CAL HAS WIDE RECEIVER HOLES

San Jose Mercury
3-GAME SUSPENSION FOR DEFENSIVE BACK
By Jay Heater
Knight Ridder

As a senior at Danville's Monte Vista High in 2002, Sam DeSa caught 19 touchdown passes.
As a Cal redshirt freshman in 2004, DeSa caught one pass for 3 yards.
Obviously, Cal Coach Jeff Tedford is hoping for more.
So when spring practice began for Cal on Monday, Tedford was hoping that DeSa would begin to blossom into an impact wide receiver.
``Sam is right on the borderline,'' Tedford said. ``He needs to step up. Last year he was too inconsistent in practice. Now he needs to renew his passion for the game. This is a time when Sam can improve and get that confidence back.''
Cal lost four senior wide receivers who played key roles last season.
``This is a chance for some of these guys to separate themselves,'' Tedford said. ``Because it's going to be a whole deal new in the fall when we add the other guys.''
Those include top recruit DeSean Jackson and junior college transfer Lavell Hawkins.
• Tedford has suspended redshirt freshman defensive back Bernard Hicks for the first three games of the season after his arrest on a charge of marijuana possession.
Receiver Robert Jordan was with Hicks at the time of his arrest Feb. 27 in Berkeley and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
The charge, Tedford said, was dropped, but Jordan will be suspended for the first game, Sept. 3 against Sacramento State.
• Redshirt freshman linebacker Worrell Williams (6-foot, 245 pounds) has lost about 10 pounds during Cal's off-season training program.
``He is in better shape,'' Tedford said. ``In the beginning, it was tough for him. It's hard for freshmen to learn the commitment that they have to make, but that's what the off-season conditioning program is for. It's going to be fun seeing him play at 245 pounds. He is a guy who can run around and put a lick on people.''
Cal lost senior linebackers Wendell Hunter, Francis Blay-Miezah, Sid Slater and Joe Maningo, so Williams will have the opportunity to earn a starting spot.
• Sophomore Thomas DeCoud (6-3, 190) is expected to earn a starting role at free safety during spring workouts. DeCoud had been projected as a cornerback out of Pinole Valley High.
`Ultimately he will be a safety for us,'' Tedford said. ``It's more of a need thing, and he has the physical, inside game to play safety. We will continue to work with him at both positions.''
• Inexperience could be an issue for the Bears.
``We talked as a staff and reminded each other that we are not the team we were last year,'' Tedford said. ``We lost 26 guys and a lot of them were seniors. During spring practice, there will be mistakes made out there.''
• Tedford said he checked with the NCAA on Monday and didn't receive a decision on receiver Chase Lyman's petition for a sixth year of eligibility. Lyman can't practice until the NCAA announces its decision.
• Tedford said he voted for instant replay, which the Pacific-10 Conference is utilizing this season.