Spring football begins Monday morning and there are a few things that are almost painfully obvious:

Quarterback Dan Persa will not be participating in team drills and is still rehabilitating from a ruptured Achillies.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald and offensive coordinator Mick McCall say the biggest disappointment for NU last season was ending the season with three consecutive losses: to Illinois at Wrigley, at Wisconsin and to Texas Tech in the TicketCity Bowl.

How long is it going to take to live those down? Hopefully not much longer, as spring football kind of reminds me of spring itself: rebirth and renewal and getting rid of the detritus of seasons past.

McCall said Kain Colter will be strictly a quarterback this spring, unlike the experiment during the bowl game of using Colter as a running back.

Speaking of RBs, Mike Trumpy's right wrist is almost healed and the Wheaton North alum will be playing -- albeit in a cast.

McCall is also very pleased with the offensive line and their attitude.

"They are really stepping up and they are one of our most enthusiastic groups," McCall said. "They are working with a lot of confidence now. I'm excited about those guys."

Defensively, Fitzgerald thinks his players have their swagger back.

"We have to get over the hangover of how we played in those last three games," Fitzgerald said. "We turned the ball over 10 times [over] the last three games and that's how you give the opposing team extra possessions. The defense has a job to do."