JACKSON
-- With the high today in Jackson breaching 100
degrees, head coach Mike DuBose and his 115-man squad
stepped on Harper Davis Field for the first 2-A-Day
practices in a stretch of
five over the next week in preparations for the Majors'
season-opener in 14 days at Mississippi College.
In the midst of high August temperatures in the lower 100's,
head trainer Murray Burch and his athletic training staff are doing
all that they can to make sure the players
and
coaches
stay
hydrated. Sprayers are lined on the sideline and behind group drills so that players have immediate access.
"The most important aspect of coaching and athletic training is the safety and health of a student-athlete," DuBose said. "There is water at every drill and you can literally get water after each play. We try to express the importance of drinking water even if you are not thirsty."
Several deaths have occurred
over the previous year in not just the NFL and college,
but at high schools in the south with high temperatures
and humidity. Most
recently, 17-year-old junior lineman Lonnie Magee of Mount
Olive -- a town just 52 miles south down
US-49 -- collapsed and
died following a practice session last Wednesday.
For defensive secondary newcomers Kevin Peters, a safety
from Archbishop Rummel HS in Metairie, La., and Quinn Hambrite
from Central-Hayneville HS in White Hall, Ala., the veterans
have given the freshmen a few tips about how to keep from
getting
blisters
from the artificial turf on Harper Davis Field.
"Guys talked about wearing two pairs of socks,"
Peters said. "But with these new cleats I think
I'll be alright."
"You definitely sweat a lot more and it's much more humid
down here," Hambrite said. "You can feel the
heat on your feet, and if you fall on the turf you get
what feels like
a carpet burn."
In their first five days of fall practice with a new coaching
staff and new teammates, both players have picked up on
what it takes to play football at the Division III level
at Millsaps.
"It's all about speed," Peters
said. "The game is faster and there are better athletes,
more coverages and more schemes. I feel the program here
can be a national powerhouse and I want to try and make
an impact wherever the team needs me."
"College practice is more mental reps than high school,"
Hambrite said. "You have to have smarts to play because
you learn more
and
more
from
different coaches. I plan to get on the field
and get a lot of reps and compete for a spot."
With 115 players on the roster as of right now, coach
DuBose and the rest of his staff have their hands full
trying to determine which player is which. The Majors
are separated by three jersey colors, purple for defense,
white for offense and red for the quarterbacks.
"After a couple
of days you can watch how a player runs, their
tendencies
and
how
they
carry
themselves," DuBose said. "In the past we taped the
players' names on their white helmets, but the ink was
leaking onto them and we didn't want them to get damaged."
The team completed their first practice at about 11:30
a.m. on Harper Davis Field with temperatures reading 110
degrees on the turf. The Majors used 90 minutes for special
teams, 30 minutes for individuals and 30 minutes for groups.
The second practice wound up just before 6:00 p.m. on
the newly constructed lower field before the team adjourned
for a mandatory dinner in the Kava House.
"We concentrated a lot on fundamental work and teamwork
in the evening practice," DuBose said. "The team moral
is good but we just have to make sure we start strong
and finish strong. We did a little full speed stuff
to try and get ready
for our scrimmage the first
of
next
week."
The Majors will be back on the field tomorrow
for a single practice at 3 p.m.
