As former Northern Iowa football players prepared for their future careers at UNI’s pro day on Thursday, the current Panther roster and coaching staff started to prepare for a new year.

Coming off a disappointing 7-5 season, UNI opened the book on a new season Friday with its first spring practice.

“It just makes you hungry and more determined,” UNI head coach Mark Farley said. “The key to me isn’t to focus on the outcome; it’s to focus on the process. We have to bring it back to the day-to-day process that you have to put in. If you look past the process, I don’t think you will make the most of the day that you’re in.”

The team’s goal in the offseason was to rehab injured players from last season. The Panthers will be without seven players in the spring – including linebacker Jake Farley, who suffered a broken leg against North Dakota State.

“We had a number of injuries of guys who are still coming off of those injuries,” Farley said. “Their rehab is coming along, so it was probably just as important to bring the injured guys back around and getting them healthy as it was developing the whole football team.

“We can’t afford any setbacks with any of our players (with injuries). At the same time, the hope is that they’ll all be ready to go 100 percent by Aug. 1.”

Farley said the team will not ease into the early practices, and that the main goal for players will be to become a more efficient team from a technique and position standpoint.

As for the coaches, spring practices are the main time to evaluate everyone on the roster.

“We have to give everyone a chance, but get it evaluated quickly and then perfect the technique with the players we’re moving forward with. We have to do a great job with the evaluation and find the potential then get the potential out of the individual,” Farley said.

The spring practices will lead to UNI’s spring game, which takes place April 25 at the UNI-Dome.

“We’ve got 17 seniors in this group — it’s a great senior class,” Farley said. “They’re all experienced players and contributed in a large group. With that kind of leadership and the sense of urgency, those things make us ripe for a great season. We just have to do the work.”