Players Mentioned
Spring Football Practice: Ode to the H-back
4/10/2015 7:53:00 PM | Football
Saturday's practice is slated for 9:30 a.m. in Paulson Stadium
VIDEO: Practice Report | Spring Roster | 2015 Schedule | Buy Tickets
STATESBORO, Ga. – They are listed on the roster as tight ends. The Georgia Southern coaches sometimes refer to them as H-backs.
Whatever you want to call them, they are a big reason why the Eagles led the nation in rushing last season with over 380 yards per game.
"We're a hybrid between a fullback and a tight end," says senior James Dean. "In this system, we are more involved in coming from the backfield in pass protection, and sometimes we'll get out on a route. It's a very versatile position. You are lined up in a spot where the defense keys on you a lot."
It's an unsung position in the Georgia Southern offense, one used as a battering ram to open up holes for the speedy running back. Needless to say, the Eagle H-backs/tight ends were extremely effective last season.
"We are used as kind of the head of the spear on a lot of run plays," says Dean.
Even when they are not serving as the 'head of the spear,' the H-back is likely to get popped on most every play because the defense assumes the ball carrier is following.
"Whenever you have an H-back, you use him as a lead blocker for a lot of plays, and the defense knows that so a lot of times they will have their linebackers key him, see where his first step is and mirror it," says Dean.
Dean and fellow seniors Nardo Govan and Jeff Ward figure to see a bulk of playing time in the H-back spot in 2015. Dean says they have spent most of the spring refining and polishing their skill set. With defenses keying on them to stop the run, the Eagle coaching staff is hoping to make Dean and his fellow H-backs a bigger part of the offense in 2015.
"James is a really savvy football player," says Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz. "We're going to figure out a way to get him the ball more. He has great hands and the ability to run after the catch."
Though Dean and his fellow H-backs will certainly take on any extra work that comes their way, they are ready to serve as the head of the spear once again.
"Last year, we definitely didn't utilize our tight ends as a weapon," Dean says with a smile. "We're thinking about it this year. We're a running team; that's our focus and we want to match that top running offense in the nation. But we might get a few balls this year."
The Eagles practiced in shorts and helmets in the heat and humidity Friday on the banks of Beautiful Eagle Creek. Saturday's practice will be at Paulson Stadium and begin at 9:30 a.m.
Remaining Spring Practice Schedule
Saturday, April 11 - 9:30 a.m. - Paulson Stadium
Monday, April 13
Wednesday, April 15
Friday, April 17
Saturday, April 18 – Spring Game
Renewal Deadline is April 14
Just five days remain to renew your Georgia Southern football season tickets and parking spaces. The deadline for football season ticket and parking renewals is Tuesday, April 14, and all non-renewed seats and parking spots will be released for sale April 15. In order to keep the same Eagle Football season tickets from the 2014 football season, fans MUST RENEW and SET UP payments by TUESDAY, APRIL 14th, 2015.
If fans miss the renewal deadline but still wish to sit in the Club Level or Eagle Club, the Georgia Southern Ticket Office will place a seating request under their account. Their seating request will be entered with the rest of the requests received by the ticket office and those requests will be ranked by priority point total.
A very limited amount of seats will become available for sections 105-109 and the Eagle Club, and the ticket office will not be able to meet a large majority of the requests for these sections. There is no guarantee that fans will be able to purchase Club Level or Eagle Club season tickets for the 2015 football season if they miss the renewal deadline.
In order to best serve Eagle Fund Donors and Season Ticket Holders, the Athletics Ticket Office will be open extended hours - Monday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 14, from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. In order to keep the same seats and parking spot as last season, be sure to contact the Ticket Office by:
1.) Calling 1-800-GSU-WINS
2.) Renewing online at www.GSEagles.com/renewals
3.) Mailing in your renewal form before APRIL 14th. Please also note, if your renewal form is sent via U.S. Mail and it is not received by April 14th, then your seats will be dropped from your account.
4.) Renew in person at the Athletic Foundation and Ticket Office Building at Paulson Stadium (203 Lanier Dr. Statesboro, GA 30458)
Ticket Office Hours Are:
(Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
(April 13 and 14 - 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.)
Season Tickets on Sale Now
Football season tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale now, and fans can purchase them as well as parking by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting the ticket office in the Cowart Building adjacent to Paulson Stadium (203 Lanier Drive). Ticket office hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Season tickets and parking can also be purchased at this month's Coaches' Caravan events beginning April 21 in Emanuel County - VISA, MasterCard, AmEx and cash are accepted. The season ticket renewal deadline as well as the parking renewal deadline is April 14, and online sales for new season tickets and new parking begin May 1.
