Golden Eagle football team gets 2009 camp underway
A spirited group of 90 players went through meetings, an hour of photo sessions, and more meetings, before finally getting out onto Overall Field Wednesday afternoon for the first day of practice in Tennessee Tech's Fall Football Camp.
Team works more than two hours in shorts Wednesday
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- A spirited group of 90 players went through
meetings, an hour of photo sessions, and more meetings Wednesday,
before finally getting out onto Overall Field in the afternoon for
the team's first day of practice in Tennessee Tech's Fall Football
Camp.
The Golden Eagles have 29 days to prepare for their season opener
on Sept. 10 against Pikeville, and if Wednesday's workout is any
indication, coach Watson Brown can look forward to a camp filled
with enthusiasm and hustle.
It's also going to be a learning experience, as the 90-player
roster includes 31 first-year players. Brown addressed the team at
the conclusion of the workout and told them they needed to be
focused and use this time to improve on a daily basis.
"This is the most important time of the year," he told them. "You
cannot play confused."
Brown heads into his 25th season as a collegiate head coach, his
37th year overall coaching college football. It will be his third
year as Tech's head coach.
The schedule calls for two more days in shorts without pads, with
morning practices Thursday and Friday. Tech wears shoulder pads in
its Saturday morning practice, returns to shorts for a Sunday
afternoon workout, then dons full pads Monday morning for the first
time. The first two-a-day is scheduled for Tuesday.
The Golden Eagles will hold their first scrimage on Saturday, Aug.
22, at 7 p.m. under the bright lights in Tucker Stadium.
An intersting battle will shape up quickly at quarterback, where
senior starter Lee Sweeney enters camp as the starter for his
fourth season. He'll be challenged by two returnees and two
newcomers.
Junior Cass Barnes has moved back to signal calleer after one year
at wide receiver, while redshirt freshman Tre Lamb worked with the
Scout team last season. Both saw plenty of reps in Spring
drills.
The battle will also include sophomore transfer Clint Brewster and
freshman Ryan Tilghman. Brewster is a strong-armed quarterback from
Denver who originally signed with the University of Minnesota and
spent last year at the College of the Sequoias in California junior
college ranks. Tilghman is a walk-on from Columbia (Tenn.) Central
High School.
