March 3, 2004

NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane Green Wave opens 2004 spring football practices Thursday as 68 players take to the Westfeldt Facility practice fields for the first of 15 practice sessions this month. The final spring practice is scheduled for Saturday, March 27 as the team will work four days a week for the next three weeks after three sessions this week in shorts.

Tulane returns 19 starters, including kicker Barrett Pepper and punter Chris Beckman, for 2004, but must replace a pair of offensive superstars who are projected to go in the first three rounds of the 2004 NFL draft in running back Mewelde Moore, the Tulane and Conference USA all-time rushing and all-purpose yardage leader, and two-year starting quarterback J.P. Losman. In addition to Losman and Moore, the Green Wave must replace starters Nick Narcisse (wide receiver), and on defense, starting linebacker Brandt Quick and defensive lineman Terrence Tarver.

"I'm excited about spring practice starting," said Green Wave Head Coach Chris Scelfo, who is in his sixth year at the helm of the Tulane program. "We're looking forward to seeing the new quarterbacks perform and to the development of our defense. With just 12 seniors on our roster, I feel like the development of our football team from a fundamental and technical standpoint is critical during spring practice.

"We're going to concentrate this spring on getting better at the fundamentals of football - blocking, tackling, throwing and catching - as well as different situations that we will be faced with in the fall."

A trio of young players - sophomores Nick Cannon of Hahnville and Lester Ricard of Amite, along with redshirt freshman Richard Irvin from Santa Monica, Calif. - will begin their quests to succeed Losman as the Tulane starting quarterback. Cannon saw action in four games and completed two passes as Losman's back-up a year ago, while Ricard sat out the season after transferring to Tulane from LSU. Irvin spent his first year on the Tulane sidelines as he looks to follow fellow Californian Losman as the Green Wave starter.

"We've been spoiled at quarterback here since 1999 and even before," Scelfo said. "Following the past three quarterbacks here (Shaun King, Patrick Ramsey and J.P. Losman) and the legacy they have left will be a tremendous challenge for our offense."

The Green Wave offense must also replace Moore, who left Tulane with 25 school and seven Conference USA rushing, all-purpose and receiving records as a four-year starter at running back. Junior Jovon Jackson, who started two of the last three games of the season after Moore was sidelined with a broken hand and gained 377 yards on the year, is the top candidate to step into Moore's starting role, although redshirt freshman Ray Boudreaux and sophomore Max Koeck will also take snaps at that spot this spring.

"Replacing the most prolific running back in the history of Tulane Football will be a task in itself," Scelfo said. "It could very well turn out to be a running back by committee."

Several players will sit out of spring drills as they continue to rehabilitate injuries which kept them out of action in 2003, including defensive linemen Bamm Mateen, Michael Roberts and Mike Purcell. Mateen and Roberts underwent foot surgery last fall, while Purcell will rest an injured knee. Tight end Bobby Hoover, who earned a redshirt last season (as did Mateen) after suffering a broken leg will also be out this spring as will fullback Tye Graham, hampered by a bad back. The Green Wave enters the spring with just six healthy defensive linemen.

"Missing several defensive linemen this spring will hurt their development and the development of the unit as whole," Scelfo said. "But it will give an opportunity for the six other guys to continue to improve, and help is on the way in the fall with the eight freshmen defensive linemen we signed in addition to getting these injured guys healthy."

Tulane opens the 2004 season on Saturday, Sept. 4 in Starkville, Miss. versus Mississippi State. Tulane will play six home games in 2004, including three straight in September. For more information, log on to www.TulaneGreenWave.com.

-- Roll Wave --