Fall Camp Underway for Lumberjack Football
8/3/2018 11:46:00 AM | Football
SFA’s 2018 campaign officially underway with start of fall camp Friday morning
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – College football in Texas' oldest town has officially begun with the Stephen F. Austin football team's opening practice of its 2018 fall camp taking place Friday morning. The Lumberjacks took to the two practice fields behind the SFA athletics fieldhouse in helmets, jerseys and shorts, practicing as a complete team for the first time since April. While practice was slated for an 8:15 am start, the players arrived ahead of schedule and displayed a palpable excitement to get underway early on.
"We were so excited this morning to get on the grass and to finally get an opportunity to put this team through their paces and see them place a little football", said SFA interim head coach Jeff Byrd. "The excitement - they were ready to get on the field. I was having to hold them back. They were there 10 minutes early and usually it's a drag trying to get them out and all those things but them being excited, my excitement, their excitement is all I can really ask for."
Taking advantage of cool morning temperatures,SFA began with warmups and stretching before getting into special teams situations. The punt team put in some work kicking to the kick returners, who displayed explosiveness and agility with the ball in hand. Special teams continued to be a focal point in the first half of practice, as the team practiced some field goal/PAT attempts as well.
Following the special teams work, the 'Jacks then participated in several one-on-one drills on the grass followed by seven-on-seven drills. The team broke down by position and ran through position-specific drills all around the field, then came back together to work on some full team plays as the morning reached its warmest point. A total of 52 full team plays were run in the final portion of the practice, with plenty of good takeaways from the drills. With a total of 47 newcomers to this year's roster, it will take some time for the 'Jacks to achieve a full familiarity with the SFA playbook.
Following the full team plays, Coach Byrd circled up the team and praised the opening session for the 'Jacks as being "what a college football practice is supposed to look like". Byrd also praised the energy level of the team and chalked up some of the morning's mistakes to excitement about the first day of fall camp.
When asked about some pros and cons of the first practice, Byrd emphasized the importance of a well-managed practice.
"We have to move a little bit faster, get in and out of some things that we've talked about and there's things you normally don't notice as an assistant coach where there are lulls but we want to make sure they're in a game situation all the time", Byrd said. "We're trying to go about an hour and 45 minutes, trying to keep the music up. We want it to be where it's hard to communicate. Everything that we do is getting ready for that game time and that starts on day one and they went with a group that has a lot of faces and they handled that really well."
Despite some miscues on the opening day, the overwhelming takeaway from the first day of fall camp was a positive one, as the players were going about their business on the field in the right manner and displaying a high level of energy during practice.
"Based on day one, it has been great", continued Byrd. "But it has been great during the summer, too. They've had accountability for each other and not missing things and being on time and everybody was here. Those are the kinds of things you kind of figure out about your team early. If you have to struggle with where you are and what you're doing and all that stuff then - but they've kind of policed themselves and that makes me really, really excited. If I don't have to walk around and deal with problems every day then we can just deal with football and that makes us all better."
Byrd continued, "I told them right after practice today - this is what a college football practice is supposed to be like. That music was playing, the tempo was there where everything happens. We're not coaching you every play. We've run you out there - go see what you can do and see what you know."
SFA's 20 total practices of preseason camp continue tomorrow with the Lumberjacks' second and final workout session in helmets, jerseys and shorts. Sunday afternoon, SFA will take to the practice field in shells for the first time of fall camp before putting on full pads Tuesday morning. Practice Saturday will once again begin at 8:15 a.m., while Sunday's session will get underway at 3:15 p.m.
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 #2 | Saturday, Aug. 4 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Helmets Only
Practice #3 | Sunday, Aug. 5 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #4 | Monday, Aug. 6 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #5 | Tuesday, Aug. 7 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Full Pads
Practice #6 | Wednesday, Aug. 8 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
OFF | Thursday, Aug. 9
Practice #7 | Friday, Aug. 10 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Scrimmage #1 | Saturday, Aug. 11 | 8:15 a.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
Practice #9 | Sunday, Aug. 12 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #10 | Monday, Aug. 13 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #11 | Tuesday, Aug. 14 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Full Pads
Practice #12 | Wednesday, Aug. 15 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #13 | Thursday, Aug. 16 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
OFF | Friday, Aug. 17
Scrimmage #2 | Saturday, Aug. 18 | 8:15 a.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
Practice #15 | Sunday, Aug. 19 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #16 | Monday, Aug. 20 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
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
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.comor 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-
"We were so excited this morning to get on the grass and to finally get an opportunity to put this team through their paces and see them place a little football", said SFA interim head coach Jeff Byrd. "The excitement - they were ready to get on the field. I was having to hold them back. They were there 10 minutes early and usually it's a drag trying to get them out and all those things but them being excited, my excitement, their excitement is all I can really ask for."
