Photo by: SFA Athletics
SFA Football Fall Camp Report | Defensive Tackles
8/22/2018 2:02:00 PM | Football
‘Jacks conduct 10th-straight practice, take to field in shells for third time this week
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 tackles.
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – For the third day this week, the Stephen F. Austin football team walked onto the two grass practice fields behind the athletics fieldhouse in helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys and shorts Wednesday morning for the Lumberjacks' 18th workout of fall camp. SFA has now practiced for 10 consecutive days as the preseason camp will draw to a close at the end of the week.
With morning temperatures still quite high but lower humidity, the 'Jacks completed a shorter 16-period session in preparation for SFA's final preseason scrimmage Friday night. Going for just slightly over one and a half hours after two hour practices Monday and Tuesday, the 'Jacks began with their usual pre-practice stretching, positional drills and dynamic warmup.
In addition to stances and starts, SFA worked on point-after attempts, field goals, kickoffs and kickoff returns in its opening periods of the workout. With the main emphasis of the day being tempo, the 'Jacks spent two periods on additional individual positional drills before diving into 16 third-down "skeleton" plays as the offensive and defensive lines went one-on-one.
The main portion of the morning was spent conducting 48 full team plays, 16 of which were first-and-10 situations, 16 second-and-10, second-and-eight, second-and-six and second-and-four plays and another set of 16 third-down plays in the same progression. SFA spent one more period on selected team plays before wrapping up the morning with the offense running through victory formation.
"We've had pretty consistent improvement across the board," senior defensive tackle Lamont Alexander commented about fall camp following Wednesday's practice. "We've got some young guys who are improving and a couple of transfers who came in, everybody is picking up pretty well and coming together as a unit."
"This fall camp has been really good to us," senior defensive tackle Shaq Anderson said Wednesday morning. "We've been dominating every day, we've been getting better every day and it's been consistent play. Every day it's like we take a step up higher to where we are trying to get to."
Defensive Tackles
Perhaps where SFA will be able to fill the defensive line hole left by the departure of 2018 NFL Draft pick John Franklin is in its defensive tackles as the 'Jacks return a plethora of talent at the position.
Senior Lamont Alexander and sophomore Rayshad Nichols look more than ready for the occasion as the two started every game in 2017. An All-Southland honorable mention honoree, Alexander posted the second-most sacks (2.5) on the team behind Franklin, while Nichols claimed the second-most tackles for loss (7.5). Alexander claimed 45 tackles last season with 15 solo stops and a fumble recovery as Nichols notched 36 total tackles with 11 unassisted stops, five quarterback hurries and a team-best two fumble recoveries.
The 'Jacks also return senior veterans Shaq Anderson and Demetrion Amie. Anderson appeared in nine games in 2017, registering 12 tackles with three solo stops, a tackle for loss, sack and quarterback hurry. Amie played in all 11 games a year ago, making one start and totaling 19 tackles with seven unassisted stops, 3.5 TFLs, two sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal.
"For me, I take pride in that," shared Anderson about being a senior leader of the defensive line. "The guys before me did that for me, they taught me not football but the IQ of how to read plays and how to react off of what the offensive linemen do. I'm doing the same thing for the young guys, I teach them more of the mental aspect of football than the physical aspect."
"We see it every day, those young guys are coming to us less and less because we are teaching them something every day," Alexander added. "It's a pretty good feeling when you see those guys growing up before your own eyes.
SFA brings back sophomore Larron Cox, who played in every game a season ago, while redshirt freshman Desmond Robinson returns from a medical redshirt year. Cox recorded 16 tackles in 2017, including four unassisted and 1.5 TFL, in addition to breaking up a pass and recovering a fumble.
The 'Jacks will also benefit from the services of talented junior Taaj Bakari, a transfer from Big 12 Conference mainstay Oklahoma State. Bakari appeared in 12 games for the Cowboys, including 11 as a sophomore in 2017, registering six total tackles with five solo stops, three TFL and recovering a fumble.
Fall Camp Continues
With only two fall camp dates remaining, SFA will head back out to the grass practice fields behind the athletics fieldhouse in shells Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. for its final preseason practice session. The 'Jacks will host their third and final scrimmage of fall camp Friday night at 6:30 p.m. inside Homer Bryce Stadium, taking to the turf in a game-like atmosphere for a full-contact run through in complete pads.
