David Lombardi, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Nelson Spruce on catching Colorado's opportunity to move upward

A short-term memory is useful to succeed in some situations, while a longer one is more preferable in others.

Colorado receiver Nelson Spruce is juggling both ends of that spectrum right now. As a pass-gobbling machine, he’s already mastered the former. His team’s ability to effectively embrace the latter is key if Spruce is to lead the Buffaloes into the Pac-12 win column.

There’s not much room for bobbles or drops in Spruce’s gaudy numbers -- a conference-best 106 catches and 12 touchdown receptions in 2014 -- and there certainly isn’t an opportunity to dwell on their rare occurrences.

“Dropping a ball, it’s a weird feeling,” Spruce says. “I freeze out for a second. But I’ve learned to forget about it and move on so it doesn't happen again.”

The opposite mental processing skills are needed for Colorado to climb out of its current pit of despair. The Buffs, 4-32 in Pac-12 play since entering the conference in 2011, endured a particularly excruciating 0-9 finish in 2014. Opponents outscored Colorado in regulation by an average of only about two points in four of those losses. Double overtime made two of those setbacks especially agonizing.

“I still remember the feeling of devastation after in the locker room,” Spruce says. “We’re trying to use those memories and turn them into motivation. We want them to fuel us this offseason.”

So those long memory skills are proving to be especially vital now, as Colorado strains through the offseason work needed to make them faster, stronger, and more focused in crunch time next fall. Any bit of extra psychological ammunition is welcome, and Spruce is intent on helping deliver it. He’ll be a fifth-year senior in 2015, and he wants to lead the breakthrough.

“I’m working on being vocal and doing whatever I can do to help this team win some more games,” he says. “We were so close so many times last year."

Up to this point, it’s been a classic case of "close, but no cigar" for the Buffs. But Spruce says that's been a major catalyst of what's been a productive offseason so far. The first two weeks of spring practice in Boulder have featured a heavy emphasis on situational drills, where the Buffs have simulated the overtime and game-winning situations that were so vexing for them last season. A focus on lower repetition counts and heavier lifts in winter conditioning led the vast majority of the roster to set personal records in the weight room.

“We feel like we’re ready to compete with the powerful Pac-12 teams,” Spruce says. “I’m squatting and benching as much as I ever have. In years past, we’ve been smaller and less athletic than the competition. Looking at our team now, I think we’re right in the mix with everyone else.”

Meanwhile, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound receiver is preparing to assemble a 2015 campaign that challenges his brilliant 2014 statistical performance. He’s been focusing on beating press coverage in his work with Colorado wide receivers coach Troy Walters, a former Stanford All-American at the position who went on to play in the NFL -- Spruce's dream destination after next year.

“I’m also working to be quicker in and out of breaks,” Spruce says. “I want to show that I can be a little more explosive down the field.”

And the hands that often seem like they’re made of glue -- the ones Spruce developed while playing shortstop in baseball -- well, don’t plan on them leaving anytime soon.

“Baseball helped me develop my hand-eye coordination first,” he says. “Now, I’m not getting lazy with it. I’m doing a lot of distraction drills and tip drills. Everything to keep reinforcing concentration.”

For a team that sniffed victory so many times in 2014, but was unable to ever make that final push in Pac-12 play, maintaining focus may be the ticket toward ending years of frustration.

Spruce is fully aware of that as he enters his last college hurrah, and he's locked in on making the most of his final push. The ripened fruit was just inches from Colorado's grasp last year. Individually, Spruce has had little trouble snagging footballs out of midair. Now, he's intent on seeing his team seize the prize, too.

"We thought we’d hit the turning point at some point," he says. "But we didn’t. It’s a competitive league and nothing is going to be given to us.”

Except one final opportunity, one that Spruce is working to maximize at this very moment.

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