Photo by: SFA Athletics
SFA Football Fall Camp Report | Defensive Ends
8/20/2018 2:26:00 PM | Football
‘Jacks host practice in shells with 16th fall camp workout Monday morning
The 2018 Stephen F. Austin football season is just around the corner and the Lumberjacks have begun fall camp, beginning the countdown to the 92nd season of Lumberjack football in Nacogdoches. Throughout the preseason camp, SFAJacks.com will break down each position or area of the team, today highlighting the defensive ends.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – With only five days of fall camp remaining, the Stephen F. Austin football team conducted its eighth consecutive practice in helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys and shorts Monday morning. On the two grass practice fields behind the SFA athletics fieldhouse, the Lumberjacks hosted a longer 20-period workout session under partly cloudy skies.
With a refreshing breeze in the air, SFA began the morning by conducting its standard pre-practice positional drills, playbook install and stretching. From there, the 'Jacks spent three periods on special teams work, focusing primarily on the kickoff and kickoff returns as the offensive and defensive lines and secondary unit worked on stances and starts and the skill position guys ran through skill-specific drills.
The deep ball and the inside run were the emphasis of SFA's following four periods with other various stations of blitz pickup versus linebackers and wide receivers versus defensive backs in one-on-one drills taking place. The 'Jacks then ran 16 "skeleton" plays without the linemen, who took part in one-on-one drills, before the full team ran 18 plays with the first-team offense matching up against the second and third-team defense for nine plays and vice versa for an additional nine.
SFA continued its team plays with 16 first-and-10 run/pass option plays, followed by eight third-and-six blitz pickup snaps. To wrap up their 16th practice of the preseason, the 'Jacks completed a situational two-minute drill, setting the clock at 1:43 with two timeouts remaining and the offense trailing by three points. In its post-practice period, SFA worked on screen drills.
"As an entire team, as a unit and as an offensive and defensive segment, everybody is just playing so much faster and there is so much more enthusiasm on the football field," defensive line coach Tom Howe commented after Monday's practice. "It's fun to be out here, the young men are having fun and are excitable. As hard as it is for me to say sometimes, there is some back and forth between the offense and defense, which in the big picture of things is tremendous to see."
Defensive Ends
SFA has boasted one of the nation's top defensive end threats for the past few seasons, anchored in 2017 by 2018 NFL Draft pick John Franklin. Franklin completed his collegiate career fifth on SFA's all-time career tackles for loss list with 37.5 over four seasons, while finishing ninth in program history in all-time career sacks (17.5). He posted a team-best 13.5 tackles for loss for negative 46 yards and dished out a team-high 3.5 sacks in his final season playing in the Purple and White.
The 'Jacks will attempt to fill Franklin's void and much like SFA's tight end corps, only one defensive end has seen in-game action. Returning junior Gary Sampson appeared in all 11 games in 2017, making 11 tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss, and totaling three quarterback hurries. He will be joined by returning redshirt freshman Holland Malone and a trio of newcomers.
Junior Daniel Brewer, a transfer from Arkansas Baptist College, and two skilled true freshmen in Amad Murray (Huntsville HS) and Tyrell Buard (Waltrip HS) will vie for playing time in their first season in Texas' oldest town.
"As a group we are probably deeper than we've ever been in the five years that I've been here," coach Howe added Monday. "We've got John Franklin to replace but like I was telling the guys after practice, it's always been a next guy in type of mentality for us. We've got about six different guys who could probably start for us and would likely start at other schools in the Southland Conference. Our depth has been really good and their attention to detail has been really great, they've bought in to the new philosophies and new culture we are trying to instill at SFA at this point and time."
"I'm extremely happy, we've got some great young guys on the way up," continued Howe. "We feel like we've hit on Amad Murray and Tyrell Buard."
Fall Camp Continues
Only four fall camp workouts remain for SFA as the 'Jacks make final preparations for their 2018 campaign. SFA will go live Tuesday morning on the grass practice fields, returning to full contact in complete pads at 8:15 a.m. The 'Jacks will then host an afternoon practice in shells at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.
With the exception of the Lumberjacks' three intra-squad scrimmages, all practices will take place on the two grass practice fields behind the SFA athletics fieldhouse.
The complete fall camp schedule can be found below.
2018 SFA Football Fall Camp Schedule
Practice #17 | Tuesday, Aug. 21 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Full Pads
Practice #18 | Wednesday, Aug. 22 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #19 | Thursday, Aug. 23 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Scrimmage #3 | Friday, Aug. 24 | 6:30 p.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
Fans and supporters of SFA athletics will have the chance to meet the Lumberjack football team at the 38th annual Meet the 'Jacks held this Tuesday, Aug. 21. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Fredonia Hotel and is sponsored by the Fredonia Rotary Club. The 2018 SFA football team will be introduced by position, followed by a first-hand look at this season's intro video. The 'Jacks will also be available for photos and will be signing autographs on SFA's posters.
Week One
The 'Jacks open up their 2018 season Saturday, Sept. 1 with a trip to Starkville, Mississippi, to face Southeastern Conference mainstay Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, available everywhere via the ESPN app. SFA hosts NCAA Division II Tarleton State in a 6 p.m. tilt for its home opener Saturday, Sept. 8.
