Observations from first Charlotte 49ers football practice

Observations from the 49ers' first official football practice on Monday afternoon:

-- Eighty-five players -- all dressed in green 49ers football T-shirts, black shorts and black socks -- showed up for what was a historical day for the program -- the first on-field practice for a team that doesn't play until Aug. 31, 2013. At exactly 3 p.m., strength and conditioning coach Jim Durning blew his whistle and the 49ers got to work on their new practice fields adjacent to the stadium.

-- The 50-minute practice started with agility and running drills. In 85-degree heat, the players wrapped up that portion of the practice with several 100-yard sprints. Then they split off into position groups, where coaches ran briefly ran them through some drills.

-- One player stood out in the conditioning drills. Daquan Lucas, a free safety from St. Stephen, S.C., did a full split as he warmed up, prompting one teammate to say he could never do that. Lucas then led the way in the sprints, getting encouragement from his position coach James Adams, who shouted, "Come on, 'Quan!"


-- Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jeff Mullen worked with his group -- Karsten Miller, Matt Johnson, Lee McNeil and Kyle Hoffman -- focusing on foot work and on passing. He likened the arc and distance of the players' passes to how he hits a golf ball. "I talk a lot in golf clubs," Mullen said, motioning with his arm how the ball might be thrown. "Two-iron, three iron, five iron ..."

-- Two players didn't work out because of injuries -- strong safety Danny Leonardi (ankle) and sophomore lineman Monte Golden (foot) ...Three transfers are on the roster -- sophomore offensive tackle Daniel Book (Albany), sophomore offensive tackle Peter Fields (Findlay, Ohio) and junior nose tackle Duke Mosby (Wake Forest). Mosby played in five games last season for the Deacons before being dismissed from the team for breaking undisclosed team rules. Fields played in nine games last season for Division II Findlay ... The 49ers will continue with conditioning drills for three weeks before going into a more traditional mode of practice in September ... The turf in the stadium is nearly completely installed. The outside of the field is ringed with gold and the end zones are black.

-- Story: 49ers practice for first football game – a year away

-- Photos: 1st day of drills