Under the Surface

I glossed over the football stories yesterday without really reading into any of them. Yesterday I referenced Trent Steelman's apparently forgiven off-the-field issue, and completely missed the mention of his on-the-field issue - via Sal Interdonato's Aug. 19th practice blog:

Sophomore quarterback Trent Steelman, who was banged up, was held out of contact drills.

Junior Max Jenkins took first-team snaps. Senior Chip Bowden was the second-team quarterback.

I don't know if "banged up" is a euphemism for Steelman's honor code transgressions, I kind of hope it is, because Army's offense would be starting from scratch without Steelman under center.

Personnel stories dominated the week's news as LB Andrew Rodriguez missed some time to injury.

Starting whip linebacker Andrew Rodriguez continues to be held out with a back injury. Army is preparing itself just in case Rodriguez isn’t ready for the Sept. 4 season opener at Eastern Michigan. Sophomore Nate Combs moved from bandit (defensive line/linebacker combo) to whip linebacker and sophomore Jarrett Mackey is now playing the bandit.

Sal looks at one of the defensive noobs as a replacement.

He may be Army's most versatile defender. (Nate) Combs worked with the first-team defense, playing middle linebacker and bandit, a combination defensive lineman/linebacker, in the spring.

He moved to whip linebacker to fill the void of junior Andrew Rodriguez in the preseason. Rodriguez, the team's leading tackler last season, has sat out the preseason with a back injury.

Lastly, Sal lists Army's first 2011 football commitment.

Offensive lineman Nick Bennett of Eastern High in Louisville, Ky. became the first high school senior to verbally commit to Army last weekend, according to the Courier-Journal.

Bennett, a 6-foot-2, 275 pounder, chose Army over Navy.

 Cool.