The journey continues for the Georgia Southern football team in year two of FBS play as the Eagles will face two "Power Five" conference teams, four teams that played in bowl games a year ago and will host six home games in the 2015 football season.
The Eagles will host a pair of teams that played in bowl games last season. Western Michigan (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) comes to town for the home opener Sept. 12, and the Eagles welcome South Alabama (Raycom Media Camellia Bowl) Nov. 28.
Texas State, which finished the season bowl eligible with a 7-5 record, will travel to Statesboro for a Thursday night ESPNU national broadcast Oct. 29. The Eagles will close out the 2015 regular season at home against in-state rival Georgia State Dec. 5. The Citadel visits Paulson Stadium Sept. 19, and the Eagles play host to New Mexico State Oct. 17.
Despite six home games in 2015 compared to five in 2014, season ticket prices have stayed the same, and a majority of required annual donations to the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation in order to purchase season tickets remain the same as well.
"Last season was fantastic with attendance, but we need to amp it up even more," said Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz. "It's not just a football game; it's an event when you play at Paulson Stadium with pre-game and everything going on and with Southern Pride and the cheerleaders, the dance team and the game-day presentation. Hopefully, what we did last year will attract even more fans."
Season tickets prices start as low as $75 for all six games, and seats that do not require a donation are available from $135-145 per seat. All season ticket pricing and pricing and donation requirements can be found below.
Important Ticket Dates and Deadlines:
Tuesday, April 14 – Season ticket renewal deadline
Tuesday, April 14 – Parking renewal deadline
Tuesday, April 14 – Spring Game Tailgate Cook-Off registration deadline
Saturday, April 18 – Blue vs. White Spring Game, 1 p.m. kickoff
Monday, August 24 – Single-game sales begin
Free Admission, Free Parking, North Stands Open, Field of Dreams Open for Spring Game April 18
Register for Tailgate Cook-Off
The second annual Tailgate Cook-Off, guest coaches, autograph sessions and a UniFlame Gas Grill giveaway highlight the activities surrounding the Blue vs. White Spring Football Game in Paulson Stadium April 18.
Admission and parking are free, gates open at noon and the game kicks off at 1 p.m. Fans can enter through Gates 1 and 12, and are asked to sit in the North Stands. Food concessions, an adidas merchandise area and season ticket kiosk will be open behind the North Stands. Game programs from the 2014 Sun Belt Championship season will be on sale for $3 a program or $10 for the season set.
The Rotary Corporation Field of Dreams will be open with inflatables available, courtesy of Crazy Nick's Inflatables. Honorary Coaches Dr. Brooks A. Keel and Leonard Bevill will assist in coaching the two teams, and players and coaches will be available for autographs after the game. Southern Pride and the Georgia Southern cheer team will also be at the game.
The Second Annual Spring Football Tailgate Cook-Off will also take place with tasting beginning at 11 a.m. and concluding at 12:30 p.m. Eagle fans are invited to serve as tasting judges for $3 to enter the tailgate zone, sample the food and complete a ballot to determine the top four. Scores from the tasting judges will be calculated, and winners will be announced during the game.
The top-place tailgate and grill masters win a one-night stay at a hotel plus 2 tickets to the Georgia Southern vs. Georgia game in Athens Nov. 21, 2015. To enter the contest, a team or individual must register online by April 14 and pay a $20 cash fee per entry on site April 18.
Fans at the game can enter a drawing for a UniFlame Gas Grill, courtesy of the Sun Belt Conference. Fans must be at least 18-years-old to enter the drawing.
EFAA Raffle
The Eagle Football Alumni Association (EFAA) will be holding its Eighth Annual $10,000 Reverse Raffle & Auction Sat., April 18, at 5 p.m. in the Gene Bishop Field House at Paulson Stadium following the Blue & White Spring Game.
There will be a silent and live auction, which will feature an array of items such as autographed memorabilia, vacation opportunities, once-in-a-lifetime Georgia Southern game experiences, vintage Georgia Southern Football memorabilia, autographed memorabilia from local professional teams and much more. In addition, the Third Edition Erk Russell Commemorative Shotgun will be auctioned off in the live auction. This year's theme for the shotgun is "Yellow School Buses." The final 10 tickets in the reverse raffle will be drawn after the live auction, and the final ticket will win $10,000.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Eagle fans can follow Coach Willie Fritz's twitter account @CoachWEFritz. For tickets, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or visit GSEagles.com/tickets.
