FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mugsy]

Pic of Andy Studebaker on front page of Eagles website related to rookies & some veterans reporting for start of training camp today:

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/index2.html

Not finding it, is there a direct link or am I just blind?

They changed the pic. it was Andy this afternoon. Now its the "other" Andy.

Yeah, that would be a problem.  The front page of an NFL team website is likely to change quickly, especially as training camp kicks off. 

If you were to follow the "Rookies Ready to Work" link, you would find the following which was initially paired with a pic of Andrew:

Studebaker: The Bare Necessities

As he stepped out of a team shuttle at about 12:30 PM, Andy Studebaker looked around tentatively, and finally cracked a smile.  He had heard about training camp from his veteran teammates - about the heat, about the sweat, about the work. Now, he knew it was time to find out about it for himself.

Carrying just a suitcase and a backpack with the bare essentials for survival, he said he was looking forward to getting on the field.

"I left my hyperbaric chamber and my plasma (TV)," Studebaker joked. "(I brought) just what you see, some clothes and my playbook. I'm ready to go."  Studebaker figures to be competing for one of the final outside linebacker spots on the 53-man roster. The rookie sixth-round pick played defensive end at Wheaton College.

[Mugsy]

Eagles have decent coverage of their training camp practices with interviews of players, coaches, etc... before and after practice.

As I went to the website at lunch, they were just interviewing Studebaker as he came off the practice field.  Sounds like today and tomorrow are primarily rookies and a handful of veterans with the remaining veterans reporting later in the week.

[Mugsy]

From the afternoon practice blog... it appears Studebaker is working on long snapping.  Very, very good move. 

Combined with exceling on other special teams, becoming a 2nd long snapper option for the Eagles could be the difference between him making the team or being cut.  I'll bet Coach Swider and his agent have had him practicing long snapping since the end of the 2007 season.

[Mugsy]

D3Football preseason All-American team is out on link from front page:

http://www.d3football.com/tow/08/preallamericans.htm

Of note for the CCIW:

1st Team
CB Pete Ittersagen - Wheaton

2nd Team
OT Blaine Westemeyer - Augustana
RET Pete Ittersagen - Wheaton

[bman]

Very nice 2 minute profile of Studebaker and Wheaton on Comcast Sportsnet this evening.  They focused on his injury and his youtube angle to get scouts re-engaged...

soon he will learn the 4 cardinal rules of being a Philadelphia Eagle...

1.  Never take your helmet off if you've made a bad play...(batteries hurt)
2.  Never stand next to Santa Clause when it's snowing
3.  Never say anything nice about:  Dallas, Washington, NY...or Rich Kotite
4.  Get used to boos (it's been 25 years since we've won anything and we're mad)...

[New Tradition]

D3Football preseason All-American team is out on link from front page:

http://www.d3football.com/tow/08/preallamericans.htm

Of note for the CCIW:

1st Team
CB Pete Ittersagen - Wheaton

2nd Team
OT Blaine Westemeyer - Augustana
RET Pete Ittersagen - Wheaton

Congrats to Pete and Blaine on being preseason All Americans.  I'd like to see a few more CCIW names up there, though.  Looks like we have a few things to prove as a conference.

[New Tradition]

Anyone have any more news on who the Cards were thinking about for D-coordinator?  I haven't even seen a list...

[Mugsy]

Just slightly different than coming off the practice field in the CCIW (see photo 35 of 35):

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/photos/index.asp?section_id=1430

My apologies if this leads to a deadend in the near future... the website is updated multiple times a day right now so thing are getting shuffled around often.  For those who don't get the chance to see the picture, it shows Andrew Studebaker as he is leaving the practice field surrounded by microphones and cameras.  Quite an adjustment for him, I'm sure...

[NCC.2008]

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/multimedia/index.asp?mm_file_id=5478&play_clip=y

one on one with Andy Studebaker

[Mugsy]

Apologies (to some) on all the Studebaker updates, but it's still quiet on the CCIW front and it is somewhat interesting to see the process.  We haven't had too many NFL draftees from the CCIW...

I know things will pickup soon with regards to the upcoming 2008 CCIW season, but for now there isn't much activity here, so I thought I'd keep tabs on Studebakers progress.

From a press conference with Head Coach Andy Reid after this mornings practice:

On LB Andy Studebaker and what he saw in him when he drafted him:

"I see a kid right now who had not been a linebacker. He's working that conversion there. He is high-octane. He looks like he loves to play. He goes one hundred miles an hour in everything he does. It's not always right, right now, but he is a smart kid. He's picking it up and that's a tough thing to do. He's picking things up mentally. When he makes a mistake, he's doing it a hundred miles an hour."

Still an uphill battle for Studebaker...

[79jaybird]

Congratulations to the CCIW members selected as Pre-Season AA's.  Hopefully we will see more on the post-season AA's list. 

I agree with Mugs that it's still an uphill battle, however it does seem to appear that Coach Reid is high on Andy.  Hopefully we will see him find a spot he's comfortable with and he can fluorish with the Eagles. I don't think there was a player in the league with as much energy combined with brawn that Andy had during his tenure at Wheaton.  Just a pure muscle bound workhorse.

[ncc58]

soon he will learn the 4 cardinal rules of being a Philadelphia Eagle...

Did you just write that the Cardinals rule? 

[Wags]

Football


Additions made to Cardinal Coaching Staff

North Central College head football coach John Thorne has announced a series of changes to the Cardinals' coaching staff, including the addition of several new coaches to the program.

