The Troy State football team worked out for just more than two hours on a chilly Thursday afternoon, bringing strong praise from head coach Larry Blakeney after the squad’s first full-contact practice of the spring.

The Trojans worked full-scale, offense\ on defense, for a significant portion of Thursday’s workout, with three quarterbacks getting reps while the coaching staff took a good look at new personnel.

"I liked what I saw out there," Blakeney said. "There were a couple of times that we showed some pretty good signs. We were a little rusty in spots, but I thought several players stood out above the rest, starting with our defensive backs. All of them played well and made great reads today. They seemed to be very well-prepared for what we threw at them."

Blakeney was also quick to praise first-year wide receiver Drew Amerson, a transfer from the now defunct Cal State Northridge program. Amerson enrolled at Troy State in January and will play his final collegiate season this fall. He holds the Cal State school record for receptions

(239) and receiving yards (2,958) and is expected to make a strong contribution to the "Trojan Spread" offense this fall.

"He made a few plays out there today that we saw against us last year when Cal State came here," Blakeney said. "He is going to be an explosive player for us."

Blakeney also praised the play of sophomore quarterback Hansell Bearden, who he said has "clearly established himself as No. 1."

In other news: The Trojans will be without the services of at least three significant players this spring in center Trent Garmon (shoulder and knee), defensive tackle Davern Williams (shoulder) and linebacker Robby Farmer (leg). All three are expected to return in the fall and contend for starting jobs

junior Shelton Felton will likely miss at least a week of spring work as well as he continues recovery from an offseason knee injury

the Trojans will practice on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. after originally being scheduled off. Blakeney elected to move the practice date from Tuesday, March 12.