Back to Work on Day Two at the Camellia Bowl
12/12/2018 7:30:00 PM | Football
Eagles hit the practice field for first time on Wednesday
PHOTO GALLERY
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Georgia Southern football was back to business on Wednesday with the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl just three days away. The day included a bowling event at Bama Lanes with the wives and kids going to the local zoo, as well as their first practice in Montgomery.
The Eagles got their first workout in with a short trip to Huntingdon College. Several members of the media were in attendance talking to GS players, including senior tight end Ellis Richardson. Richardson i familiar with Montgomery as he played at Alabama state for a season. Upon graduating from Douglas County High in 2013, where he was a first-team all-region and all-county selection at quarterback, he enrolled at prep school in Virginia. He then transferred to Los Angeles Valley College in the fall of 2014 as a true freshman and then transferred to Alabama State in the spring of 2015. Richardson played in nine games in 2015 at Alabama State, throwing for 739 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 550 yards and eight scores. After transferring to Georgia Southern in January 2016, he had to sit out per NCAA transfer rules and used it as a redshirt season. In the spring, he was moved to tight end. For his career, he has five touchdown receptions and graduated with a degree in interdisciplinary studies
Once practice ended, the team got a chance to go to Bama Lanes in Montgomery for a fun night of bowling with their teammates. They also got a commemorative football courtesy of the bowl with both team's logo to be able to take home as a keepsake. The team then returned to the hotel for the evening with a curfew of midnight. With the evening to themselves, players were free to explore the host city, but Alvin Ward Jr. took the opportunity to entertain those in the hotel lobby with his piano prowess.
Thursday's schedule of events includes a trip to the Rosa Parks Museum and an afternoon practice before a BBQ dinner event at the local baseball stadium. With some down time coming up, junior offensive lineman Jakob Cooper is looking to visit the grave of country music megastar Hank Williams, who is buried in his home town of Montgomery. His granite grave is embellished with musical notes, carvings of his guitar and boots, references to his most popular songs, and a sculpture of his cowboy hat. Fun fact, however, is that it's carpeted in snappy green astroturf, not grass. The turf came in years after Williams' 1953 death, and after it became clear that no grass was ever likely to grow on his grave, since it would be plucked clean by his fans as souvenirs.
The Raycom Media Camellia Bowl will take place on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m. (CT)/5:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN. Tickets remain on sale through GSEagles.com/Bowl.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Georgia Southern football was back to business on Wednesday with the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl just three days away. The day included a bowling event at Bama Lanes with the wives and kids going to the local zoo, as well as their first practice in Montgomery.
It was a quiet morning for the players as they had nothing but breakfast and treatment. The coaches met and kept their usual Wednesday schedule. After a lunch at the hotel, all of the regular team and position meeting took place before the entire squad headed to Huntingdon College for practice. Coach Lunsford has been very particular in keeping the Eagles' schedule the same each day, every week and he's doing his best to do that again this week. There are a lot of events, appearances and distractions that everyone has to deal with, but at the end of the week, the ball will be put on the tee at 4:35 p.m. on Saturday at the Cramton Bowl against Eastern Michigan.Big day at the zoo for the wives and kids! @CamelliaBowl #GATABowl pic.twitter.com/w4cuYhajNh
— Georgia Southern Football (@GSAthletics_FB) December 12, 2018
The Eagles got their first workout in with a short trip to Huntingdon College. Several members of the media were in attendance talking to GS players, including senior tight end Ellis Richardson. Richardson i familiar with Montgomery as he played at Alabama state for a season. Upon graduating from Douglas County High in 2013, where he was a first-team all-region and all-county selection at quarterback, he enrolled at prep school in Virginia. He then transferred to Los Angeles Valley College in the fall of 2014 as a true freshman and then transferred to Alabama State in the spring of 2015. Richardson played in nine games in 2015 at Alabama State, throwing for 739 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 550 yards and eight scores. After transferring to Georgia Southern in January 2016, he had to sit out per NCAA transfer rules and used it as a redshirt season. In the spring, he was moved to tight end. For his career, he has five touchdown receptions and graduated with a degree in interdisciplinary studies
Ellis Richardson was a popular man before practice today with the local media. He returns to Montgomery where he played his freshman season at Alabama State #HailSouthern pic.twitter.com/c1qU3uolGp
— Georgia Southern Football (@GSAthletics_FB) December 12, 2018
Time to meet the media here at practice. #GATABowl pic.twitter.com/kI3i7jLs8F
— Georgia Southern Football (@GSAthletics_FB) December 12, 2018
Once practice ended, the team got a chance to go to Bama Lanes in Montgomery for a fun night of bowling with their teammates. They also got a commemorative football courtesy of the bowl with both team's logo to be able to take home as a keepsake. The team then returned to the hotel for the evening with a curfew of midnight. With the evening to themselves, players were free to explore the host city, but Alvin Ward Jr. took the opportunity to entertain those in the hotel lobby with his piano prowess.
The multi-talented @slimboy05 🎹🦅🏈 #morethanjustastudentathlete pic.twitter.com/dV9xsAzUdc
— Georgia Southern Football (@GSAthletics_FB) December 13, 2018
Thursday's schedule of events includes a trip to the Rosa Parks Museum and an afternoon practice before a BBQ dinner event at the local baseball stadium. With some down time coming up, junior offensive lineman Jakob Cooper is looking to visit the grave of country music megastar Hank Williams, who is buried in his home town of Montgomery. His granite grave is embellished with musical notes, carvings of his guitar and boots, references to his most popular songs, and a sculpture of his cowboy hat. Fun fact, however, is that it's carpeted in snappy green astroturf, not grass. The turf came in years after Williams' 1953 death, and after it became clear that no grass was ever likely to grow on his grave, since it would be plucked clean by his fans as souvenirs.
The Raycom Media Camellia Bowl will take place on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m. (CT)/5:30 p.m. (ET) on ESPN. Tickets remain on sale through GSEagles.com/Bowl.
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