By Rob Daniels, Staff Writer
GREENSBORO — Somewhere in the heart of every Junction Boys-era hard-liner, there lurks a suspicion: If football players aren't dropping like tropical insects in Iceland, it's not a real preseason. It's got to be some sort of all-inclusive vacation masquerading as work.
N.C. A&T coach Lee Fobbs is familiar with that mentality, having worked at Texas A&M, among other football furnaces. But when he looks at his depth chart for Saturday's opener at Winston-Salem State and sees almost perfect health, he doesn't apologize. He knows this wasn't Club Aggie, and better yet, it wasn't destructive.
Asked when one of his teams made it through a preseason like this, he said, "It's been a long time, especially when you go through the type of camp we went through. We all know how the weather has been."
The only personnel issue of consequence is the status of linebacker Robert Russell, who suffered a concussion two weeks ago and has been held out as a precaution. Doctors have been judicious, but are expected to clear Russell for duty against the Rams.
New strength coach Cedric Walthaw and trainer Rob Woodall instituted workout plans in advance of the summer, and the coaches say they've seen the results. Players returned to campus this month in better shape than in August 2006, and Fobbs said that allowed the staff to accelerate the timetable for contact.
"We got after each other a lot more," he said. "In our offseason, the work was good in the weight room. That enabled us to get into the physical aspect of things more than we anticipated."
There were heat-related accommodations — conducting the second practice on certain days in the evening rather than the afternoon, for example — but the temperature didn't really give in much. It's going to be the hottest August on record in Greensboro.
"Two-a-days," said linebacker Tim Shropshire, "are still a beast. But it was worth it."
Health is an absolute prerequisite for the Aggies, who have only five seniors on an 85-man roster. The NCAA doesn't have complete and certified rosters for all the schools in what is now known as the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly called Division I-AA). But you'll have a hard time finding a team with fewer seniors than A&T.
There's nothing Fobbs, starting his second year on the job, can do about that situation. Attrition is a part of this game early in any administration, and the depth chart won't look normal until 2009.
Competition for starting jobs has been largely resolved. One issue will be whether to use a kickoff specialist in light of a new rule that moves kickoffs five yards back to the 30. Lee Woodson, a preseason All-MEAC candidate, is expected to be the punter and freshmen Elliott Simmonds and Eric Houston are the top field-goal and extra-point candidates.
In general, the status quo is highly undesirable for the Aggies, who have lost 16 consecutive games. The one exception is the injury list.
"It's unusual, but we'll take it," Fobbs said.
GREENSBORO — Somewhere in the heart of every Junction Boys-era hard-liner, there lurks a suspicion: If football players aren't dropping like tropical insects in Iceland, it's not a real preseason. It's got to be some sort of all-inclusive vacation masquerading as work.
N.C. A&T coach Lee Fobbs is familiar with that mentality, having worked at Texas A&M, among other football furnaces. But when he looks at his depth chart for Saturday's opener at Winston-Salem State and sees almost perfect health, he doesn't apologize. He knows this wasn't Club Aggie, and better yet, it wasn't destructive.
Asked when one of his teams made it through a preseason like this, he said, "It's been a long time, especially when you go through the type of camp we went through. We all know how the weather has been."
The only personnel issue of consequence is the status of linebacker Robert Russell, who suffered a concussion two weeks ago and has been held out as a precaution. Doctors have been judicious, but are expected to clear Russell for duty against the Rams.
New strength coach Cedric Walthaw and trainer Rob Woodall instituted workout plans in advance of the summer, and the coaches say they've seen the results. Players returned to campus this month in better shape than in August 2006, and Fobbs said that allowed the staff to accelerate the timetable for contact.
"We got after each other a lot more," he said. "In our offseason, the work was good in the weight room. That enabled us to get into the physical aspect of things more than we anticipated."
There were heat-related accommodations — conducting the second practice on certain days in the evening rather than the afternoon, for example — but the temperature didn't really give in much. It's going to be the hottest August on record in Greensboro.
"Two-a-days," said linebacker Tim Shropshire, "are still a beast. But it was worth it."
Health is an absolute prerequisite for the Aggies, who have only five seniors on an 85-man roster. The NCAA doesn't have complete and certified rosters for all the schools in what is now known as the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly called Division I-AA). But you'll have a hard time finding a team with fewer seniors than A&T.
There's nothing Fobbs, starting his second year on the job, can do about that situation. Attrition is a part of this game early in any administration, and the depth chart won't look normal until 2009.
Competition for starting jobs has been largely resolved. One issue will be whether to use a kickoff specialist in light of a new rule that moves kickoffs five yards back to the 30. Lee Woodson, a preseason All-MEAC candidate, is expected to be the punter and freshmen Elliott Simmonds and Eric Houston are the top field-goal and extra-point candidates.
In general, the status quo is highly undesirable for the Aggies, who have lost 16 consecutive games. The one exception is the injury list.
"It's unusual, but we'll take it," Fobbs said.
A&T AT WINSTON-SALEM STATE
What: Aggies' football opener
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem
Tickets: $25 general admission. Call 750-3220.
Online: http://www.ncataggies.com
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem
Tickets: $25 general admission. Call 750-3220.
Online: http://www.ncataggies.com
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