Cooler Weather Prevails for Second Two-A-Day
8/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Countdown to Kickoff Central
It's not often that you can say a football team gets a break on a two-a-day practice schedule, but that's exactly what happened today for Liberty's second scheduled two-a-day session of this year's August training camp.
High humidity and temperatures hovering in the upper 80s and lower 90s have blanketed this year's first several practices. However, the Flames took to the Williams Stadium turf and to the grass practice surface adjacent the Williams Football Operations Center for a pair of practices today in near perfect conditions.
Overcast skies were present throughout the early portion of the day, while intermittent rain showers continued to keep the mercury in the thermometer around the 80-degree mark. Just at the opening of the afternoon session, the clouds broke open allowing the return of the sun, but a consistent breeze kept the temperatures in the lower 80s for the remainder of the afternoon.
"This was our second two-a-day, and I think that our kids are very accustomed to the routine now and we had a pretty good day's work," remarked third-year head coach Danny Rocco following the 10th practice of training camp. "The weather really cooperated, and we didn't have to deal with the adversity of the heat we have been battling the last couple of days."
Liberty opened the tiresome two-a-day schedule with a morning workout session at Williams Stadium. During the two-hour practice, the Flames worked predominantly on their first and second down run plays and their play action pass patterns.
During the middle of the 9 a.m. practice, Liberty divided into several different position groups, highlighted by the quarterbacks and wide receivers taking center stage at midfield for short, medium and long-range passing drills.
The usual suspects, Brock Smith, Spencer Landis and Mike Brown, were tossing passes to a wide array of wide receivers, while onlookers at the practice also got to see some passing patterns thrown by up-and-coming quarterback Tyler Brennan.
There were also some fresh faces in the wide receiving corps, as Jimmy Eden, Mark Blakeney and Steven Crawford showcased their abilities during the drill. The 10-minute session also saw the return of Jonathan Crawford and Danny Broggin to the group, as both wide outs had sat out the first eight practices nursing injuries.
Later in the practice, Liberty ran some seven-on-seven drills, focusing in on offensive and defensive line pass rush, followed by two groupings of "Team Time." During the session, Rocco ran two sets of 15-scripted plays before breaking for lunch and some video time, prior to the afternoon session.
The players had a 90-minute break for lunch before beginning preparation for the afternoon workout, while the coaching staff was back in their meeting rooms in less than 60 minutes.
For those unfamiliar with what it takes to survive a two-a-day practice schedule, below is the breakdown for today's full team schedule – sun up to sun down:
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. – Breakfast (mandatory for all players)
7:00 – 7:30 a.m. – Treatments
7:30 – 8:45 a.m. – Player taping (with first and second-year players needing to go before 8:15)
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. – Coaching and Support Staff meeting
8:50 – 9:00 a.m. – On the Line (for quarterbacks, centers and specialists)
9:00 – 10:55 a.m. – Morning practice (full pads on the turf at Williams Stadium)
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 – Lunch (mandatory for all players)
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. – Coaching Staff meeting
1:30 – 2:45 p.m. – Player taping (with first and second-year players needing to go before 2:15)
2:30 – 2:45 p.m. – Signal Callers meeting (quarterbacks, linebackers and safeties)
2:50 – 3:00 p.m. – On the Line (for quarterbacks, centers and specialists)
3:00 – 4:55 p.m. – Afternoon practice (in shoulder pads and helmets on grass practice field)
5:30 – 7:00 p.m. – Dinner (mandatory for all players)
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Coaching Staff Meeting
6:45 – 7:15 p.m. – Special Teams meeting
7:15 – 7:30 p.m. – Full team meeting
7:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Offensive and Defensive position meetings
9:30 – 11:00 p.m. – Treatments and Snack
11:00 p.m. – Curfew
For those doubting whether collegiate athletes are dedicated to their sport and who want a moment-by-moment pictorial story for the near 16-hour work day, otherwise known as a two-a-day, LibertyFlames.com welcomes you to review one of last year's Countdown to Kickoff stories. The web site spent the entire day as a "member" of the offensive line, detailing each and every moment of the lengthy two-a-day schedule – click here to access last year's story.
