This file photo from last summer captures ECU assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning Jeff Connors in his Murphy Center office with Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in the background. (Photo by Al Myatt)

FOOTBALL Cincinnati wearing target NEWPORT, RI � The media voted Cincinnati as the preseason favorite in the American Athletic Conference race for 2014. They used to say that designation and 50 cents would get you a cup of coffee. It takes more coin than that to java up these days, but the value of being picked as the team to beat remains doubtful. ... More from Al Myatt... Pictured: Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberbille addresses the press at the American Athletic Conference Media Day in Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo by W.A. Myatt.) Coaches and players say their piece East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill dropped by the ESPN3 set on Tuesday for a chat with John Rooke (left) and Anthony Becht (middle) at the American Athletic Conference football kickoff event in Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo by W.A. Myatt.) AUDIO CLIPS Mike Aresco, Ruffin McNeill, Bill Hancock, Shane Carden, Maurice Falls, Justin Hardy, Brandon Williams... American kicks off Media Day NEWPORT, RI � There's an exit to Jamestown, MA as you come back across the bridge to Newport, RI, where the American Athletic Conference kicked off its Media Day on Monday with a round of golf at Newport National and a clambake at the Hyatt Regency on Goat Island. ... More from Al Myatt... Pictured: Chefs remove seafood from the fire pit on the first day of the American Athletic Conference Media Days in Newport, Rhode Island . (Photo by W.A. Myatt.)

AAC Preseason Media Poll Rank Team (First-place votes) Points 1.  Cincinnati           (17) 311 2.  Central Florida       (7) 296 3.  Houston               (6) 268 4.  East Carolina             262 5.  Southern Methodist        158 6.  South Florida             157 7.  Memphis                   133 8.  Temple                    105 9.  Connecticut                98     Tulane                     98 11. Tulsa                      94 2013 AAC Football Standings Team Conference All Central Florida     8-0  12-1 Louisville          7-1  12-1 Cincinnati          6-2   9-4 Houston             5-3   8-5 Southern Methodist  4-4   5-7 Rutgers             3-5   6-7 Connecticut         3-5   3-9 South Florida       2-6  2-10 Memphis             1-7   3-9 Temple              1-7  2-10

By Al Myatt
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Jeff Connors, assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning, has been in charge of player development for East Carolina football during two sessions of summer school.

The offensive line lost guards Will Simmons and Jordan Davis, who started all 13 games during a 10-3 season in 2013. Also gone is Adhem Elsawi, who made nine starts at tackle. The Pirates will be without players who made 34 starts out of 65 possible starts at the five offensive line positions.

Center C.J. Struyk and Ike Harris had to deal with ailments that curtailed them at the close of their sophomore seasons. The Pirates delved into the junior college ranks to shore up the position group with their most recent recruiting class.

There was work to be done on the blocking front and Connors addressed that need.

"One of the primary objectives was to develop a high level of strength and depth on the offensive line, to continue to solidify that group," he said Sunday. "We knew we were going to have two juco kids come in. They came in second session of summer school so we have worked very closely with Quincy McKinney and Dontae Levingston, those two guys, to help provide some depth. They're both promising athletes. They're both going to have to work on their strength levels. That's definitely a point of urgency there is to get them ready and continue this month with their development. I do think that they have got a chance to help us.

"We've continued to work with C.J. Struyk and Ike Harris in their rehab process, which is in its final stages. We wanted to do whatever we could to get their strength back and to get them to full go because they had been down for a period of time conditioning-wise. Re-establishing their conditioning levels was important. ... I think they've done a good job of getting their upper body strength restored. I'm looking for them to pretty much be right in the hunt. C.J. is still working on his conditioning a little bit but he passed his conditioning test last week so I think he's moving in the right direction.

"Taylor Hudson did a great job this summer of taking a leadership role. He had a really good summer training guys and from a leadership standpoint.

" ... We've got some other young guys that I think are very promising. Larry Williams is very impressive as a young athlete, a young offensive lineman. He's 330 pounds. He runs well. He's got good strength. I'm looking for him to step up and do something significant this year. I think Brandon Smith is another guy who's got a chance to help us. He's big. He's strong. I'll be anxious to see what he can bring to the table. I think Will Foxx had a good spring. He's another guy we can look out for. J.T. Boyd has improved his strength and size. He's got a chance to help us as well.

"That was our primary concern going into the summer was to get that position group tuned up and ready to go and provide some depth there. The other guy there is Tre Robertson, who's got some experience from last year."

Robertson started six games at right tackle last season after Elsawi had an eye injury.

Some thoughts on running backs

The offensive front helped Vintavious Cooper run for 1,193 yards and 15 touchdowns last season as a senior. His departure also must be accounted for as the Pirates start preseason camp.

"I think Cory Hunter has done a good job getting back from his injury," Connors said. "He provides some solidity and strength there for us. He was kind of a one-man show the previous spring. We're looking for him to provide something for the group."

Hunter played in three games before he was sidelined with a right knee injury in 2013. He had seven carries for 27 yards.

Chris Hairston netted 186 yards on 49 carries with three touchdowns as a sophomore in 2013.

"Chris Hairston had a really good spring," Connors said. "He's got good size and he's got some other abilities as well. He can make you miss. I think he's going to be a guy who can really help us."

Breon Allen ran 62 times for 321 yards with three scores and also had nine catches for 130 yards as a junior.

