ball, Vick says it's still a wide open competition at quarterback, though did single out Reggie Johnson as a name to watch. Johnson sat out the scrimmage due to injury. The head coach looked to make Saturday's game as realistic as possible and that included making the quarterbacks live to get a true assessment of their progress. That means they were taking hits.
"They showed me that they were tough," Vick said of his QB's, adding that he had a conversation with his defense to remind them they were hitting their teammates. "When I told [the quarterbacks] that we were going to go live, they kind of looked at me crazy, but hey man, that's why we play this game. I don't want the first time they get hit to be in September."
"At first I was like 'how come we're doing this?,'" noted quarterback Tyrone Jackson. "After, I started to get it, I started to get more confident and more comfortable running the ball, so I would definitely say that was a great idea by Coach Vick."
The spring session has now come to a close as Norfolk State hopes it will pay off come the fall. Those who were in green and gold last year have turned the page, but are also motivated by 2025's 1-11 showing that hasn't sat well and have been working with that on their minds, getting better a yard at a time.
"Most of us, we're from Virginia, so that's something we've got to hear all day," Simmons pointed out. "It's a chip on our shoulder. We're just coming out here to get better every day and win more games than we did last year."
"That win-loss column, I've never been afraid of it, but it does come with some level of respect," added Vick. "We didn't gain that respect from anybody last year so we've got to go out and earn our respect."
Norfolk State opens its season August 29 at home against Winston-Salem State.
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