Liberty practiced in just shells during the afternoon workout session. The two-hour shoulder pads and helmets practice saw the Flames install their third-down plays, both medium and longer length plays, while the defense had a variety of plays added to its nickel package.
After practice, Rocco had a chance to reflect on the first 10 practices of training camp, giving LibertyFlames.com some insight into what the head coach feels are Liberty's strengths one-third of the way through its preparation for the season opener against North Greenville on Aug. 30.
"I think the thing that has really impressed me so far is the depth in our defensive line," said Rocco. "We came out of spring ball feeling that the defensive line was going to be a concern. We went out and recruited a couple of kids and brought in some transfers.
"Daryl Robertson and Asa Chapman are going to add some legitimate depth to the line. With Colin Dugan out right now, we have been working Jay Coady and Asa at nose guard. Trey Jacobs and Kevin Richard are having outstanding training camps, as well as Soeren Wendland, Terry Adams and Tim Smith.
"We have a number of guys who are in a fight for the position, and some of them could be interchangeable," continued Rocco. "It is certainly going to allow us to roll a lot of bodies out there and maybe be more creative with our substitution patterns, so we can keep fresh bodies on the field."
LibertyFlames.com will debut another new segment tomorrow, giving Flames fans a chance to get to know the players they see each week battling it out on the gridiron. So if you have ever wanted to know more than just a name on the back of the jersey, be sure to check tomorrow's installment of Countdown to Kickoff.
Flames Facts:
• During the morning workout session, Rocco introduced a new drill to this year's training camp, as the Flames worked on goal-line situations.
• During the drill, a defender stood on the goal line, while a ball carrier started from two yards out. The offensive player had to get around a hurdle block on the field and try to get past the seven-yard opening the blue-jerseyed defensive player was defending on the goal line.
• Neither the offense nor the defense dominated the drill, as both groups seemed evenly succeedful in their endeavors during the five-minute segment.
• Stadium-wide facility updates continue at Williams Stadium, as two sections of portable bleachers are now sitting atop the West side in the Midway area.
• Next week, six portable luxury suites will be assembled, while installation of a new scoreboard on the East side concession stand will begin.
• August is certainly a month to celebrate for football fans and for 10 members of the Flames football roster, as the month presents not only the beginning of the season, but also their birth month. LibertyFlames.com would like to congratulate redshirt freshman Toney White on his birthday today.
• Earlier in the week, a trio of seniors celebrated birthdays, as Kevin Richard turned a year older on Monday and Colin Dugan and Nick Hursky celebrated birthdays on Tuesday.
• "We got Jonathan Crawford and Danny Broggin back today," commented Rocco on the return of his wide receiving duo. "Those two guys look good and healthy, and it looked like their legs are fresh underneath them."
• Beside the return of Crawford and Broggin, Rocco also reported that Terry Williams returned to the active roster yesterday, bolstering the Flames' depth chart at running back.
• Former Flame linebacker Vince Redd will have a chance to showcase his talents this evening on the national level, when his New England Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium in a Preseason NFL game.
• Redd, a Big South all-conference and honorable-mention All-American performer for Liberty last year, returned to the Patriots' active roster within the past few days, following a period when he was sidelined with a head injury.
It's not often that you can say a football team gets a break on a two-a-day practice schedule, but that's exactly what happened today for Liberty's second scheduled two-a-day session of this year's August training camp.
High humidity and temperatures hovering in the upper 80s and lower 90s have blanketed this year's first several practices. However, the Flames took to the Williams Stadium turf and to the grass practice surface adjacent the Williams Football Operations Center for a pair of practices today in near perfect conditions.