Taking advantage of cool morning temperatures,SFA began with warmups and stretching before getting into special teams situations. The punt team put in some work kicking to the kick returners, who displayed explosiveness and agility with the ball in hand. Special teams continued to be a focal point in the first half of practice, as the team practiced some field goal/PAT attempts as well.
Following the special teams work, the 'Jacks then participated in several one-on-one drills on the grass followed by seven-on-seven drills. The team broke down by position and ran through position-specific drills all around the field, then came back together to work on some full team plays as the morning reached its warmest point. A total of 52 full team plays were run in the final portion of the practice, with plenty of good takeaways from the drills. With a total of 47 newcomers to this year's roster, it will take some time for the 'Jacks to achieve a full familiarity with the SFA playbook.
Following the full team plays, Coach Byrd circled up the team and praised the opening session for the 'Jacks as being "what a college football practice is supposed to look like". Byrd also praised the energy level of the team and chalked up some of the morning's mistakes to excitement about the first day of fall camp.
When asked about some pros and cons of the first practice, Byrd emphasized the importance of a well-managed practice.
"We have to move a little bit faster, get in and out of some things that we've talked about and there's things you normally don't notice as an assistant coach where there are lulls but we want to make sure they're in a game situation all the time", Byrd said. "We're trying to go about an hour and 45 minutes, trying to keep the music up. We want it to be where it's hard to communicate. Everything that we do is getting ready for that game time and that starts on day one and they went with a group that has a lot of faces and they handled that really well."
Despite some miscues on the opening day, the overwhelming takeaway from the first day of fall camp was a positive one, as the players were going about their business on the field in the right manner and displaying a high level of energy during practice.
"Based on day one, it has been great", continued Byrd. "But it has been great during the summer, too. They've had accountability for each other and not missing things and being on time and everybody was here. Those are the kinds of things you kind of figure out about your team early. If you have to struggle with where you are and what you're doing and all that stuff then - but they've kind of policed themselves and that makes me really, really excited. If I don't have to walk around and deal with problems every day then we can just deal with football and that makes us all better."
Byrd continued, "I told them right after practice today - this is what a college football practice is supposed to be like. That music was playing, the tempo was there where everything happens. We're not coaching you every play. We've run you out there - go see what you can do and see what you know."
SFA's 20 total practices of preseason camp continue tomorrow with the Lumberjacks' second and final workout session in helmets, jerseys and shorts. Sunday afternoon, SFA will take to the practice field in shells for the first time of fall camp before putting on full pads Tuesday morning. Practice Saturday will once again begin at 8:15 a.m., while Sunday's session will get underway at 3:15 p.m.
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 #2 | Saturday, Aug. 4 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Helmets Only
Practice #3 | Sunday, Aug. 5 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #4 | Monday, Aug. 6 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #5 | Tuesday, Aug. 7 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Full Pads
Practice #6 | Wednesday, Aug. 8 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
OFF | Thursday, Aug. 9
Practice #7 | Friday, Aug. 10 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Scrimmage #1 | Saturday, Aug. 11 | 8:15 a.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
Practice #9 | Sunday, Aug. 12 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #10 | Monday, Aug. 13 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #11 | Tuesday, Aug. 14 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Full Pads
Practice #12 | Wednesday, Aug. 15 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #13 | Thursday, Aug. 16 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
OFF | Friday, Aug. 17
Scrimmage #2 | Saturday, Aug. 18 | 8:15 a.m. | Homer Bryce Stadium | Full Pads
Practice #15 | Sunday, Aug. 19 | 3:15 p.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
Practice #16 | Monday, Aug. 20 | 8:15 a.m. | Practice Fields | Shells
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
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.comor 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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