Georgia Southern Continues to Work on Day Three of Preseason Practice
8/5/2010 3:10:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO, Ga. - The heat was turned up today as the Eagles' continued preseason practices in preparation of the 2010 season opener versus Savannah State on September 4. Georgia Southern had 23 periods of practice again on Wednesday, working through a list of assignments, drills, skelly and team. After two days in shorts and helmets, shoulder pads were added to the mix today, allowing for limited contact.
"I'm not going to say I'm satisfied with the effort and intensity yet, it was better than yesterday," said Eagles Head Coach Jeff Monken. "I hoped it would be, if you were out here yesterday, you would have seen that I wasn't very pleased with just the way it started. I hope we'll get better. I believe in our kids and I believe in our coaching staff. I think our coaching staff will get our guys prepared and get them to play with the toughness and the effort and the attitude that we're expecting."
What the Georgia Southern coaches look for in practice now, and through the rest of the preseason, is no different than their expectations of what the Eagles will need to bring out on the field in just over 30 days.
"I think our philosophy of practice and the way we practice is different than most people," Monken said. "I don't know, I haven't been around a lot of whole lot of places, I've been under Paul (Johnson) for 13 years. We just have a certain way we practice, and unless it's really fast and really physical and really tough, we're not pleased."
Repetitions, practice, film, playbooks and more practice will help the Eagles as they continue to learn new systems on both sides of the ball. The mental toughness will undoubtedly be sharpened by the heat, humidity, gnats and the expectations of the coaching staff.
"By the way we coach them," Monken responded to the question of how to develop the trait of mental toughness in his players. "Our leadership, our energy and attitude as coaches on the staff have to be such that they meet our energy and our enthusiasm. We have to keep pushing and keep encouraging them and make sure we see them immediately, when they don't meet our standards, that we can correct them on the spot and they get instant feedback."
ROSTER TRANSACTIONS: Sophomore linebacker Zach Humphrey decided not to remain with the team. Freshman wide receiver Lester Green joined the Eagles today. Green, from Ashburn, Ga., played on the Turner County Rebel team that went 10-3 in his senior season. He caught 32 passes for 604 yards and two touchdowns.
Fall Camp Practice Times: Sessions are open to Eagle fans and will be held at the Georgia Southern practice fields unless indicated.
August 5, 2010 - 2:45 p.m.
August 6, 2010 - 2:45 p.m. (first day in full pads)
August 7, 2010 - practice 1 9 a.m., practice 2 4:33 p.m.
August 8, 2010 - 3:55 p.m.
August 9, 2010 - practice 1 9 a.m., practice 2 4:33 p.m.
August 10, 2010 - No practice
August 11, 2010 - practice 1 9 a.m., practice 2 4:33 p.m.
August 12, 2010 - 2:45 p.m.
August 13, 2010 - 2:45 p.m.
August 14, 2010 - 10:05 a.m- 12 p.m. practice at Paulson Stadium
4-5:30 p.m. "Meet the Eagles" event at Paulson Stadium