"Breon Allen will come back stronger," Connors said. "He's not a real big guy (5 feet, 8 inches and 190 pounds) but he's real quick. He's not as good straight-ahead speed and break-away speed as Chris Hairston but he can certainly make you miss. He's very quick.

"Marquez Grayson should be ready to step up and see what he can do. I'm anxious to see him in a game. He's more of a slasher-type runner. He's a little bit bigger but he's got good speed. He's got some good talent as well. (Anthony) Scott, the freshman, I timed him at a low 4.4 (seconds, 40 yards) this summer so he brings some really good speed to the table. I'm anxious to see how he runs the football because he's demonstrated that he's got excellent speed.

"I don't think we have a guy who's tremendously big and powerful but we have a good mix of individuals with some different things that each one brings to the table."

Recognizing summer leaders

Connors gave out some leadership awards Sunday night upstairs at the Murphy Center as the Pirates gathered for a meal.

"On offense, as you can imagine, to Shane Carden (senior quarterback) and Justin Hardy (senior inside receiver)," Connors said. "I thought they did a good job this summer. They've demonstrated some good leadership qualities. Everybody knows how important winning is to them, how important our team is to them. They've done a good job with vocalizing that at times, keeping everybody on offense organized and on track.

"On defense, I'm very proud of the fact that Montese Overton stepped up and matured. He's not only been impressive from a lifting and conditioning standpoint and the way he worked this summer but he also became a vocal leader as well. ... You knew he was going to be a great player but you didn't know if he was going to be a leader. That's been a good development.

"Devaris Brunson, I also gave him an award because he trains very hard every day. He's also a guy who's vocal and he's also a guy who's going to be very physical on the field. I really love his work ethic.

"Those are some of the guys we recognized in relationship to leadership because of the way they demonstrated it and basically demonstrated it from the front, not the back."

Chowing down

Connors was glad to see the players dining as a group.

"It's very good to see these guys eat because they essentially provide for themselves through the summer," he said. "They have their own money. I always like it when we can start eating again as a team. That helps me a lot."

Early start today

The Pirates had a conditioning test at 6:30 this morning. The first practice is later in the day.

"The conditioning test is 20 repetitions, depending on what group you identify with," Connors said. "The skill guys run 110 yards. The mids or combos run 100 yards. The linemen run 90 yards. You're able to run everybody together at one time. The time is 15 seconds for everybody. You line them up accordingly and we run 20 reps."

Each player is supposed to make every rep in 15 seconds or less.

What happens if players don't make it is up to head coach Ruffin McNeill.

"I'll follow his lead in relationship to how he wants to handle that," Connors said. "Typically, I'll be waking up with those guys early and we'll do something to make sure we know they're in shape."

In-season approach

Connors will continue to supervise conditioning and lifting as the Pirates get into the season.

"My approach is pretty simple," Connors said. "It's been consistent throughout the years in relationship to what my beliefs are. I think you need to run the day after the game to increase circulation and help repair the micro tears in the muscles. It's something that's pretty well-founded. We definitely want to do some form of running to increase circulation. That helps us to recover from the game. We run somewhere between four and eight 160-yard shuttles on the track in the weight room, 40 yards down and back twice. That's what we do on Sundays along with lifting, some specific things that we do with lifting.

"We do rack lockouts on Sunday because it protects the shoulder. That way we get another upper body day in. We have the guys bend by doing some light kettle bell squatting or step ups. That's kind of a recovery day and at the same time trying to get the guys bending with their lower body and get another upper body pressing day in.

"Monday is our day off but they have an opportunity to voluntarily come and get their lift that they would normally do on Tuesday. It would be mandatory on Tuesday. Many of the guys elect to come on Monday and get it knocked out so they don't have to come on Tuesday because Tuesday they have to practice and also condition.

"Tuesday is our heavy hip, rotary power and lower body strength day. We get it early in the week so we're fully recovered by game time. Tuesday is our heavy conditioning day. We might also condition on Wednesday. That would be our light day. Wednesday is a heavy upper body day in the weight room. Thursday, we do some regeneration things like foam rolling, band stretching and we also do upper body pulling movements along with core strengthening on Thursday.

"We do lift four days a week in season and we condition two to three days a week in season."

With ECU playing on several Thursday nights in 2014, Connors will adjust the schedule for conditioning and lifting accordingly.

"It turns into different days but it's the same approach," Connors said.

Chemistry a plus

It isn't all about getting bigger, faster and stronger when Connors coaches the team in the summer. He keeps an eye on how the players are interacting as a group.

Connors worked in a similar capacity at ECU from 1991 to 2001. He rejoined the Pirates in 2011.

"I really feel like the team chemistry has improved each year," he said. "I felt like last year we had an excellent group of seniors. We have less seniors in numbers this year so we're looking toward younger guys to step up and lead and create chemistry. They're fully capable of doing that. We also have a good group of seniors. From what I can see and have seen during the summer, I feel like the chemistry has improved each year and this year is no exception.

"I think it's continued to get better and I think we have everybody thinking along the same lines. That's really important when you go out on the field. Everybody feels the same way and thinks the same way between their ears. I think everybody is fully committed and all feel the same way about it."

Pirates have wheels

Team speed is quantifiable and it looks like an asset for the Pirates.

"One of the things I feel good about is team speed," Connors said. "We have slightly over 30 guys who run sub-4.6 (seconds, 40 yards) indoors where we time them. I really feel like we have significant team speed.

"Anytime you have that, that gives you a chance."