Eastern Michigan Athletics
New Faces, Familiar Energy: EMU Football Kicks Off Spring Slate
3/10/2025 9:56:00 PM | Football
The Green and White will prep 13 more times before hosting its annual spring game, April 11
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Under bright skies and unseasonably warm temperatures, Eastern Michigan University football officially launched its 2025 spring season Monday, March 10, with what Head Coach Chris Creighton calls "Opportunity #1." It marked the first of 15 critical sessions to build the foundation for the fall — a foundation filled with new faces and returning leaders hungry for growth.
"It was gonna be awesome no matter what, but to be out here under sunny skies and 60-some degrees? It was phenomenal," Creighton said with a smile. "There's a great energy, and it's just a lot of fun being back out here."
Laying the Foundation
With 24 new players entering the mix, the first day emphasized the basics — route running, footwork, and team-first mentality. After weeks of offseason "mat drills" and early morning work, Creighton noted that Monday was about translating winter work into spring results.
"Matt drills and the offseason build up to these 15 opportunities to get better," Creighton said. "We've got a pretty good base now with the new guys learning our culture, and today was the start of putting football on top of that. Everyone is hungry. Everyone's excited."
While working through a 20-period practice, the Eagles installed the base offensive and defensive schemes. Creighton acknowledged that spring is about smart growth — emphasizing learning over physicality, especially in helmet-only practices.
"It's day one, but it's not the first time we've talked about how we run our offense and defense," Creighton explained. "From practice one to two, we expect massive improvement. That's where we want to make the big jump."
Discipline on Defense, Opportunity on Offense
Defensively, the message was clear: discipline is the name of the game. "We have one goal defensively, and that's discipline," Creighton stated firmly. "It's going to show itself in a ton of ways, and that's how we'll measure ourselves."
On offense, new leadership is emerging along the offensive line and in the backfield — areas undergoing significant change.
Senior offensive lineman Mickey Rewolinski (Caledonia, Wis./Union Grove), who took significant reps at center, knows the importance of every snap in these early practices.
"Felt great to get back out here, knock some rust off," Rewolinski said. "We've got a lot of young guys ready to prove themselves this spring, especially on the O-line. A lot of guys don't have much game experience, so it's good to get these reps, get better, and get ready for Saturdays."
Under a new offensive line coach, Rewolinski sees a fresh edge to the group's approach.
"Honestly, it's the aggressiveness he brings — play hard, play fast," Rewolinski noted. "I think that'll help us, especially the young guys, to learn faster and get better every day."
For Rewolinski, personally, spring is also about refining his own game. "Biggest takeaway today? I've got to get in better shape," he said, chuckling. "First day, you realize football shape is different. But also, becoming better at snapping — that's a priority for me."
Veteran Leadership and a Team-First Mentality
In the defensive backfield, Jaden Price (Brentwood, Calif./Heritage/Diablo Valley), entering his final spring, embraced both his role as a leader and the significance of each practice.
"It was great, really. All that work, the winter practices, mat drills at 5 a.m. — it's paying off," Price said. "You're sacrificing your time just for this moment. Sun's out, everybody's having a good time, but it's about work. About getting better."
For Price, the offseason focus has been holistic, with an emphasis on faith and leadership.
"My faith in the Lord comes first. That gives me motivation to serve Him and others, then work on myself," Price shared. "He's blessed me with health, strength, and motivation to be out here and glorify Him in all I do."
Price believes the pieces are there for a secondary group that has both returning and new players—it's about growth and accountability.
And like his coach, Price echoed the "team first" message displayed on the board throughout practice.
"Team first means to be great. It means putting others before yourself. You put them on a pedestal so that the team's success comes before you, and everything good will follow from that," Price emphasized.
Spring Goals: Growth, Chemistry, and Unity
With just 15 total practices — and now only 14 remaining — the sense of urgency is present, but the focus remains on steady, daily improvement.
"For this four-week span, I think the biggest challenge is to grow, to become one," Rewolinski said. "So that when spring ends and we get into the summer and fall, we've built that foundation of being a team."
For Price, it's also about cherishing each day.
"This is my last spring. You only get 15 of these. I want to appreciate this opportunity and make each one special," Price said.
As Eastern Michigan football continues its march toward the annual spring game on April 11, Creighton's goal remains clear: build discipline, leadership, and a team-first culture that will define the Eagles long after the spring sun sets.
"Ultimately, we're a team. It's not just about competition or anger. It's about coming together — team first," Creighton said. "And today, we took the first step."
Below is a full schedule for this year's spring practices:
OPPORTUNITY 1: Monday, March 10
OPPORTUNITY 2: Wednesday, March 12
OPPORTUNITY 3: Friday, March 14
OPPORTUNITY 4: Monday, March 17
OPPORTUNITY 5: Wednesday, March 19
OPPORTUNITY 6: Friday, March 21
OPPORTUNITY 7: Monday, March 24
OPPORTUNITY 8: Wednesday, March 26
OPPORTUNITY 9: Friday, March 28
OPPORTUNITY 10: Monday, March 31
OPPORTUNITY 11: Wednesday, April 2
OPPORTUNITY 12: Friday, April 4
OPPORTUNITY 13: Monday, April 7
OPPORTUNITY 14: Wednesday, April 9
OPPORTUNITY 15: Friday, April 11 - Spring game
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Under bright skies and unseasonably warm temperatures, Eastern Michigan University football officially launched its 2025 spring season Monday, March 10, with what Head Coach Chris Creighton calls "Opportunity #1." It marked the first of 15 critical sessions to build the foundation for the fall — a foundation filled with new faces and returning leaders hungry for growth.
