Spring football wraps up with scrimmage today

As the calendar rolls to April, spring football is rolling to a close. The annual spring scrimmage will wrap things up today at 4 p.m.; the controlled practice will be held at the new Highers Complex fields located behind the Simpson Center and will be open to the public. Fox Sports Net will be on hand to shoot footage for its 30-minute Baylor Spring Football Special, which will air April 16 at 10 p.m.

With the Bears entering head coach Art Briles’ second season at the helm, members of the media are echoing the team’s optimism that Baylor can take another step forward this fall. New York Newsday, of all places, has the Bears listed as one of five programs nationwide “on the rise in 2009.” Besides last year’s standout freshmen Robert Griffin (“arguably the fastest quarterback in DI-A history,” according to this Sports Illustrated feature) and Kendall Wright, the Bears will feature another interesting story in Canadian-firefighter-turned-lineman Danny Watkins.

Watkins is slated to fill the shoes of graduated senior Jason Smith, who by all accounts seems likely to be either the first or second overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. Another Baylor Bear, Matt Mosley, wrote an excellent feature for ESPN.com on Smith last week.

Sic ’em, Baylor football!