STATESBORO, Ga. – They are listed on the roster as tight ends. The Georgia Southern coaches sometimes refer to them as H-backs.
Whatever you want to call them, they are a big reason why the Eagles led the nation in rushing last season with over 380 yards per game.
"We're a hybrid between a fullback and a tight end," says senior James Dean. "In this system, we are more involved in coming from the backfield in pass protection, and sometimes we'll get out on a route. It's a very versatile position. You are lined up in a spot where the defense keys on you a lot."
It's an unsung position in the Georgia Southern offense, one used as a battering ram to open up holes for the speedy running back. Needless to say, the Eagle H-backs/tight ends were extremely effective last season.
"We are used as kind of the head of the spear on a lot of run plays," says Dean.
Even when they are not serving as the 'head of the spear,' the H-back is likely to get popped on most every play because the defense assumes the ball carrier is following.
"Whenever you have an H-back, you use him as a lead blocker for a lot of plays, and the defense knows that so a lot of times they will have their linebackers key him, see where his first step is and mirror it," says Dean.
Dean and fellow seniors Nardo Govan and Jeff Ward figure to see a bulk of playing time in the H-back spot in 2015. Dean says they have spent most of the spring refining and polishing their skill set. With defenses keying on them to stop the run, the Eagle coaching staff is hoping to make Dean and his fellow H-backs a bigger part of the offense in 2015.
"James is a really savvy football player," says Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz. "We're going to figure out a way to get him the ball more. He has great hands and the ability to run after the catch."
Though Dean and his fellow H-backs will certainly take on any extra work that comes their way, they are ready to serve as the head of the spear once again.
"Last year, we definitely didn't utilize our tight ends as a weapon," Dean says with a smile. "We're thinking about it this year. We're a running team; that's our focus and we want to match that top running offense in the nation. But we might get a few balls this year."
The Eagles practiced in shorts and helmets in the heat and humidity Friday on the banks of Beautiful Eagle Creek. Saturday's practice will be at Paulson Stadium and begin at 9:30 a.m.
Remaining Spring Practice Schedule
Saturday, April 11 - 9:30 a.m. - Paulson Stadium
Monday, April 13
Wednesday, April 15
Friday, April 17
Saturday, April 18 – Spring Game
Renewal Deadline is April 14
Just five days remain to renew your Georgia Southern football season tickets and parking spaces. The deadline for football season ticket and parking renewals is Tuesday, April 14, and all non-renewed seats and parking spots will be released for sale April 15. In order to keep the same Eagle Football season tickets from the 2014 football season, fans MUST RENEW and SET UP payments by TUESDAY, APRIL 14th, 2015.
If fans miss the renewal deadline but still wish to sit in the Club Level or Eagle Club, the Georgia Southern Ticket Office will place a seating request under their account. Their seating request will be entered with the rest of the requests received by the ticket office and those requests will be ranked by priority point total.
A very limited amount of seats will become available for sections 105-109 and the Eagle Club, and the ticket office will not be able to meet a large majority of the requests for these sections. There is no guarantee that fans will be able to purchase Club Level or Eagle Club season tickets for the 2015 football season if they miss the renewal deadline.
In order to best serve Eagle Fund Donors and Season Ticket Holders, the Athletics Ticket Office will be open extended hours - Monday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 14, from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. In order to keep the same seats and parking spot as last season, be sure to contact the Ticket Office by:
1.) Calling 1-800-GSU-WINS
2.) Renewing online at www.GSEagles.com/renewals
3.) Mailing in your renewal form before APRIL 14th. Please also note, if your renewal form is sent via U.S. Mail and it is not received by April 14th, then your seats will be dropped from your account.
4.) Renew in person at the Athletic Foundation and Ticket Office Building at Paulson Stadium (203 Lanier Dr. Statesboro, GA 30458)
Ticket Office Hours Are:
(Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
(April 13 and 14 - 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.)
Season Tickets on Sale Now
Football season tickets for the 2015 campaign are on sale now, and fans can purchase them as well as parking by calling 1-800-GSU-WINS or by visiting the ticket office in the Cowart Building adjacent to Paulson Stadium (203 Lanier Drive). Ticket office hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Season tickets and parking can also be purchased at this month's Coaches' Caravan events beginning April 21 in Emanuel County - VISA, MasterCard, AmEx and cash are accepted. The season ticket renewal deadline as well as the parking renewal deadline is April 14, and online sales for new season tickets and new parking begin May 1.
The journey continues for the Georgia Southern football team in year two of FBS play as the Eagles will face two "Power Five" conference teams, four teams that played in bowl games a year ago and will host six home games in the 2015 football season.
