The tone of his voice gave testimony to how he felt.

Phil Jones was ecstatic.

The Shorter College head football coach had just watched his Hawks complete the second week of their annual spring drills with a physical and upbeat scrimmage at Ben Brady Field on a beautiful fall-like morning last week.

“Great job! Great job men!” Jones told the players. “That is the kind of effort we’re looking for.”

Effort has been the key word for the last two weeks for the Hawks, who are using the 15-day spring session to build a sturdy foundation for the fall.

Jones believes the Hawks, who conduct their annual scrimmage on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Brady Field, have built momentum for the fall.

“It’s been a really good start,” Jones said. “The kids are practicing with a lot of enthusiasm and intensity on a daily basis. A great deal of it is a carryover from our off-season weight program. We’ve made progress on having that esprit de corps and developing leaders who encourage that in each group. I’m really pleased with that. We’re making progress in all areas.”

Jones and the Hawks coaching staff have been concentrating on three specific areas — depth in the secondary and two large vacancies created by the departure of two program changers: running back A.J. Cooley and linebacker Logan Lollis.

The pair closed out what were historic four-year careers, and each was an unprecedented back-to-back Mid-South Conference West Division Players of the Year on his respective side of the ball. Cooley and Lollis became Shorter’s first All-Americans and hold nearly every school record in their particular positions.

“Obviously, we’ve got to find a fullback to replace A.J.,” Jones said of Cooley, who recently caught the attention of NFL scouts and could become the Hawks’ first NFL player. “We have to replace our No. 2 guy [Dennis Stanley] as well.”

Filling the huge hole left by Lollis may be easier as Jones points out that the Hawks boast a number of underclassmen who are ready to step in.

“We’ve got some depth and good players at linebacker,” the coach said. “But we know it’s going to be hard to replace both of them.”

Addressing the secondary is a must as the team tries to fill gaps left by graduation, including that of All-Conference cornerback A.J. Baker.

Increasing the number of defensive backs is a must from within the current ranks and among those who will join the team next fall.

“Our emphasis in recruiting has been more high caliber numbers of defensive backs, which we were short of last year,” Jones said. “I feel we’ve done that, but we do have a good foundation back here now.”

The players who paid their proverbial dues last fall - those who were members of the scout team, played on the program’s first junior varsity team or were red-shirted - are making the most of the spring drills to earn a shot to help the team.

And that means the action during practices has been hot and heavy.

“It’s physical right now and you want it to be in the spring,” Jones said. “You want to find and develop players and see who will step up. Those guys who played junior varsity or the scout team or were red-shirted - it’s their turn to step up and maybe claim a position.”

Jones doesn’t have to look far to see some examples.

Last spring, Nick Newborn rose to the challenge after spending the 2008 season as a reserve to earn a job along the Hawks’ offensive line. He wound up earning All-Conference recognition last fall.

This year, a number of players have followed suit, most notably Jones points out freshman defensive linemen Tobias Walker and Jamal Denson, who played on Shorter’s scout team last fall.

“They’re moving up fast,” Jones said. “They’ve probably made the biggest steps by players we’ve seen.”

Slot backs Roderick Jones, Caleb Collins and Brandon Morton have also made improvements and Jones says that each has given an indication that they are ready contribute with breakaway speed.

Said Jones about the quickness at the position: “We have more speed than last year.”

When the Hawks officially close the book of their 2010 spring session, both players and coaches will start working to once again become a contender for a Mid-South championship and remain in the hunt for an NAIA postseason playoff berth.

“We’ll go back and finish up recruiting,” Jones said about the tasks ahead. “But we’ll also place great emphasis on weights and running between now and August when they report.”