The remaining fall camp schedule can be found below.
2018 SFA Football Fall Camp Schedule
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
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 – For the third day this week, the Stephen F. Austin football team walked onto the two grass practice fields behind the athletics fieldhouse in helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys and shorts Wednesday morning for the Lumberjacks' 18th workout of fall camp. SFA has now practiced for 10 consecutive days as the preseason camp will draw to a close at the end of the week.
With morning temperatures still quite high but lower humidity, the 'Jacks completed a shorter 16-period session in preparation for SFA's final preseason scrimmage Friday night. Going for just slightly over one and a half hours after two hour practices Monday and Tuesday, the 'Jacks began with their usual pre-practice stretching, positional drills and dynamic warmup.
In addition to stances and starts, SFA worked on point-after attempts, field goals, kickoffs and kickoff returns in its opening periods of the workout. With the main emphasis of the day being tempo, the 'Jacks spent two periods on additional individual positional drills before diving into 16 third-down "skeleton" plays as the offensive and defensive lines went one-on-one.
The main portion of the morning was spent conducting 48 full team plays, 16 of which were first-and-10 situations, 16 second-and-10, second-and-eight, second-and-six and second-and-four plays and another set of 16 third-down plays in the same progression. SFA spent one more period on selected team plays before wrapping up the morning with the offense running through victory formation.
"We've had pretty consistent improvement across the board," senior defensive tackle Lamont Alexander commented about fall camp following Wednesday's practice. "We've got some young guys who are improving and a couple of transfers who came in, everybody is picking up pretty well and coming together as a unit."
"This fall camp has been really good to us," senior defensive tackle Shaq Anderson said Wednesday morning. "We've been dominating every day, we've been getting better every day and it's been consistent play. Every day it's like we take a step up higher to where we are trying to get to."
Defensive Tackles
Perhaps where SFA will be able to fill the defensive line hole left by the departure of 2018 NFL Draft pick John Franklin is in its defensive tackles as the 'Jacks return a plethora of talent at the position.
Senior Lamont Alexander and sophomore Rayshad Nichols look more than ready for the occasion as the two started every game in 2017. An All-Southland honorable mention honoree, Alexander posted the second-most sacks (2.5) on the team behind Franklin, while Nichols claimed the second-most tackles for loss (7.5). Alexander claimed 45 tackles last season with 15 solo stops and a fumble recovery as Nichols notched 36 total tackles with 11 unassisted stops, five quarterback hurries and a team-best two fumble recoveries.
The 'Jacks also return senior veterans Shaq Anderson and Demetrion Amie. Anderson appeared in nine games in 2017, registering 12 tackles with three solo stops, a tackle for loss, sack and quarterback hurry. Amie played in all 11 games a year ago, making one start and totaling 19 tackles with seven unassisted stops, 3.5 TFLs, two sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal.
"For me, I take pride in that," shared Anderson about being a senior leader of the defensive line. "The guys before me did that for me, they taught me not football but the IQ of how to read plays and how to react off of what the offensive linemen do. I'm doing the same thing for the young guys, I teach them more of the mental aspect of football than the physical aspect."
"We see it every day, those young guys are coming to us less and less because we are teaching them something every day," Alexander added. "It's a pretty good feeling when you see those guys growing up before your own eyes.
SFA brings back sophomore Larron Cox, who played in every game a season ago, while redshirt freshman Desmond Robinson returns from a medical redshirt year. Cox recorded 16 tackles in 2017, including four unassisted and 1.5 TFL, in addition to breaking up a pass and recovering a fumble.
The 'Jacks will also benefit from the services of talented junior Taaj Bakari, a transfer from Big 12 Conference mainstay Oklahoma State. Bakari appeared in 12 games for the Cowboys, including 11 as a sophomore in 2017, registering six total tackles with five solo stops, three TFL and recovering a fumble.
Fall Camp Continues
With only two fall camp dates remaining, SFA will head back out to the grass practice fields behind the athletics fieldhouse in shells Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. for its final preseason practice session. The 'Jacks will host their third and final scrimmage of fall camp Friday night at 6:30 p.m. inside Homer Bryce Stadium, taking to the turf in a game-like atmosphere for a full-contact run through in complete pads.
The remaining fall camp schedule can be found below.
2018 SFA Football Fall Camp Schedule
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
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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