It isn't hard to detect Shady Salamon's favorite part about playing defense for the Gophers. After one jarring collision with Eric Lair that knocked the tight end out of bounds Friday, Salamon's third or fourth punishing hit of the day, his position coach had to remind him:

Shady, these are your teammates out here.

"He told me to pull back a little bit, but when you get going, it's hard to let up sometimes," the senior safety said. "When you play offense, you get hit a lot. So when I come to the defense, I want to make some hits."

Can't blame him for that, especially given the false-start nature of his career. He has spent two years mostly playing special teams -- more hitting, naturally -- but little else. Now that he's a senior, he's anxious to make a bigger impact.

"It's gone by so fast, but it's my last year, and I'm going to give it everything I have," Salamon said. "I'm going to work as hard as I possibly can to keep getting better."

Three years ago, he didn't need to be much better. Salamon gained 19 yards the first time he ever touched the ball for the Gophers. His collegiate career was a couple of hours old when he scored his first touchdown. And his freshman season ended with the former Cretin-Derham Hall standout ranked third on the team in rushing.

Marlin Levison, Star Tribune
Shady Salamon during his days as a running back against Kansas in the Insight Bowl.

But the former all-metro halfback never got to carry the ball again, and before the 2010 season, with the Gophers backfield loaded with candidates, he approached coaches with a request: Let me play defense instead.

Tough decision, since he knew it meant going to the back of the depth chart while he learned his new job. But "I never second-guess anything I do," Salamon said. "I made a choice and I stuck with it. It meant a lot of extra work, studying, watching extra film, but I knew I had to do it."

When Jerry Kill and his assistant coaches arrived this year, they were skeptical of Salamon's switch.

"Everyone wants the ball in their hands. Not too many people want to try to get it away," said new defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys. "We haven't had a lot of success moving offensive guys over to defense. But that's a credit to Shady -- he sees he's got a chance to play, and he accepts his role."

Accepts, yes. But thrive in it? After 10 spring practices in April, Claeys was unimpressed.

"Then the last five [practices], you see a little smoke, maybe a spark or two," Claeys said. "And then to pick up after the spring, he continued to progress and compete. He has definitely put himself to where he'll help us, no question."

In fact, Salamon might have moved to the top of the depth chart at safety, alongside his old Cretin teammate, Kim Royston.

"We have a great connection," Salamon said. "I've known Kim since I was a freshman in high school. He's taught me a lot."

Notes• Friday's practice was the Gophers' first in pads, though injuries kept a few potential starters out of action. Offensive lineman Ryan Orton and defensive lineman Matt Garin are slowed by ankle sprains, giving freshmen Josh Campion and Ben Perry, respectively, extra time with the starters.

• Claeys said the coaches intend to construct their first depth chart after a situational scrimmage Saturday.

• The Gophers will practice twice Saturday, once at 8:50 a.m. and again at 4:50 p.m. at the Gibson-Nagurski complex. The practices are open to the public.