SFA Football Season Tickets
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2018 SFA football season can visit the new home for SFA Tickets at SFATickets.com or contact the SFA Athletic Ticket Office at 936-468-JACK.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football throughout the 2018 season.
-SFA-
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – With only five days of fall camp remaining, the Stephen F. Austin football team conducted its eighth consecutive practice in helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys and shorts Monday morning. On the two grass practice fields behind the SFA athletics fieldhouse, the Lumberjacks hosted a longer 20-period workout session under partly cloudy skies.
With a refreshing breeze in the air, SFA began the morning by conducting its standard pre-practice positional drills, playbook install and stretching. From there, the 'Jacks spent three periods on special teams work, focusing primarily on the kickoff and kickoff returns as the offensive and defensive lines and secondary unit worked on stances and starts and the skill position guys ran through skill-specific drills.
The deep ball and the inside run were the emphasis of SFA's following four periods with other various stations of blitz pickup versus linebackers and wide receivers versus defensive backs in one-on-one drills taking place. The 'Jacks then ran 16 "skeleton" plays without the linemen, who took part in one-on-one drills, before the full team ran 18 plays with the first-team offense matching up against the second and third-team defense for nine plays and vice versa for an additional nine.
SFA continued its team plays with 16 first-and-10 run/pass option plays, followed by eight third-and-six blitz pickup snaps. To wrap up their 16th practice of the preseason, the 'Jacks completed a situational two-minute drill, setting the clock at 1:43 with two timeouts remaining and the offense trailing by three points. In its post-practice period, SFA worked on screen drills.
"As an entire team, as a unit and as an offensive and defensive segment, everybody is just playing so much faster and there is so much more enthusiasm on the football field," defensive line coach Tom Howe commented after Monday's practice. "It's fun to be out here, the young men are having fun and are excitable. As hard as it is for me to say sometimes, there is some back and forth between the offense and defense, which in the big picture of things is tremendous to see."
Defensive Ends
SFA has boasted one of the nation's top defensive end threats for the past few seasons, anchored in 2017 by 2018 NFL Draft pick John Franklin. Franklin completed his collegiate career fifth on SFA's all-time career tackles for loss list with 37.5 over four seasons, while finishing ninth in program history in all-time career sacks (17.5). He posted a team-best 13.5 tackles for loss for negative 46 yards and dished out a team-high 3.5 sacks in his final season playing in the Purple and White.
The 'Jacks will attempt to fill Franklin's void and much like SFA's tight end corps, only one defensive end has seen in-game action. Returning junior Gary Sampson appeared in all 11 games in 2017, making 11 tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss, and totaling three quarterback hurries. He will be joined by returning redshirt freshman Holland Malone and a trio of newcomers.
Junior Daniel Brewer, a transfer from Arkansas Baptist College, and two skilled true freshmen in Amad Murray (Huntsville HS) and Tyrell Buard (Waltrip HS) will vie for playing time in their first season in Texas' oldest town.
"As a group we are probably deeper than we've ever been in the five years that I've been here," coach Howe added Monday. "We've got John Franklin to replace but like I was telling the guys after practice, it's always been a next guy in type of mentality for us. We've got about six different guys who could probably start for us and would likely start at other schools in the Southland Conference. Our depth has been really good and their attention to detail has been really great, they've bought in to the new philosophies and new culture we are trying to instill at SFA at this point and time."
"I'm extremely happy, we've got some great young guys on the way up," continued Howe. "We feel like we've hit on Amad Murray and Tyrell Buard."
Fall Camp Continues
Only four fall camp workouts remain for SFA as the 'Jacks make final preparations for their 2018 campaign. SFA will go live Tuesday morning on the grass practice fields, returning to full contact in complete pads at 8:15 a.m. The 'Jacks will then host an afternoon practice in shells at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday.
With the exception of the Lumberjacks' three intra-squad scrimmages, all practices will take place on the two grass practice fields behind the SFA athletics fieldhouse.
The complete fall camp schedule can be found below.
2018 SFA Football Fall Camp Schedule
Practice #17 | Tuesday, Aug. 21 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Full Pads
Practice #18 | Wednesday, Aug. 22 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #19 | Thursday, Aug. 23 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Scrimmage #3 | Friday, Aug. 24 | 6:30 p.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
- Practice time and location subject to change dependent on weather
Fans and supporters of SFA athletics will have the chance to meet the Lumberjack football team at the 38th annual Meet the 'Jacks held this Tuesday, Aug. 21. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Fredonia Hotel and is sponsored by the Fredonia Rotary Club. The 2018 SFA football team will be introduced by position, followed by a first-hand look at this season's intro video. The 'Jacks will also be available for photos and will be signing autographs on SFA's posters.
Week One
The 'Jacks open up their 2018 season Saturday, Sept. 1 with a trip to Starkville, Mississippi, to face Southeastern Conference mainstay Mississippi State. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, available everywhere via the ESPN app. SFA hosts NCAA Division II Tarleton State in a 6 p.m. tilt for its home opener Saturday, Sept. 8.
SFA Football Season Tickets
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2018 SFA football season can visit the new home for SFA Tickets at SFATickets.com or contact the SFA Athletic Ticket Office at 936-468-JACK.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football throughout the 2018 season.
-SFA-
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