The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Turn Up the Physicality on First Day in Full Pads
3/25/2026 3:25:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The intensity ramped up for UAB football on Wednesday as the Blazers strapped on full pads for the first time this spring, marking a key step in the early stages of head coach Alex Mortensen's first camp. One thing was evident right away- energy.
"It was our first day in full pads, guys took the field with really good effort and energy…a positive mindset, a lot of good chatter out there," Mortensen said.
While the physicality showed up, execution remains the next step. "We have a lot of areas to improve. We have to get a lot better in a many areas, and we're challenging them. We've got to take what we're learning in the meeting room and get it on the field faster," he added. That balance- physical edge with execution- was evident, particularly along the line of scrimmage, where competition intensified on both sides of the ball.
Graduate Center Adam Lepkowski, one of the most experienced returners up front, said the shift into pads allowed everything to come together. "When you're not in pads, you're focused on technique…when you put the pads on, it all culminates together," he said. More importantly, Lepkowski pointed to a growing sense of cohesion within a roster that features a heavy influx of new faces. "I feel like everybody was playing free today…a lot of cohesion, and I think that was really good to see," he said.
That cohesion hasn't happened by accident. Veteran players have made a deliberate effort to establish and protect the team's culture during the transition into a new era. "We knew we were going to have a bunch of new guys…we didn't want our culture to change," Lepkowski said. "We wanted to bring them into our culture."
Mortensen echoed that competitive edge and accountability, noting that both sides of the ball are pushing each other as the physical demands increase. "There's a healthy competitiveness there…we're pushing each other," he said. With a new staff and new personnel, the evaluation process remains fluid. Depth charts are far from settled, and experimentation across positions continues as the Blazers search for the right combinations. But the tone is being set early- physical, competitive and demanding.
UAB's next practice session is set for Friday morning, but Thursday UAB hosts its annual Pro Day at the Legacy Pavilion. On-field workouts are set to begin at approximately 9:30 a.m., with 20 former Blazers participating in front of representatives from 13 NFL teams.
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