NU football ABCs: Arby, Brew and Coach Fitz

Northwestern left Camp Kenosha on Monday. It doesn’t start fall quarter until Sept. 22.

Yet Wednesday’s double sessions served as the official end to fall camp (it’s because the Wildcats are simulating game day on Thursday, taking Friday and Saturday off and then starting game-week mode on Sunday).

To say the Wildcats wrapped up camp with a bang would be an understatement. The 105-minute afternoon session inside Trienens Hall (attended by a fistful of NFL scouts) featured some fiercely physical play even though they weren’t tackling to the ground.

First, though, I have to explain how NU practices frequently work when they’re going 11-on-11. The offense stands on one sideline, the defense stands on the other and those who aren’t participating in a particular play are welcome to scream for their platoon mates and celebrate loudly when they do something right. The coaches love the enthusiasm and the competitiveness, even when it bumps close to the line of taunting.

Things were already close to a frenzy when senior wideout Andrew Brewer caught a down-and-out, turned upfield near the sideline and, instead of ending the play, dropped his shoulder and delivered a huge blow to redshirt freshman corner Caleb Harper. Because Brewer is ordinarily a gentle sort -- the Chicago Trib reported last week that he intends join the ministry after football ends -- the entire joint erupted (“Whoo! Whoo! Whoo!”) and several receivers sprinted over to celebrate with Brewer.

With emotions even higher, freshman Arby Fields had the ball on the next play and redshirt freshman safety Jared Carpenter popped him something fierce (though Fields stayed on his feet). That had the defense roaring its approval.

Things escalated even further a few plays later, though I’m not going to mention who got in a brief scrap. Anyway, that’s the type of day it was -- and fourth-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald didn’t mind at all.

“I’m very pleased with where we’re at,” he said. “You can see by the tempo, by the focus, by the enthusiasm, by the passion and the physicality of our last practice of camp shows you where we’re at. We’re kind of getting sick and tired of hitting the same-colored jerseys and the same guys. I thought we had arguably our best practice of camp today. You had the opportunity if you wanted to, if you’re a team that wasn’t focused and driven, to have a step back today…I thought the guys handled it extremely well today.”

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES:
Omar Conteh, NU’s No. 2 running back last year who graduated with a Communications degree in June, attended today’s practice and looked like he could re-join the running back corps. Conteh is entering NU’s graduate school in search of a Computer Information Systems master’s degree and intends to take the computer world by storm soon.

First, though, he needs to shake the idea that Tyrell Sutton is the running back zipping around in the white No. 19 jersey. He told NU media relations king Mike Wolf that it was gnawing at his brain how similar Sutton (now with the Green Bay Packers) and true freshman RB Arby Fields look when they move with the ball. Fields, of course, has heard that notion a time or two since arriving in Evanston.

“Every day,” said Fields, who turned down offers from UCLA, Stanford and other Pac-10 schools to come to NU.

While it’s unfair to expect Fields to make as big a freshman splash as Sutton did in 2005 (1,474 rushing yards, 44 receptions and 18 total TDs), it’s fair to say the 5-foot-9, 200-pound Alta Loma, Calif., native will make an immediate impact.

“When I hear I’m going to get some carries, it’s pretty exciting,” Fields said. “Especially being a true freshman. It’s a great opportunity and it’s such a great conference, I’m excited.”

And football isn’t the only sport where he’ll help the Wildcats immediately. He could well be NU’s leadoff hitter and starting center fielder this spring. The Atlanta Braves drafted the long-time switch-hitter (“since T-ball,” he said) in the 34th round of the June amateur draft. He would’ve gone a lot higher -- Baseball America ranked him as the West’s No. 4 outfielder -- but Fields and his family made it known that he wouldn’t forsake his football scholarship and education. Not now, anyway.

“It would have had to have been life-changing money (to change my mind),” Fields said. “I’m glad I chose this. I didn’t want to be sitting home on a Saturday saying, ‘Dang, I wish I would’ve played football.’ I didn’t want to have that lingering. I wasn’t ready to give up football.”

***Four-star recruit Patrick Ward stacks up as the only other true freshman, at this point, who has forced his way into Northwestern’s immediate plans. The Providence graduate is pushing senior Desmond Taylor at left guard. Considering the O-Line is one of the hardest places for a true freshman to break in, Ward must be something special.

“No. 1, he’s got great genetics,” Fitzgerald said. “His mom (Laurel) and dad (Brian, a former Illinois lineman) blessed him with great flexibility and great feet. He’s got an unbelievable offensive lineman’s temperament. He doesn’t get fazed. He’s a very competitive young man. And he’s extremely bright. He picked up our system very fast.”

Ward is listed at 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, but he almost looks skinny in uniform. It’ll be intriguing to see how he fills out after an offseason in the weight room.

“He’s a guard where we see him right now,” Fitzgerald said, “but he’s got a tackle body and he’s a guy that I think has a tremendously, tremendously bright future.”

By the way, Ward was the co-valedictorian of Providence's Class of 2009 and plans to study mechanical engineering.

***My last note points out just how focused Pat Fitzgerald is when it’s ball season.

As Fitz held his middle son, Ryan, after Wednesday's practice, his wife Stacy stood nearby holding on to bubbly six-month-old Brendan. I asked Fitz how many times the family visited him at Camp Kenosha. “Twice, I think,” Fitz said. Stacy corrected him in a mock-irritated tone.

“FOUR,” she said.

LW