03/25 at 12:20 AM

A number of players, such as quarterback Chris Todd, offensive lineman Lee Ziemba and safety Zac Etheridge, underwent offseason surgery, making it unclear just how ready they would be for spring practice.

Their respective statuses remained a mystery Tuesday, as coach Gene Chizik said he’d rather not talk about injuries.

“I don’t really like to get into a whole lot with the injury situation, but I think everybody knows that there’s been some issues there,” Chizik said. “Everybody is on a different schedule, and some guys are further along than other and things of that nature.”

When prompted specifically about Todd, Ziemba, speedy receiver Philip Pierre-Louis and tight end Tommy Trott, Chizik said all would practice at some point and some capacity.

“Some are going to be ahead of others, but right now we’re anticipating all of those guys practicing,” Chizik said. “Some guys right now it will be hard for them to get contact for the spring.

“But again, with the doctors and all the people who are responsible for those, they’re going to day-by-day give us a heads up of where we’re at.”

Trott, Pierre-Louis, Zac Etheridge and Aairon Savage wore orange jerseys at the first practice of the spring, meaning they did not participate in contact drills.

Todd and Ziemba, who underwent offseason surgery, were in the regular navy blue.

Pierre-Louis tore his anterior cruciate ligament on the opening kickoff of the first game of 2008 and missed the rest of the season. Trott sustained the same injury in the second-to-last game of the season against Georgia.

In February, tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Jay Boulware said Trott would not practice this spring.

Sophomore tight end Brent Slusher, who sustained a number of injuries last season, was not listed on the official spring roster. Defensive lineman Andre Wadley, who became ill in fall practice and did not return the rest of the season, is on the roster, but is still on medical hardship, Chizik said.

Bolt joins staff
Former Auburn assistant coach Wayne Bolt, who coached alongside Chizik at Iowa State, was named Auburn’s director of football relations Tuesday.

Bolt was an assistant coach at Auburn for two stints, from 1981-85 and in 1990, under Pat Dye.

“My wife and I are happy to be back at Auburn and part of the Auburn family,” Bolt said.

Bolt has been in the business for 31 years. He’s coached in the state of Alabama for 21 of those. He replaces Jimmy Perry, who recently left Auburn to become head coach at Mobile’s St. Paul’s Episcopal High School.

Closed for business
Aside from three, 25-minute glances — one of which occurred Tuesday — spring practice will be closed to reporters.

Spring practice under Tommy Tuberville was open to the media. Chizik said there were a variety of reasons that led to his decision.

“I think there’s enough pressure on these guys already to deliver,” Chizik said. “We just feel like this is a deal where we don’t want any outside or any extra pressure on these guys. We just want them to go out and practice and not worry about what anybody thinks or writes or hears.”

Chizik said he closed spring practice in his two years at Iowa State, as well.

Moving around
Aairon Savage, who tore his ACL before the 2008 season and is set to return for spring practice in some way, shape or form, will get looks at both cornerback and safety, Chizik said.

“You can kind of play him where you feel like he best fits based on the people around, too,” Chizik said. “You have a luxury with him and the luxury is that he can play a number of things.”

Sophomore Vance Smith will also be shifted around, as the former tight end will take repetitions on the offensive line.

“Vance is one of those tough guys,” Chizik said. “He’s one of those guys that works real hard. He’s tough. He’s a little undersized to be moved down in there.

“We think just from simple numbers, that’s one of the moves we need to look at right now.”

Everyone else, Chizik said, will start the spring at the position in which they finished 2008.

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