In partnership with

Hello again, Commish here. One of our Committee members, Blu, a Norfolk State Alumnus, was able to attend the Spring Game of his Alma Mater. He wrote about the atmosphere and spring game for the Spartans. Blu talked about his experience on the Feed Your Mascot Podcast too! Enjoy!

The Green and Gold Game

The Spring Football game at Norfolk State University has been dubbed the “Green & Gold Game” for many years. It has been a marker of time regarding the impending end of the semester, the end of Spring football practice, and the start of a new football season. The 2024 season for the Spartans ended with a 4-8 season and the search for a new head coach to lead the program. To fill that role, Norfolk State has tasked former NFL player Michael Vick to coach the Spartans.

A local football legend, Coach Vick, led the team on the field to begin drills, and the best word to describe the team is “crisp.” The sound of the pads as they crashed in drills, to the movement of position groups as they reached their area on the field, to the agile motions taken by the players in those drills were sharp and well-defined. The coaches gave instruction clearly and directly, the team captains got players in position to avoid wasted valuable time, and each rep was executed to maximize the gain in their spring practice. From my vantage point on the sidelines, seeing the Spartans move at full speed was breathtaking. Each movement drill was seemingly crafted to get the most out of the young players and hone the skills of upperclassmen. Even the coaches got in the action; during a kickoff simulation drill, the blockers had two men form a wedge to block for the returner. The kicking team had three to bust the wedge and tackle the returner.

However, if the returner slipped past the defenders, the special teams coach was taking a pursuit angle on the returner and, on one rep, forced a fumble. Seeing the coaches run the reps excited the crowd, the players, and this observer of the game. Moving around the track that surrounds William “Dick” Price Stadium, I watched the linemen engage in close quarters combat.

Both coaches, for these positions, were jawing at each other as their players crashed into each other in an exchange of momentum in opposite directions. Coach Brown, offensive line coach, carried a stick with a neon green football on the end to simulate the snap. As they warred on the field, I was able to move to the secondary, where the defensive backfield showed agility and dexterity, climbing the field latter and then swinging their hips to snag the ball out of the air and take it to the House the other way. Making my way further on around the Green & Gold track, I stopped at the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receiver groups. To begin, the wide receivers were running routes and ripping the ball from the sky to turn up field. The Quarterbacks were directing traffic and getting coaching from Coach Vick himself for a moment before he moved back to the logo at the 50-yard line. As the receivers were catching passes, the running backs were doing more ladder drills and running gauntlets through a facsimile of the A-gap. Then the receivers and the backs switched. The receivers running the ladders and the running backs taking passes, then working on the mesh point. Again, the motions were crisp as the quarterbacks handed the ball off for play and the running backs cut up field. An interesting wrinkle was the installation of the Speed option to complement the Read option. A foreshadowing that would be shown later during play in the Green & Gold game. At the end of drills, the team gathered, got some words from Coach Vick, and then completed team calisthenics. This took the players into the locker room for some final preparations for the Spring Game.

Football is said to be many things by players, coaches, and fans. It’s causally referred to as a “Game of Inches," a “Game about Blocking and Tackling," or alternatively a “Game of Rules.” But as this observer has said before, it’s a game of Revolutions. Every sense of the word. Changing the fabric of The Republic, capturing the young nation from sea to shining sea, with each region showing their love for the game a different way. It’s revolutionary in its change of possession, movement about the field, cyclical nature of the seasons, and even the movement of the football itself when in flight. Ultimately, for those who follow it, football is about the epoch. A variable and indeterminable amount of time that people remember vividly. A play, lasting anywhere from 2 to 7 seconds, can loom large in the minds of those that saw it. A drive can be the fulcrum of a quarter, half, game, or even a season. A game, 60 minutes in length, can ring through history as a championship or a vivid memory of the first time seeing their favorite team on TV or in person. A season, a series of games, could never be forgotten if a downtrodden team wins double digits or a blue blood loses more than they are used to. A career of a player lasting several years can change the trajectory of a program or rewrite history books that are read for generations. A lifetime of fandom can feel the same each time a fan sees their team take the field, and hope springs eternal at each kickoff.

This holds true; as the Spartans take the field, they are greeted by music familiar to the Spartan Faithful. Clad in their Green & Gold, the same as the team they root for, as if the game is in mid-season form. The first drive sees the Spartans march down the field. The offensive line forms a phalanx to protect the Quarterback, their field general, as they approach the end zone. Stopped short, the punter comes on the field to attempt his first punt of the game. He kicked a sky-high ball, which gets pushed forward by the wind. The Spartan returner gets below it and muffs the punt, sending the offense back out. This charges the Spartan assault and leads to the first scoring of the day, a pass that gets raced across the goal line. To show this game is as serious as any, Coach Garvin, the defensive coordinator, shows fire as he gets in the ears of his players. Telling the defense, they must “Lock In” in this game. They hear him loud and clear as they get a stop on the next several drives, resulting in punts or turnovers on down. Interestingly, the Spartans move to a 7-on-7 format, taking to a faster play, five wideouts, and stressing the defensive backfield. The defense holds strong, but ultimately the offense gets another touchdown.

When the linemen get back in the game, the offense switches to a read option clinic, powering their way to the endzone for the final scoring of the game.

In all, the Men of Sparta acquitted themselves well in this game. They gave hope to a restless fan base and are expected to stand firm on words known to all Spartans, “Behold the Green and Gold!” With the season looming, Coach Vick parted with the words “Commit to the Process.” Words the entire Spartan family hopes bring success.

Thank you for reading and check out an ad from our sponsors!

We got our degree in moving and storage

Students have bigger things to worry about right now than moving, so don't bother with buying boxes, renting trucks, or coordinating move out logistics.

Here’s the deal:

• We bring boxes to your students

• We pick up everything from their room

• We keep it safe all summer

• We deliver it to their new place next semester, on or off campus

Storage Scholars handles everything you need to transition into summer break without breaking the bank.

Learn More