Completed Event: Football at Fordham on October 18, 2025 , Win , 30, to, 13
Final
Football
at Fordham
30
13
Big Green Continue Improving Through Week Two of Spring Camp
4/20/2025 7:14:00 PM | Football
Dartmouth is now halfway through its spring schedule
HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth football team has wrapped up week two of spring practice, with a hungry group of student-athletes and coaches getting better every day. The Big Green have reached the halfway point of the spring, with an off week followed by two more weeks leading into the spring game on Saturday, May 10.
Sammy McCorkle, Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach, has continued to stress understanding that mistakes will be made, but making them assertively, at full speed.
"We have a good mix of guys with some experience, and we've got a number of guys who haven't played much," he said. "You can tell those guys are swimming a little bit right now, but the biggest thing we've stressed and talked about all the time is just keep playing fast. You're going to make mistakes so if you do, make it full speed."
Rising senior offensive lineman Delby Lemieux has reflected on the growth he and his teammates have made in their careers.
"I look around some of my other senior teammates, seeing how much we've grown, and seeing guys change into all those leadership roles and bringing all the underclassmen along," he said. "We've got a great group of senior guys with a lot of experience, guys who are hungry and want to play.
"We graduated a lot of guys last year, but we brought a lot back, too," Lemieux continued. "That presents a really special opportunity in terms of competition in practice right now. Iron sharpens iron. You're seeing a lot of guys fly around the field, getting each other better."
Practice has been far from perfect, but that's what the spring is for — an opportunity to learn and grow. It's about how you respond.
"Today, we have came out a little slow," said McCorkle following Thursday's practice. "I thought our guys were feeling their way through it a little bit being our fifth practice, a little bit of soreness, but as we started getting going, we started picking it up. I want to make sure they understand we have to come out fast and finish strong, but I really thought as the practice went on, a lot of our older guys did a good job of picking it up and holding guys accountable. And overall, we ended the way we wanted to."
As assistant coach Braxton Chapman said, the spring is about fundamentals. The Big Green don't have to worry about an opponents to prepare for, just themselves.
"Guys are out here, they're hungry and they want to compete," he said. "Guys want to be coached. They're playing hard, playing fast."
Chapman is in a new role as special teams coordinator (along with his role as running backs coach) and couldn't be more excited for the opportunity.
"I'm super fired up," he said. "Even though my time as a player, special teams has always been very important to me. We have a really, really rich tradition here. Guys are bought in, and they care about special teams. It also helps having coaches like Coach McCorkle, who was special teams coordinate for a long time, being able to lean on him and a lot of other resources."
It hasn't been a fluke that the Big Green have won four Ivy League Championships in the last five seasons. As student-athletes graduate and coaches change roles, one thing stays the same. Dartmouth football knows how to succeed, on and off the field.
What is that?
"Everybody here is truly investing in this program," said Chapman. "They want to be here. They want to win at a high level. They want to be coached. They want to be developed.
"It's truly a player-led culture," he continued. "Guys here are super close. They love playing together. They love being around each other, and we have that type of environment where you'll do anything for the guy next to you."
Specific to this spring, the Big Green are continuing to improve, and the coaching staff couldn't ask for more.
"[Our players] are doing a very good job with each practice of learning from the previous one, correcting mistakes and limiting those with each practice going forward," said McCorkle
Sammy McCorkle, Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach, has continued to stress understanding that mistakes will be made, but making them assertively, at full speed.
"We have a good mix of guys with some experience, and we've got a number of guys who haven't played much," he said. "You can tell those guys are swimming a little bit right now, but the biggest thing we've stressed and talked about all the time is just keep playing fast. You're going to make mistakes so if you do, make it full speed."
Rising senior offensive lineman Delby Lemieux has reflected on the growth he and his teammates have made in their careers.
"I look around some of my other senior teammates, seeing how much we've grown, and seeing guys change into all those leadership roles and bringing all the underclassmen along," he said. "We've got a great group of senior guys with a lot of experience, guys who are hungry and want to play.
"We graduated a lot of guys last year, but we brought a lot back, too," Lemieux continued. "That presents a really special opportunity in terms of competition in practice right now. Iron sharpens iron. You're seeing a lot of guys fly around the field, getting each other better."
Practice has been far from perfect, but that's what the spring is for — an opportunity to learn and grow. It's about how you respond.
"Today, we have came out a little slow," said McCorkle following Thursday's practice. "I thought our guys were feeling their way through it a little bit being our fifth practice, a little bit of soreness, but as we started getting going, we started picking it up. I want to make sure they understand we have to come out fast and finish strong, but I really thought as the practice went on, a lot of our older guys did a good job of picking it up and holding guys accountable. And overall, we ended the way we wanted to."
As assistant coach Braxton Chapman said, the spring is about fundamentals. The Big Green don't have to worry about an opponents to prepare for, just themselves.
"Guys are out here, they're hungry and they want to compete," he said. "Guys want to be coached. They're playing hard, playing fast."
Chapman is in a new role as special teams coordinator (along with his role as running backs coach) and couldn't be more excited for the opportunity.
"I'm super fired up," he said. "Even though my time as a player, special teams has always been very important to me. We have a really, really rich tradition here. Guys are bought in, and they care about special teams. It also helps having coaches like Coach McCorkle, who was special teams coordinate for a long time, being able to lean on him and a lot of other resources."
It hasn't been a fluke that the Big Green have won four Ivy League Championships in the last five seasons. As student-athletes graduate and coaches change roles, one thing stays the same. Dartmouth football knows how to succeed, on and off the field.
What is that?
"Everybody here is truly investing in this program," said Chapman. "They want to be here. They want to win at a high level. They want to be coached. They want to be developed.
"It's truly a player-led culture," he continued. "Guys here are super close. They love playing together. They love being around each other, and we have that type of environment where you'll do anything for the guy next to you."
Specific to this spring, the Big Green are continuing to improve, and the coaching staff couldn't ask for more.
"[Our players] are doing a very good job with each practice of learning from the previous one, correcting mistakes and limiting those with each practice going forward," said McCorkle
Locked in#TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/HVy6phbV5b
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) April 16, 2025
Young Guy & The Vet talk Spring Ball#TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/5BOL7msHz6
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) April 16, 2025
Maximizing the opportunities #TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/jlAalXMn59
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) April 18, 2025
1st half of spring ball down#TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/v2MpnCd4lw
— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) April 19, 2025
At the end of week two of @DartmouthFTBL spring ball, hear from assistant coach Braxton Chapman, who is the Big Green's new special teams coordinator (along with his role as running backs coach)! #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods🌲 pic.twitter.com/HPrz8TF898
— Dartmouth Athletics (@dartmouthsports) April 20, 2025
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