Bill Wienke, the Cardinals' linebackers coach and strength and conditioning coordinator, will return to the position of defensive coordinator, a post he held from 2004-2006.

"I'm really happy for him, and the returning players are, as well," Thorne said of Wienke, who has been on the coaching staff since Thorne arrived at the College in 2002.

Wienke's defensive unit ranked first in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin in four categories in 2006, including fewest rushing yards allowed (89.7 per game) and turnover margin (+21). The Cardinals also set a school record for fewest passing yards allowed in a game (0 vs. Augustana College).

"I'm elated," Wienke said. "This is a great place to work. It's a joy to work here with the coaches we have, and the players and their families are phenomenal. With the coaches we've got coming in here, there's just a lot of really good people to work with."

New to the Cardinals' defensive staff this season is Matt Foster, who will serve as defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator. Foster, the head football coach at Wheaton North High School the past seven years, has also served as an assistant coach at the College of DuPage from 1992-1997, associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Central Connecticut State University from 1987-1991, and defensive coordinator at Salisbury State University (Md.) from 1984-1987.

He brings a track record of success to his position at the College, helping Salisbury State advance to the NCAA Division III national championship game, aiding Central Connecticut State to three straight winning seasons, making six National Junior College Athletic Assocation playoff appearances (including two trips to the national championship game) with DuPage, and leading Wheaton North to the state playoffs four times, twice advancing to the semifinals. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from Illinois State University in 1983 and earned a master's degree from Salisbury State in 1986.

"The reason I'm here is Coach Thorne," said Foster, who played for Thorne at Wheaton Central High School (now Wheaton Warrenville South). "I was lucky to have him as my high school coach, and I feel very lucky to be a part of his staff here. He was very influential in my decision to pursue coaching, and he helped shape the kind of coach I decided I wanted to be. I'm excited about the opportunity to learn even more, and maybe I can give something back."

Also new to the defensive staff, though not new to North Central, is Eric Stuedemann '07, who will also help with the coaching of defensive backs. Stuedemann was a four-year starter at wide receiver for the Cardinals from 2003-2006, finishing as North Central's career record holder in receptions (175) while ranking second in receving yards (2,099) and third in touchdown catches (20). He was a First Team All-CCIW and All-North Region selection as a senior.

After earning his bachelor's degree from the College in 2007, Stuedemann joined the Cardinals' coaching staff, assisting with the coaching of tight ends. He earned his master of business administration degree, also from North Central, last spring.

"This is a great program," Stuedemann said. "That's a big reason why I came back and helped out last year, along with the relationships I've developed with the coaches. I learned a lot last year, and plan on learning a lot more this year as a defensive coach.

"It will be new at first, but I think it helps that I have experience at wide receiver, because I may pick up on opponents' tendencies a little differently than the players will."

"Any time you get the chance to hire former players, it's a great opportunity for everyone involved," Thorne mentioned. "Brad Spencer '04 joined our staff a few years ago, and he had just finished up his playing career, but he really worked hard and has done a terrific job. We think Eric will do the same thing."

Stuedemann is joined on the coaching staff this season by two other recent North Central graduates in Chuck Earnest '06 and Lenny Radtke '06. Earnest will assist Spencer with the coaching of wide receivers, while Radtke will aid Wienke in the mentoring of linebackers.

Earnest is one of just three players in North Central history to catch at least 100 passes and currently ranks third all-time at the College with 105 career receptions. He was a First Team All-CCIW selection as a senior in 2005, and ranks in the top 10 of every single-season and career receiving category in the Cardinals' record book.

"Our passing composite is very complex and extremely hard to learn," Thorne indicated. "For Brad to teach it by himself every year is a gigantic job. Due to the fact that we have such a large recruiting class this season, we're trying to back every coach up with an assistant, and that will be a huge boost for all of us.

"Chuck knows our composite, and knows the checks and how to adjust routes depending on coverage, so he will be able to help our receivers learn it a great deal faster."

Radtke is North Central's all-time leader in tackles in career (466) and a single season (152 as a senior in 2005), in addition to ranking in the top 10 in pass breakups and tackles for loss. He was a three-time First Team All-CCIW selection and a two-time All-American.

"Lenny was a tremendous team captain for us, and just an unbelievable player," Thorne said. "He will be a great resource for our linebackers to learn from on a day-to-day basis."

Thorne plans to announce more additions to the staff in the near future, and is still searching for an assistant offensive line coach and an assistant coach to work with kickers and punters. The Cardinals open the 2008 season Sept. 13 against Ohio Northern University.

[matblake]

soon he will learn the 4 cardinal rules of being a Philadelphia Eagle...

Did you just write that the Cardinals rule? 

I'm sure he was referring to Illinois State...............

[HScoach]

We have Ohio Northern who is a better than average opponent.

I'll say. ONU is ranked in the top 20 in some (less than reputable) preseason polls. I would be surprised if they are not in the D3football top 20. They return 16 starters from a 7-3 (2nd place to Mt Union in the OAC) team and will be this years annual contender to give Mt Union a run in conference. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see ONU come to Naperville and win. That's as tough an opening game as any team will have. Unfortunately for ONU, they have to play Mt Union the next week.

On the ONU vs. NCC topic, the 2008 OAC Preview is posted here:

http://www.mtunionfootball.com/2008season/08oacpreview.htm


Thought the CCIW guys might be curious to see where we think ONU will finish in the OAC and how the opener vs. NCC will play out.