Many of the newest members of the Colorado football team reported for their first official day in the program Monday at a 7 a.m. meeting in the Dal Ward Center. The day was busy and long but exciting, too.

Members of the 2009 recruiting class on campus beginning college careers Monday included freshmen wide receivers Jarrod Darden and Terdema Ussery, both of whom will be counted on that much more for immediate contributions this fall in the wake of Josh Smith’s departure.

Ussery, at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, says he is ready for the challenge and expects to play as a true freshman because coaches have told him to have that expectation. He also understands its that much more likely with Smith no longer wearing black and gold.

“It’s one thing for them to say that, but I have to put in the work to be ready,” Ussery said. “I’m going to do that.”

Ussery said he was given a small packet of material to study to familiarize himself with the CU offense before arriving in Boulder. He expects to learn much more from current players in seven-on-seven work, which also started Monday with a 6:15 p.m. throwing session.

Ussery said he wants to be a complete receiver capable of doing it all, but with Smith leaving someone will have to fill the void left in the speed and stretching the field department. Ussery believes he can do that.Smith was one of the two fastest players on the team in testing conducted prior to spring practices. The only player to clock a faster 40-yard dash time this year was cornerback Jimmy Smith.

“I hope that if I wasn’t as fast as Josh, that I can make up for it in other attributes,” Ussery said.”I definitely feel I can stretch the field and that I’m a threat deep-ball wise.”

CU announced late Monday that coach Dan Hawkins will be coaching the wide receiver position this fall with help from defensive technical intern Ashley Ambrose, who will take over as wide receivers coach next year. Graduate assistant Skyler Fulton and offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau also will help out with the receivers.

Ussery looks forward to learning from all of them and believes he’ll benefit this year from being around Hawkins and in the future from Ambrose’s long experience on the defensive side of the ball. Ambrose played 13 seasons in the NFL as a defensive back.

“It just means that another extremely knowledgable person like coach Kiesau can just further my learning in football,” he said. “I think it’s great. That rounded perspective of everything definitely gives us an advantage when it comes to understanding defenses and our assignments in blocking and stuff like that.”

Ussery has high expectations of himself. It’s a characteristic he learned from his parents. His father, Terdema Ussery II is the President and CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. You can learn about him hereYouTube Preview Image

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