TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Being in charge of the special teams is a more difficult job than is commonly thought. The special teams coach isn't just a jack-of-all-trades, but has to be a master in the arts of how to return kicks while – at the same time – has to know how to break through and disrupt them from the other side. Not to mention, when the game is on the line late in close games, it's down to the kicker and that special teams unit to get the job done.
 
ISU special teams coordinator Kevin Abrams is looking forward to that challenge as he leads the Sycamore special teams in his first full-time coaching gig.
 
"I'll challenge these guys mentally as much as I will physically," Abrams said. "In terms of the fundamentals of the game – blocking, tackling, pursuit to the ball – it's also about the classroom and teaching these guys what the game is all about."
 
Abrams spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant at Vanderbilt and had a brief stint in Buffalo as a GA following five seasons as a student assistant and quality control coach at Illinois from 2009-13 – including a couple years while current ISU head coach Curt Mallory was on staff.
 
"I've always hoped to work with him," Abrams said. "He's a fantastic leader and has the utmost integrity and really does things the right way. He cares about his coaches, his players and everybody in the institution."
 
Abrams is no stranger to the art of special teams though, as he has studied the craft nearly his entire professional career with the special teams while at Illinois and Vanderbilt (at Buffalo, he worked with the defensive backs and wide receivers).
 
So far, Abrams has liked what he has seen with the Sycamore special teams crew.
 
"The most important thing that I've seen is that these young men are intentional about their work," Abrams said. "They come out there and they have a good time, they have fun and that's what it's all about, but they're also very serious when we get down to business."
 
Abrams' main coaching philosophy with the special teams is that of being an educator in practice for any situation imaginable so instinct can kick in during the game.
 
"We'll expose our players to a different football situation every day on special teams," Abrams said. "Something that they can learn, whether it be a new rule or a new game situation. And not only will we preach how to be mentally aware and situationally aware, but we're going to show them examples every single day."
 
Abrams landed in a very good situation, though, as he inherits one of the top FCS kickers in the nation in sophomore Jerry Nunez. As a freshman, Nunez led the Valley in field goal percentage (83.3) and was ninth nationally with 15 field goals made en route to Second-Team All-MVFC honors.
 
"Jerry is a very confident young man," Abrams said. "He also has a very calm, cool demeanor that is fantastic for what he does and for what all the specialists need. They need to be able to take a situation, flush out all the external factors and focus on their process and what they're doing at that point in time."
 
Simply put, Abrams' key message going forward with his unit this year can be boiled down to one word: positivity.
 
"When we hit the field, we're gonna go in with a positive attitude and a positive frame of mind, and go in with the confidence that we're going to get the job done," Abrams said.
 
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Practice today was actually cancelled due to the monstrous storms that blew through Terre Haute this afternoon – the second of which included quite a nasty hail storm.
 
Thus, today's practice has been rescheduled for 5:45 a.m. tomorrow morning with plans for the scrimmage on Saturday still slated for 11:15 a.m.
 
Day 5 (March 31): 5:45-7:15 a.m.
Day 6 (April 1; 1st Scrimmage): 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
 
Day 7 (April 4): 5:15-7:15 a.m.
Day 8 (April 6): 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Day 9 (April 8; 2nd Scrimmage): 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
 
Day 10 (April 11): 5:15-7:15 a.m.
Day 11 (April 13): 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Day 12 (April 14): TBA
 
Day 13 (April 18): 5:15-7:15 a.m.
Day 14 (April 20): 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Day 15 (April 21, Spring Game): 4:00 p.m.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Football team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.