BearTalk

• My notebook from yesterday, focusing on the importance of this spring for wide receiver Michael Calvin.
• It’s more than just football for Cal recruiting assistant Kevin Parker.

• Here’s more on Cal’s hiring of Akili Smith as administrative assistant for offense. The Bears also brought in longtime NFL player and coach Ronnie Bradford for a similar role on defense.
• A story about the suspension of Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, which should shake up next season’s Pac-10 race.

• Kevin Riley talks about being involved in quarterback competition – yet again.
• A transcript from yesterday’s live chat.

Akili Smith has been hired as an administrative assistant for Cal’s program, not a graduate assistant as I reported yesterday.

For the first time since Jeff Tedford became Cal’s head coach, the Bears took the field for a practice Thursday without Bob Gregory running the defense.

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A sampling of what was said at Cal’s Pro Day yesterday:

RUNNING BACK JAHVID BEST:

On not participating in drills and tests

On I came here expecting to do position drills, but there’s only one running back coach here and he said he saw everything at the combine. I didn’t need to do anything more.

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The calendar says the first day of spring is still over a week away, but today marks the first day of spring practice, so it feels like spring. Here are some links:

• Here is my spring practice preview. The spirit of competition will be a focus.
• Jahvid Best didn’t do much at Pro Day while Syd’Quan Thompson re-aggravated a hamstring injury.
• More on Cal’s schedule changes
• Don’t forget about our live chat today at 1 p.m.

RETURNING STARTERS: Sean Cattouse, Bryant Nnabufie.

WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR: Steve Williams

POSSIBLE SURPRISE: Alex Logan

THE BREAKDOWN: No position on the field needs to be made over more than the secondary. Cattouse is the only steadying influence among the defensive backs, as the Bears try to rebuild a secondary that heavily contributed to a pass defense ranked 111th nationally last season.

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Cal announced some major reshuffling of its 2010 schedule today, most notably moving the Big Game from Dec. 4 to Nov. 20 and changing its game at Nevada from Sept. 18 to Sept. 17.

This means this will be the third season in a row the Bears will not end the season with the Big Game. Cal will close out the season against Washington.

The move was made because the Dec. 4 date would have interfered with Stanford’s final exams.

The Nevada game was moved to accommodate ESPN2, which will air the game at 7 p.m.

Cal originally was slated to play at Washington State on Nov. 20. That game will now take place on Nov. 6, which originally was a bye week on the schedule. In addition, the Bears’ game at Arizona was moved from Oct. 2 to Sept. 25.

Cal’s only bye week will now be on Oct. 2.

Here’s the new schedule.

I will have more on Pro Day later, but some quick news and notes:

• Jahvid Best did not participate in any tests or drills. He wasn’t planning on doing the tests because he did so well at the combine, but he was planning on doing positional drills. But only one running backs coach showed up (from the Ravens) and he told Best he didn’t need to see him. That’s a good sign for Best. It looks like he answered any questions about him at the combine.
• Cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson re-aggravated his right hamstring injury during the 40-yard dash and had to shut it down. The hamstrnig has been bothering him ever since the Senior Bowl and prevented him from running at the combine.
• Defensive end Tyson Alualu bench-pressed 225 pounds 24 times, an improvement over the 21 reps he did at the combine. Alualu didn’t run the 40 as he timed a 4.87 at the combine, which he was happy with.
• Left tackle Mike Tepper has strep throat but ran anyway. He clocked a 5.27 in the 40, better than the 5.31 at the combine.
• Wide receiver Nyan Boateng ran the 40 in 4.54.
• Dignitaries on hand included Lavelle Hawkins, Zack Follett, Anthony Felder and Worrell Williams.

A complete list of those who participated:

• DE Tyson Alualu
• DT Kevin Bemoll
• LB Devin Bishop
• WR Nyan Boateng
• S Marcus Ezeff
• FB Brian Holley
• S Brett Johnson
• OT Chet Teofilo
• OT Mike Tepper
• CB Syd’Quan Thompson
• WR Verran Tucker
• LB Eddie Young

Safety Bernard Hicks and offensive lineman Erik Robertson from previous Cal teams also participated.