So said Dana Holgorsen to Troy Vincent at the beginning of Wednesday’s practice. And I don’t know if the kids care or not, especially after they listened to him speak at a meeting today, but Troy Vincent, a five-time Pro Bowl player and one of the genuinely good guys in sports, is just walking around football practice.

There were others at practice today. Scouts from the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers were in attendance and the university president, Jim Clements, made his first appearance this summer. He’s calling for a “special” season. “We’ve got a lot of talent,” he said as the media was whisked away.

“Wait,” he said, and for a moment he made a few think he could perhaps pull strings and get our stay extended, “they just make you leave?”

Clements wore black Nike shorts and a gray WVU football T-shirt and absolutely looked like he could fill in for Eu or Paul Millard, or for Jake Spavital or Shannon Dawson, for that matter. I mention this because Dana Holgorsen wore a black pullover Monday and a light gray one Tuesday. Today?

I don’t know if he’s been outfitted by Bob Huggins or is lining up to be the next head coach of the Raiders, but let’s agree he has a commitment to excellence.

Other color combinations worth noting: Inside receiver Tyler Urban was back in his white jersey. Safety Darwin Cook and receiver Andrew Goldbaugh were in red jerseys and did not practice. I though cornerback Lawrence Smith was in green, but when I inquired, we couldn’t find him.

Yes, though, there was contact at the start of practice. And why not? Wednesday was the end of the five-day acclimatization period and on that day, and on any days thereafter, players may practice in full pads. Surely you remember that rule.

I kept an eye on the linebackers and running backs, who were engaged in the most physical combat on the field.

Andrew Buie got the better of Donovan Miles here and kept the defender outside.

Jared Barber won this battle against Nate Kajnaric.  Fine, fine. It does look better in motion than in a frozen frame.

More motion pictures? I’m going to guess you would not be surprised to learn WVU did dedicate a healthy part of the practice we were allowed to see to special teams. Not as much, what with the hitting, but some again and this time punt protection and coverage. And would you be surprised to learn Tyler Bitancurt had a field goal blocked?

I also really enjoyed watching the cornerbacks work. I often wonder what they can really do in a practice apart from going against the offense. I get that the defensive line and offensive line has no fun in practice. I’d even guess linebacker gets to be a little tedious at times, too. But what, I wondered, are cornerbacks to do to fill the time set aside for drills?

Wonder no more and remember this the next time you marvel at someone’s low stance and swift hips.

Running backs seem to have the most fun, despite the determined effort and best intentions from Robert Gillespie. Still, these guys are in constant motion and going form one drill to the next. Once moment they’re catching passes. The next they’re blocking linebackers. Later on you can spot them doing footwork and agility drills. Wednesday Gillespie sent them through the ringer.

Finally, a darkhorse candidate for MOP: Josh Jenkins has been out there every day for the entirety of practice and doing whatever he can to not only make himself useful, but to help.

“I feel worse for him more than anything just because he’s a senior,” offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh said. “It’s tough for him not to be out there, but you know what? He’s doing a heck of a job being out there, being in meetings, helping the younger guys, helping his coach. I think it’ll make him a better player next year.”

Evening post-practice update

Not much, apart from Holgorsen assailing dumb questions, albeit sarcastically. He’s also deeply frustrated with his receivers and wouldn’t so much as comment on Brad Starks because “I’ve only seen him practice, like, twice.” Yet Holgorsen continued to rave about Ryan Nehlen, who was the only bright spot Holgorsen mentioned.

“I guess his granddad needs to come to practice more,” Holgorsen said. “That’s the first time Coach Nehlen has been out there and Ryan had a pretty good day.”

Other than that, nothing. That message he may have sent to the offensive line wasn’t received, at least not in time for Wednesday’s practice — “Unfortunately not,” he said. — but you wonder if Holgorsen was even trying to send a message. He sounds pretty pragmatic, not pessimistic.

“It’s a process,” he said. “Offense, defense, special teams, you’re not going to get anything figured out overnight.”

Worth mentioning is the number of guests so far. In addition to Vincent and, I suppose, Nehlen, David McKinley was at practice Monday and a comedian was in over the weekend.Two or three more guests will come in before the season-opener.

“They get tired hearing form me and their position coaches, so we bring guys in who have some street cred to what they’re saying,” Holgorsen said.