Star RB appears recovered from hip injury
By Jonathan Okanes
Cal tailback Jahvid Best took a pitch from quarterback Nate Longshore during red zone practice, raced toward the goal line before being crushed by linebacker Anthony Felder. "Come on, get up," murmured an onlooker in the stands. Best did, and by doing so conquered yet another item off his checklist during his recovery from an injured hip. The Bears held their first practice of camp in full pads Friday, and Best took a number of shots from the defense. There were no complications, helping to alleviate perhaps the last remaining fear about their star tailback. "It felt good today," Best said. "I don't have a doubt about it in my mind. But it definitely builds up my confidence." The Bears proceeded very cautiously with Best after he suffered the injury last November in a game against USC. They held him out of spring practice then had the training staff put him through two weeks of simulated two-a-day practices during the summer.
Best passed every test, but the team couldn't simulate the impact of getting hit during live action. Best said Friday provided him with a sigh of relief but acknowledged the rest of camp will present more tests. "There still is a lot more camp to go," he said. "You can't just throw it out the window already. We'll just see how it keeps going." Best carried the ball several times during 11-on-11 drills throughout practice and weathered a handful of solid hits. "That's good for him," Cal Coach Jeff Tedford said.
Cal's defense, playing its first practice in pads in its new 3-4 defense, had a good day, especially against the run. One concern about the new scheme is how the Bears will do against power running teams now that they are playing with one less defensive lineman. "It was a good first day," Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory said. "I think the guys did well and executed fast. That's always really good to see, especially with the new wrinkles we have. Longshore played with the first team and Kevin Riley ran the second unit.
Safety Brett Johnson (knee) and defensive lineman Cody Jones (ankle) remain out of practice. Running back Shane Vereen (ankle) returned to practice but was limited to just individual drills.
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