Syracuse, N.Y. -- The crunch of shoulder pads rang out in the Ensley Athletic Center, followed quickly by the raucous response of celebrating teammates.
Safety Devon Clarke had just charged down in Syracuse football's version of the Oklahoma drill, stood up running back Markenzy Pierre and slung him out of bounds.
The collision, which occurred during spring practice on March 22, marked the unofficial announcement of Clarke's return to the field. And delivering it to Pierre, who also grew up in the Kissimmee, Fla., area, made it all the sweeter.
"Me and Markenzy, we're like brothers," Clarke said.