Humphrey ready for new season
8/1/2013 10:30:00 AM | Football
Last season the Golden Flashes finished with two consecutive heartbreaking seven-point losses in the Mid-American Conference championship and GoDaddy.com Bowl. Nevertheless, Kent State made their first and bowl appearances in over 40 years and captured a MAC East title. The winning season was Kent State's third in 35 years.
This summer junior wide receiver Chris Humphrey and the rest of the Golden Flashes football team are working hard to improve on an impressive 2012-13 campaign. They are also eager to rid themselves of the sour taste from those final two games.
"We know that we have a target on our chest since we did so well last year," Humphrey said. "Obviously this year we want to get back to the MAC championship and get to another bowl game to keep that streak going. We want to keep that winning tradition going."
Summer days start at around 8 a.m. for Humphrey and the rest of the team. The day begins with lifting and running. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the quarterbacks will set a time for the skill position players to meet for seven-on-seven drills. The drills are important for building chemistry between the wide receivers and quarterbacks. Humphrey likes to sprinkle in extra activities on his own to improve his strength and agility.
"I'm working on gaining weight and better footwork," said Humphrey. "Getting stronger in the weight room and working on getting quicker and faster, more explosive than last year"
Humphrey was fourth in catches and receiving yards for the Golden Flashes. Unfortunately, he did not register a touchdown last year, although he did have a receiving touchdown in this year's spring game.
When asked if he had any individual goals for the upcoming season he joked, "at least score a touchdown this season."
Along with improving his own physical play, Humphrey talked about the importance of helping his fellow teammates improve.
"My goal is to help these younger kids," he said. "Because if they can't play, then they can't help me or the team"
The Flashes will need all of the leaders they can find as they begin a new era. The Golden Flashes will be in their first year under new head coach Paul Haynes. Haynes played defensive back for Kent State from 1987 to 1991. He was the defensive coordinator at Arkansas last season and spent seven years serving as Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
Humphrey talked about how he has noticed some differences between Haynes and former head coach Darrell Hazell, who is now at Purude.
"There are a lot of little changes from the old coaching staff," he said. "Coach Haynes is more of a defensive, get-dirty coach. This spring coach Haynes had us in pads, going after it almost every day ... (The changes are) something you just have to do. For me it has not been real difficult. If coach tells you to do something, you do it."
The 2013-2014 Golden Flashes will also go through a change at quarterback. Spencer Keith has graduated leaving the position open to competition between senior David Fisher, redshirt freshman Colin Reardon, and freshman Nathan Strock.
"For me it is not really that difficult to change quarterbacks because you have to play to how the quarterback throws," said Humphrey. "And I have been changing quarterbacks my whole life."
The season will begin with a challenging non-conference schedule that includes back-to-back games at Louisiana State and Penn State.
"I'm most excited to play LSU and Penn State," he said. "Those are the two big teams we will be playing. We want to show them the MAC is not just some small conference that can't hang with the big boys."
Story by Matthew Moore
Kent State Intern
