Practice features changes

Claps and cheers could be heard from the football practice fields north of Memorial Stadium Wednesday afternoon as spring football got under way.\nFor a team that has had a losing record for four consecutive seasons, it was an optimistic bunch that ran drills for three hours.\nThat's what coach Cam Cameron said to expect from the team this year. \n"Our attitude is as good as it has ever been," Cameron said. "We know how close we were to our record being flip-flopped. We're keeping it in perspective and have hung together."\nBut that doesn't mean the team won't be making some changes. Many players are finding themselves in new positions.\nThe biggest and arguably most talked about change is senior Antwaan Randle El's move from quarterback to wide receiver.\n"We're going to give our three young quarterbacks, (junior) Tommy Jones, (junior) Gibran Hamdan and (sophomore) Patrick Johnson, a chance to be starting quarterback," Cameron said. "If one of the three guys can do that, then we're going to keep Antwaan at some kind of skill position, probably wide receiver. He's also going to concentrate on being our punt returner."\nRandle El is only one of the newly-relocated bunch.\nJunior Bobby Brandt is moving from tight end to tackle, Cameron said, because Brandt's size allows him to move to the offensive line.\nJunior Stephen Anthony is moving from defensive end to tight end, and sophomore Jason Fryar will be used as a tackle, but is now working from the defensive end position.\n"We might as well put him on the defensive line so we can get him on the field as fast as possible," Cameron said. "It gives him his biggest opportunity to play early. Ultimately, he is going to be our offensive tackle."\nOther position changes are mostly within the defense, a unit Cameron admitted must improve.\nInjuries are expected not to be an issue, at least in the beginning. Sophomore Colin Christopher, who was injured most of last season, has returned. Junior Sean Nelson, who was plagued with a shoulder injury, is expected to find playing time.\nThe position switching and players returning from injury have led the Hoosiers to high expectations for the 2001 season.\n"Our main focus is getting better day to day," senior defensive back Sharrod Wallace said. "We just need to get better as each day approaches."\nRandle El agrees.\n"The negatives are over and done with," Randle El said. "You can't look at last season or the season before that; they're over. Spring ball is basically your season. It's where you start to get better and where you start to improve. The negativity is in the past"