Overcast skies were present throughout the early portion of the day, while intermittent rain showers continued to keep the mercury in the thermometer around the 80-degree mark. Just at the opening of the afternoon session, the clouds broke open allowing the return of the sun, but a consistent breeze kept the temperatures in the lower 80s for the remainder of the afternoon.
"This was our second two-a-day, and I think that our kids are very accustomed to the routine now and we had a pretty good day's work," remarked third-year head coach Danny Rocco following the 10th practice of training camp. "The weather really cooperated, and we didn't have to deal with the adversity of the heat we have been battling the last couple of days."
Liberty opened the tiresome two-a-day schedule with a morning workout session at Williams Stadium. During the two-hour practice, the Flames worked predominantly on their first and second down run plays and their play action pass patterns.
During the middle of the 9 a.m. practice, Liberty divided into several different position groups, highlighted by the quarterbacks and wide receivers taking center stage at midfield for short, medium and long-range passing drills.
The usual suspects, Brock Smith, Spencer Landis and Mike Brown, were tossing passes to a wide array of wide receivers, while onlookers at the practice also got to see some passing patterns thrown by up-and-coming quarterback Tyler Brennan.
There were also some fresh faces in the wide receiving corps, as Jimmy Eden, Mark Blakeney and Steven Crawford showcased their abilities during the drill. The 10-minute session also saw the return of Jonathan Crawford and Danny Broggin to the group, as both wide outs had sat out the first eight practices nursing injuries.
Later in the practice, Liberty ran some seven-on-seven drills, focusing in on offensive and defensive line pass rush, followed by two groupings of "Team Time." During the session, Rocco ran two sets of 15-scripted plays before breaking for lunch and some video time, prior to the afternoon session.
The players had a 90-minute break for lunch before beginning preparation for the afternoon workout, while the coaching staff was back in their meeting rooms in less than 60 minutes.
For those unfamiliar with what it takes to survive a two-a-day practice schedule, below is the breakdown for today's full team schedule – sun up to sun down:
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. – Breakfast (mandatory for all players)
7:00 – 7:30 a.m. – Treatments
7:30 – 8:45 a.m. – Player taping (with first and second-year players needing to go before 8:15)
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. – Coaching and Support Staff meeting
8:50 – 9:00 a.m. – On the Line (for quarterbacks, centers and specialists)
9:00 – 10:55 a.m. – Morning practice (full pads on the turf at Williams Stadium)
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 – Lunch (mandatory for all players)
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. – Coaching Staff meeting
1:30 – 2:45 p.m. – Player taping (with first and second-year players needing to go before 2:15)
2:30 – 2:45 p.m. – Signal Callers meeting (quarterbacks, linebackers and safeties)
2:50 – 3:00 p.m. – On the Line (for quarterbacks, centers and specialists)
3:00 – 4:55 p.m. – Afternoon practice (in shoulder pads and helmets on grass practice field)
5:30 – 7:00 p.m. – Dinner (mandatory for all players)
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Coaching Staff Meeting
6:45 – 7:15 p.m. – Special Teams meeting
7:15 – 7:30 p.m. – Full team meeting
7:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Offensive and Defensive position meetings
9:30 – 11:00 p.m. – Treatments and Snack
11:00 p.m. – Curfew
For those doubting whether collegiate athletes are dedicated to their sport and who want a moment-by-moment pictorial story for the near 16-hour work day, otherwise known as a two-a-day, LibertyFlames.com welcomes you to review one of last year's Countdown to Kickoff stories. The web site spent the entire day as a "member" of the offensive line, detailing each and every moment of the lengthy two-a-day schedule – click here to access last year's story.
Liberty practiced in just shells during the afternoon workout session. The two-hour shoulder pads and helmets practice saw the Flames install their third-down plays, both medium and longer length plays, while the defense had a variety of plays added to its nickel package.
