Buffs Camp Notes: What Laviska Shenault learned from the NCAA Elite Football Symposium

Eleven practices down. Fourteen to go.

We’ve hit the dog days of camp and Mel Tucker has noticed the effects.

Laviska Shenault is improving his brand

Each spring, over 300 of the top draft prospects are invited to Indianapolis to compete in the NFL Combine. Over 6 million fans watch as these athletes work out and speak to the media.

But a more select group — this year there were only 25 attendees — also head out to Indianapolis, though much more quietly. These are 25 of college football’s elite non-draft eligible athletes.

The NCAA Elite Football Symposium is designed to teach student-athletes who are likely to become professionals the nuances of the financial side of the NFL. Things like how to choose an agent, how contracts work and how to buy insurance that would proctect against an injury that stops them from getting a contract.

This year, Laviska Shenault was the lone Buff in attendance.

“I know a lot now,” Shenault told BSN Denver. “I’ve got a whole book full of notes.”

The symposium also taught athletes how to build a brand. NFL teams want the most talented players on their rosters but if a player is well-known on social media, he’s going to bring in a lot more money in jersey sales.

Social media is the strong point of Shenault’s brand. He posts pictures of himself in his uniform from photoshoots from Pac-12 Media Day. He shares highlight videos. He shows people what’s going on behind the scenes.

“I like the social media. I like interacting with fans,” Shenault said.

But what was lacking was his in-person branding ability, at least that’s what he thought. He wasn’t naturally outspoken but he realized that needs to be a point of emphasis if he wants to build up national recognition, whether for award races or to improve his draft stock.

“I feel way more comfortable now,” Shenault said.

The turning point came in late July, around the time he traveled to Hollywood for Pac-12 Media Day. For four hours, Shenault was paraded around hundreds of media members, ranging from ESPN personalities to bloggers, and asked to converse with all of them.

“The Pac-12 helped me a lot,” Shenault said. “It just helped me get comfortable.”

Laviska Shenault doesn’t want to return punts

There’s been a whole lot of talk recently about whether or not star wide receiver Laviska Shenault will return punts for Colorado this season. There’s no doubt he’d be electric but is the big-play potential worth the risk of injury?

Well, now we know what Shenault thinks.

“No, actually I don’t want to,” Shenault told BSN Denver when asked about his potential new gig.

So why has he been catching punts in practice?

“I’m just doing that to get better at it,” Shenault said.

The decision is still ultimately Mel Tucker’s to make. If he says Shenault is returning punts, then Shenault will return punts. Tucker hasn’t said who the returner will be but he has stated that Shenault’s name is on the list of candidates but, as far as we know, that could be a very long list.

If Tucker does opt to put Shenault back there, don’t expect the receiver to complain.

“I’m just here to help the team get to the postseason and get some wins,” Shenault said. “Whatever I gotta do to get a ‘W,’ I’ll do it.”

Tucker looking for more leaders

Mel Tucker was concerned about the Buffs leadership during spring ball. He wanted to see his veterans step up and be more vocal. But he’s seemed pleased with the situation so far this fall and he’s named Steven Montez, Nate Landman, Laviska Shenault and K.D Nixon among those who have grown.

Following Monday’s practice, Tucker reversed his footing.

“I’m just asking for more leadership out of this group of guys; guys who have played a lot of ball, guys who know what it’s all about,” Tucker said.

Halfway through camp, Tucker noted that the early excitement had worn off and the first game of the season still seems a long ways out. This is when it’s toughest to convince student-athletes to keep competing. The Buffs relied on the coaches’ energy to get through practice.

“That’s why they call me coach,” Tucker said. “We’ve got to push these guys and that’s to be expected.”

Still, Tucker wants more of his team helping him provide energy. He wants them to buy in.

“Ownership with the players is really how you know you’ve got something,” Tucker said. “We’re getting it here and there but we need more.”

Stefanou makes clutch kick

It’s tough to simulate pressure in practice, especially for kickers, but Mel Tucker found a way.

At the end of Friday’s practice, Tucker pulled the team together to set up one final play. He then asked kicker James Stefanou to line up a 49-yard field goal.

With the whole team gathered around, Tucker asked them to split into two groups; those who thought Stefanou would make the kick, and those who thought he would miss. The losers had to run gassers.

Of the over 100 players on the roster, only two said Stefanou would miss.

Stefanou drilled it and the whole team watched as two guys ran back-and-forth on the field.

“I thought it was a great moment for our football team,” Tucker said. “We were able to put pressure on the kicker, but he had the opportunity to see how much this team is behind him”

Who were the two who called a miss?

Tucker laughed.

“I’m not going to call out who it was,” he said.