HUNTINGTON -- Anyone who wants proof that Marshall Coach Mark Snyder has his program headed in the right direction should have been in Edwards Stadium the past two days.
There, they would have seen six National Football League scouts.
"They're showing up again," a smiling Snyder said, "which means that you have some talent."
Who are they looking at? The best bets are seniors Darius Passmore and C.J. Spillman and juniors Albert McClellan and Cody Slate.
Not that it matters. Snyder and his staff are simply happy to have them there.
"It just speaks to what's happening," said Snyder, the former Ohio State assistant coach who has received criticism for his 12-23 record in his first three seasons as Marshall's head coach.
"Since we have been here, we have had one guy drafted in three years (tailback Ahmad Bradshaw, of the New York Giants). That tells the whole story. And we have another guy in camp (offensive lineman Doug Legursky, with the Pittsburgh Steelers).
"Scouts were few and far between. Now, you're seeing two and three a day. That's always the mark of a program. Other schools I have been at, and most of these guys were headed to the previous school I was at, that just tells you what kind of talent that you have. Now, it's our job as coaches to get them in the right positions and those kind of things."
Snyder said it is difficult to gauge the players' reactions to the scouts' presence "because we haven't had very many. I know the schools I have been at, when there have been four or five (NFL scouts) there, the seniors usually had pretty good practices.
"We're just a week into camp and they're just now starting to show up," he added. "Hopefully, they're going full tilt to begin with. Then, you don't have any problems."
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TUESDAY WAS the fifth consecutive no-show for junior quarterback Wesley Beardain, whom Snyder said is dealing with personal issues in his hometown of Winona, Miss.
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ONLY THREE players were limited by non-serious injuries Tuesday -- junior tight end Maurice Graham, sophomore cornerback Pete Culicerto and freshman wide receiver Antavious Wilson.
Redshirt freshman center John Bruhin once again wore an orthopedic boot and watched his fellow offensive linemen from a distance.
Junior cornerback Zearrick Matthews and junior wide receiver Chuck Walker worked with the strength and conditioning staff on the home sideline. Both are expected to miss several weeks.
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THE SECOND of Marshall's six two-a-days is today. The first session was scheduled for this morning; the second is set for this afternoon.
Snyder still is waiting for the first sign of fatigue from his players.
"So far, so good," Snyder said. "I'm sure they'll hit that proverbial brick wall by that second practice, I'm guessing. But so far it has been pretty good."
Players might complain about training camp, but Snyder won't.
"I love it," he said. "This is what I do. I enjoy this."
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INTENSE COMPETITION is one of the reasons the players still are going strong after the opening week of preseason practice.
"You can't come out here and not perform," Snyder said. "There's no more of (those days) left anymore, hopefully.
"I have been saying it forever. Competition makes us all better. Competition breeds competition. It's hard to take a play off, which means you're getting better at your trade because you're working harder because there's somebody sitting right there on your heels trying to take your position from you."