After practice, Rocco had a chance to reflect on the first 10 practices of training camp, giving LibertyFlames.com some insight into what the head coach feels are Liberty's strengths one-third of the way through its preparation for the season opener against North Greenville on Aug. 30.
"I think the thing that has really impressed me so far is the depth in our defensive line," said Rocco. "We came out of spring ball feeling that the defensive line was going to be a concern. We went out and recruited a couple of kids and brought in some transfers.
"Daryl Robertson and Asa Chapman are going to add some legitimate depth to the line. With Colin Dugan out right now, we have been working Jay Coady and Asa at nose guard. Trey Jacobs and Kevin Richard are having outstanding training camps, as well as Soeren Wendland, Terry Adams and Tim Smith.
"We have a number of guys who are in a fight for the position, and some of them could be interchangeable," continued Rocco. "It is certainly going to allow us to roll a lot of bodies out there and maybe be more creative with our substitution patterns, so we can keep fresh bodies on the field."
LibertyFlames.com will debut another new segment tomorrow, giving Flames fans a chance to get to know the players they see each week battling it out on the gridiron. So if you have ever wanted to know more than just a name on the back of the jersey, be sure to check tomorrow's installment of Countdown to Kickoff.
Flames Facts:
• During the morning workout session, Rocco introduced a new drill to this year's training camp, as the Flames worked on goal-line situations.
• During the drill, a defender stood on the goal line, while a ball carrier started from two yards out. The offensive player had to get around a hurdle block on the field and try to get past the seven-yard opening the blue-jerseyed defensive player was defending on the goal line.
• Neither the offense nor the defense dominated the drill, as both groups seemed evenly succeedful in their endeavors during the five-minute segment.
• Stadium-wide facility updates continue at Williams Stadium, as two sections of portable bleachers are now sitting atop the West side in the Midway area.
• Next week, six portable luxury suites will be assembled, while installation of a new scoreboard on the East side concession stand will begin.
• August is certainly a month to celebrate for football fans and for 10 members of the Flames football roster, as the month presents not only the beginning of the season, but also their birth month. LibertyFlames.com would like to congratulate redshirt freshman Toney White on his birthday today.
• Earlier in the week, a trio of seniors celebrated birthdays, as Kevin Richard turned a year older on Monday and Colin Dugan and Nick Hursky celebrated birthdays on Tuesday.
• "We got Jonathan Crawford and Danny Broggin back today," commented Rocco on the return of his wide receiving duo. "Those two guys look good and healthy, and it looked like their legs are fresh underneath them."
• Beside the return of Crawford and Broggin, Rocco also reported that Terry Williams returned to the active roster yesterday, bolstering the Flames' depth chart at running back.
• Former Flame linebacker Vince Redd will have a chance to showcase his talents this evening on the national level, when his New England Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium in a Preseason NFL game.
• Redd, a Big South all-conference and honorable-mention All-American performer for Liberty last year, returned to the Patriots' active roster within the past few days, following a period when he was sidelined with a head injury.
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| The new premium seating area seats arrived today at Williams Stadium. |
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| Additional bleacher seating has also been added above the stands on the West side of Williams Stadium. |
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| Also arrived today at Williams Stadium were several new sections for the portable luxury suites which will be assembled next week. |
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| B.J. Hayes cuts back toward the inside of the field during one of the Flames' running drills Tuesday afternoon. |
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| The offensive and defensive lines clash, as the Flames practice their pass protection. |
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| Patrick Calvary (2) and Chris Rocco (14) chase Jonathan Crawford downfield in Crawford's first practice of training camp. |
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| Tyler Brennan (12) watches as Kyle DeArmon (19) tries to find an open receiver downfield. |
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| Matt Pennington kicks from the sideline, working on his kicking drills during the morning practice session. |
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| Spencer Landis surveys the Flames' defense before taking the snap. |
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| Steven Crawford cuts to the outside, trying to get open for the pass. |
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