"It was gonna be awesome no matter what, but to be out here under sunny skies and 60-some degrees? It was phenomenal," Creighton said with a smile. "There's a great energy, and it's just a lot of fun being back out here."
Laying the Foundation
With 24 new players entering the mix, the first day emphasized the basics — route running, footwork, and team-first mentality. After weeks of offseason "mat drills" and early morning work, Creighton noted that Monday was about translating winter work into spring results.
"Matt drills and the offseason build up to these 15 opportunities to get better," Creighton said. "We've got a pretty good base now with the new guys learning our culture, and today was the start of putting football on top of that. Everyone is hungry. Everyone's excited."
While working through a 20-period practice, the Eagles installed the base offensive and defensive schemes. Creighton acknowledged that spring is about smart growth — emphasizing learning over physicality, especially in helmet-only practices.
"It's day one, but it's not the first time we've talked about how we run our offense and defense," Creighton explained. "From practice one to two, we expect massive improvement. That's where we want to make the big jump."
Discipline on Defense, Opportunity on Offense
Defensively, the message was clear: discipline is the name of the game. "We have one goal defensively, and that's discipline," Creighton stated firmly. "It's going to show itself in a ton of ways, and that's how we'll measure ourselves."
On offense, new leadership is emerging along the offensive line and in the backfield — areas undergoing significant change.
Senior offensive lineman Mickey Rewolinski (Caledonia, Wis./Union Grove), who took significant reps at center, knows the importance of every snap in these early practices.
"Felt great to get back out here, knock some rust off," Rewolinski said. "We've got a lot of young guys ready to prove themselves this spring, especially on the O-line. A lot of guys don't have much game experience, so it's good to get these reps, get better, and get ready for Saturdays."
Under a new offensive line coach, Rewolinski sees a fresh edge to the group's approach.
"Honestly, it's the aggressiveness he brings — play hard, play fast," Rewolinski noted. "I think that'll help us, especially the young guys, to learn faster and get better every day."
For Rewolinski, personally, spring is also about refining his own game. "Biggest takeaway today? I've got to get in better shape," he said, chuckling. "First day, you realize football shape is different. But also, becoming better at snapping — that's a priority for me."
Veteran Leadership and a Team-First Mentality
In the defensive backfield, Jaden Price (Brentwood, Calif./Heritage/Diablo Valley), entering his final spring, embraced both his role as a leader and the significance of each practice.
"It was great, really. All that work, the winter practices, mat drills at 5 a.m. — it's paying off," Price said. "You're sacrificing your time just for this moment. Sun's out, everybody's having a good time, but it's about work. About getting better."
For Price, the offseason focus has been holistic, with an emphasis on faith and leadership.
"My faith in the Lord comes first. That gives me motivation to serve Him and others, then work on myself," Price shared. "He's blessed me with health, strength, and motivation to be out here and glorify Him in all I do."
Price believes the pieces are there for a secondary group that has both returning and new players—it's about growth and accountability.
And like his coach, Price echoed the "team first" message displayed on the board throughout practice.
"Team first means to be great. It means putting others before yourself. You put them on a pedestal so that the team's success comes before you, and everything good will follow from that," Price emphasized.
Spring Goals: Growth, Chemistry, and Unity
With just 15 total practices — and now only 14 remaining — the sense of urgency is present, but the focus remains on steady, daily improvement.
"For this four-week span, I think the biggest challenge is to grow, to become one," Rewolinski said. "So that when spring ends and we get into the summer and fall, we've built that foundation of being a team."
For Price, it's also about cherishing each day.
"This is my last spring. You only get 15 of these. I want to appreciate this opportunity and make each one special," Price said.
As Eastern Michigan football continues its march toward the annual spring game on April 11, Creighton's goal remains clear: build discipline, leadership, and a team-first culture that will define the Eagles long after the spring sun sets.
"Ultimately, we're a team. It's not just about competition or anger. It's about coming together — team first," Creighton said. "And today, we took the first step."
Below is a full schedule for this year's spring practices:
OPPORTUNITY 1: Monday, March 10
OPPORTUNITY 2: Wednesday, March 12
OPPORTUNITY 3: Friday, March 14
OPPORTUNITY 4: Monday, March 17
OPPORTUNITY 5: Wednesday, March 19
OPPORTUNITY 6: Friday, March 21
OPPORTUNITY 7: Monday, March 24
OPPORTUNITY 8: Wednesday, March 26
OPPORTUNITY 9: Friday, March 28
OPPORTUNITY 10: Monday, March 31
OPPORTUNITY 11: Wednesday, April 2
OPPORTUNITY 12: Friday, April 4
OPPORTUNITY 13: Monday, April 7
OPPORTUNITY 14: Wednesday, April 9
OPPORTUNITY 15: Friday, April 11 - Spring game
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