Graced with some familiar faces Thursday night, Troy football finished up its first week of non-contact spring practice under new head coach Neal Brown.

Saturday, the Trojans will put on the pads for the first time this spring for contact drills and practice.

“Great energy on the second day of spring practice,” Brown said. “We had a lot of energy. A lot of improvement. We aren’t there yet, but I thought our energy was good.”

Thursday marked Academic Day at practice for the Troy football team where players were encouraged to invite their favorite professor or other Troy faculty member to practice.

Also on hand at practice were former Troy and current Baltimore Ravens safety Brynden Trawick and former Troy wide receiver and current NFL free agent Jerrel Jernigan.

“It was another big crowd out here for the Trojans,” Brown said. “It was great having Brynden and Jerrel back and it is always great to have our own back to watch us.”

With another day under its belt, Troy is working to digest and master the new schemes that Brown has been implementing.

While the team is not exactly where he wants them yet, the head coach said the team is headed in the right direction and he is looking forward to seeing what his team brings to the table on Saturday when they put the pads on for the first time this spring.

“We’re throwing a lot at these guys in two days,” Brown said. “But when you’re having effort and you’re having energy, you’ve got a chance. On Saturday, we’ll put the pads on and I think we’ll find a little more out about what we’ve got.”