The Eagles will host a pair of teams that played in bowl games last season. Western Michigan (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) comes to town for the home opener Sept. 12, and the Eagles welcome South Alabama (Raycom Media Camellia Bowl) Nov. 28.
Texas State, which finished the season bowl eligible with a 7-5 record, will travel to Statesboro for a Thursday night ESPNU national broadcast Oct. 29. The Eagles will close out the 2015 regular season at home against in-state rival Georgia State Dec. 5. The Citadel visits Paulson Stadium Sept. 19, and the Eagles play host to New Mexico State Oct. 17.
Despite six home games in 2015 compared to five in 2014, season ticket prices have stayed the same, and a majority of required annual donations to the Georgia Southern Athletic Foundation in order to purchase season tickets remain the same as well.
"Last season was fantastic with attendance, but we need to amp it up even more," said Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz. "It's not just a football game; it's an event when you play at Paulson Stadium with pre-game and everything going on and with Southern Pride and the cheerleaders, the dance team and the game-day presentation. Hopefully, what we did last year will attract even more fans."
Season tickets prices start as low as $75 for all six games, and seats that do not require a donation are available from $135-145 per seat. All season ticket pricing and pricing and donation requirements can be found below.
Important Ticket Dates and Deadlines:
Tuesday, April 14 – Season ticket renewal deadline
Tuesday, April 14 – Parking renewal deadline
Tuesday, April 14 – Spring Game Tailgate Cook-Off registration deadline
Saturday, April 18 – Blue vs. White Spring Game, 1 p.m. kickoff
Monday, August 24 – Single-game sales begin
Free Admission, Free Parking, North Stands Open, Field of Dreams Open for Spring Game April 18
Register for Tailgate Cook-Off
The second annual Tailgate Cook-Off, guest coaches, autograph sessions and a UniFlame Gas Grill giveaway highlight the activities surrounding the Blue vs. White Spring Football Game in Paulson Stadium April 18.
Admission and parking are free, gates open at noon and the game kicks off at 1 p.m. Fans can enter through Gates 1 and 12, and are asked to sit in the North Stands. Food concessions, an adidas merchandise area and season ticket kiosk will be open behind the North Stands. Game programs from the 2014 Sun Belt Championship season will be on sale for $3 a program or $10 for the season set.
The Rotary Corporation Field of Dreams will be open with inflatables available, courtesy of Crazy Nick's Inflatables. Honorary Coaches Dr. Brooks A. Keel and Leonard Bevill will assist in coaching the two teams, and players and coaches will be available for autographs after the game. Southern Pride and the Georgia Southern cheer team will also be at the game.
The Second Annual Spring Football Tailgate Cook-Off will also take place with tasting beginning at 11 a.m. and concluding at 12:30 p.m. Eagle fans are invited to serve as tasting judges for $3 to enter the tailgate zone, sample the food and complete a ballot to determine the top four. Scores from the tasting judges will be calculated, and winners will be announced during the game.
The top-place tailgate and grill masters win a one-night stay at a hotel plus 2 tickets to the Georgia Southern vs. Georgia game in Athens Nov. 21, 2015. To enter the contest, a team or individual must register online by April 14 and pay a $20 cash fee per entry on site April 18.
Fans at the game can enter a drawing for a UniFlame Gas Grill, courtesy of the Sun Belt Conference. Fans must be at least 18-years-old to enter the drawing.
EFAA Raffle
The Eagle Football Alumni Association (EFAA) will be holding its Eighth Annual $10,000 Reverse Raffle & Auction Sat., April 18, at 5 p.m. in the Gene Bishop Field House at Paulson Stadium following the Blue & White Spring Game.
There will be a silent and live auction, which will feature an array of items such as autographed memorabilia, vacation opportunities, once-in-a-lifetime Georgia Southern game experiences, vintage Georgia Southern Football memorabilia, autographed memorabilia from local professional teams and much more. In addition, the Third Edition Erk Russell Commemorative Shotgun will be auctioned off in the live auction. This year's theme for the shotgun is "Yellow School Buses." The final 10 tickets in the reverse raffle will be drawn after the live auction, and the final ticket will win $10,000.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Eagle fans can follow Coach Willie Fritz's twitter account @CoachWEFritz. For tickets, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or visit GSEagles.com/tickets.
Georgia Southern Football Media Availability (3/3/26)
Tuesday, March 03
The GATA Zone - Women's Basketball Post Season
Tuesday, March 03
2026 Only For Southern
Thursday, February 26
2026 Georgia Southern Football Ticket Video
Wednesday, February 25
