Commodores Conduct Effective Practice Early Friday; Team Moves Past Midway Point of Two-a-Day Drills 8/16/02

Friday morning with the Commodores - The Commodores continued to prepare for the season opener at Georgia Tech with a meticulous two-hour practice early Friday at John Rich Football Complex.

The Commodores will hold a second Friday session starting at 3:30 p.m., then sleep in before preparing for a practice and scrimmage Saturday at 2:00 p.m., in Vanderbilt Stadium. The team will not practice Sunday, and should conclude two-a-day drills on Wednesday.

The squad continued to benefit from the AstroPlay synthetic surface Friday morning as Coach Bobby Johnson directed individual and team drills under damp weather conditions. Because of the improved practice surfaces, the Commodores have not missed any substantial time due to adverse weather this preseason.

The Commodores spent nearly an hour of the practice in non-tackling 11-on-11 drills, with position coaches either praising an individual players’ effort or reviewing missed assignments after each play. The squad also was worked on numerous special teams.

Practice just part of day for players
Participating in practice is just part of a Commodore player’s responsibilities to the team during two-a-day drills. A normal day of camp starts before dawn and ends after dusk. Each player must be on the field by the start of practice at 6:00 a.m., and attend position meetings after the morning session and before the afternoon practice. The remainder of the day is consumed by an occasional weightroom workout, three team meals and brief naps.

Saturday session is first look at new stadium surface
The practice/scrimmage Saturay will provide observers with their first look at the lush Bermuda grass surface on Dudley Field in Vanderbilt Stadium. It will also mark the first time this preseason that all Commodore players except kicking prospects have worked out on the new surface.

The university re-installed the natural grass surface after the team ended spring practice last May. The football program and other Commodore athletic teams were forced to use the stadium last spring during the extensive construction of practice fields behind McGugin Center.

No cameras permitted Saturday
The public is allowed to watch the practice/scrimmage Saturday, but the coaching staff will not permit cameras in the facility. The two-hour session also will include individual and team drills. Several players recuperating from nagging ailments will not participate.

New Commodore Sideline Reporter Named
Kevin Ingram, one of the most respected radio sports reporters in Middle Tennessee, has been named Sideline Reporter for the Commodore Radio Sports Network. Ingram, the sports reporter at WSM and WWTN radio stations in Nashville, replaces former Commodore running back Norman Jordan (Class of ’82). Play-by-play announcer Joe Fisher and color analyst John Gromos return for their fifth year together in the Commodore radio booth.