Helmet cams a tool for Illinois coaching staff

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Aug. 6—CHAMPAIGN — Aidan Laughery wouldn't mind if the Illinois running backs group he belongs to started wearing the same helmet cameras the Illini quarterbacks have sported this week in training camp.

Brandon Henderson likes the idea, too, but the Illinois offensive lineman understands it wouldn't be all that feasible for his position group. One play, one clash on the line with his defensive counterpart, and that camera would likely be returned in pieces to director of video Joe Maggio.

"They might be broken before they even start," Henderson said.

"They threw up a clip in the team meeting of the quarterback's view," Laughery added. "I think it's awesome. It gives those guys a chance to watch film and let us see what they're seeing. It ain't so easy."

Mounting a small camera on a quarterback's helmet isn't something Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. cooked up this offseason. It's been done before, including when Lunney was tight ends coach for Bret Bielema at Arkansas.

Quarterbacks coach Art Sitkowski was the one to suggest giving it a try this offseason with a mostly new quarterback group. East Carolina transfer Katin Houser arrived in January to replace Luke Altmyer, sophomore Carson Boyd and freshman Michael Clayton II remain locked in a competition to be Houser's backup and former Unity standout Dane Eisenmenger was a late addition to the group this summer after Jershaun Newton moved to wide receiver.

"Any way we can find a way to get an edge to help our guys get better," Lunney said about using helmet cams during training camp. "It's all about their development. This so happens to be a nugget, a little sliver of what we do.

"It's not anything new. It's kind of like football in general. Not many people have their own creative idea. I'm sure somewhere along the line, I don't know who it was, thought of (helmet cams) and pieced that together. It was pretty nifty and got some other peoples' attention."

The information gathered from the helmet cams is two-fold. The video provides a perspective of a play from a quarterback's point of view that's different from a camera held behind the play or stationed in the end zone. Lunney can track his quarterbacks' eyes more clearly.

It's not some silent film, either. The cameras are equipped with microphones, and what's said is arguably as important as what's seen in the video playback. The information provided gives Lunney and Sitkowski more to work in their quarterbacks' development.

"We hear them (on the field), but when you hear that vantage point, it's really up close and personal, and you kind of get inside their mind a little bit," Lunney said about how the Illinois quarterbacks handle pre-snap communication.

The vocal piece is where Bielema is focused. Particularly for the Illini's younger trio of quarterbacks in Boyd, Clayton and Eisenmenger.

"We definitely want to hear what our quarterbacks say," the Illinois coach said. "I always say volume reflects confidence, and you can definitely hear the difference when you hear Katin talk or the last couple years when you heard Luke. When quarterbacks haven't gotten a lot of reps, sometimes, they don't speak with great volume. People respect people with volume — especially in leadership positions."

The addition of the helmet cams, even just a few days into training camp, has been a net positive. That doesn't mean, however, there isn't a potential downside some players or coaches might have to work through this season.

"You can get a little nauseous watching it if you're not careful," Lunney quipped. "If you're one of those guys that gets a little queasy on some motion, you have to be a little sensitive to that, but I think the guys enjoy it."

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