Emotions were running high as members of the Texas Tech football team put on shoulder pads for the first time in spring practice Saturday morning.
Toward the end of practice, scuffles broke out among offensive and defensive players on two consecutive plays.
Tech football coach Mike Leach said he is not concerned about the incidents.
"I don't guess they'll hurt each other," Leach said. "(They've) got pads."
Junior running back Shannon Woods said incidents on the field are to be expected because players are trying to make names for themselves.
"I'm kind of actually surprised that there weren't more (scuffles)," Woods said. "Coming here my freshman year, normally, it was me all in the middle of them. It's really about trying to prove something; that's why you don't see the older guys getting into it because we've already been there, done that."
Woods took over for former Tech running back Taurean Henderson after the 2005 season. In the 2006 season, Woods rushed for more yards (926) in a season than any back at Tech since Leach began his coaching tenure in December 1999. Woods said his approach to working for those yards is just to react to what the defense gives him; the contact is not an issue with him.
"Really, I don't think exactly what I'm going to try to do, if I'm going try to run them over or make a move on them," Woods said. "If I need to run a guy over, I'm going try to do it."
Senior linebacker Kellen Tillman said intensity in practice will improve the squad in the long run.
"Anytime you put the pads on, a lot more emotions come out," Tillman said. "With people playing more emotional, I think that helps our football team. We play better together, and the team chemistry (improves) - there will be occasional cheap shots and arguments, but it's all part of spring football."
Tillman, who has been granted a sixth year by the NCAA, is looking to improve on his 42 tackles from last season now that the teammates have pads on.
"My thing that I would like to work on a little more is my anticipation and my tackling," he said. "That's something I was really down on myself about last season. Just coming out, everyday that's something I want to focus on, like getting my feet set and breaking down and not try to overrun receivers."
Safety Joe Garcia returns for his senior season as the leading tackler from last season. He said he had a little trouble getting back to game speed Saturday.
"With our offense, they create a lot of holes," Garcia said. "You have to break down and make sure you have form tackling - the big hits will come, but you have to make the routine tackles. I was missing a couple tackles trying to get used to the speed again."
Leach said Saturday's practice was up to par for this point in spring practices.
"This is the point where they are probably about as sore as they are going to be - (the) third day," Leach said. "So, I thought it was pretty good work. I thought it was sloppy, but it wasn't any worse than the typical third day."
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