Florida A&M Rattlers Hold Spirited Second Scrimmage Of Spring

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – The Florida A&M Rattler Football team held their second scrimmage of the spring today, in a split practice that started on the practice field and ended with live plays inside of Bragg Memorial Stadium. The improvement in understanding and executing Coach Alex Wood’s philosophy is becoming evident as players are beginning to separate themselves within the system. Of crucial importance is the ability of quarterback Carson Royal to understand what the Rattler offense is trying to accomplish.

The day started with stretching, position drills, segment drills and special teams on the Rattler practice fields. With an audience of a couple hundred curious fans, changes have become evident. Former FAMU quarterback and three-time MVP Albert Chester Sr., traveled from Jacksonville, Fla., to get a glimpse of what is to come. “It’s different. I felt the difference five minutes into seeing them. The way these coaches run practice reminds me of the way Rudy Hubbard ran practice. I’m seeing a sense of purpose and attention to detail that it takes for the team to look good,” he said. Chester, led the Rattlers to booth an undefeated season in 1977 and the inaugural NCAA I-AA national championship in 1978.

The scrimmage was enhanced by NCAA-sanctioned officials. An oversized crew was on hand to judge both drill segments and the scrimmage portion. They were there to ensure that the Rattlers’ execution was not only what the coaches wanted, but compliant within the rules. Alignment and techniques were critiqued by the officials, who reported their findings to the Rattler staff and players at the conclusion of practice. They also called penalties during the live portion of the scrimmage.

Wood felt the day was a positive step for the team. “I thought today was very competitive, which was good. That’s what we’re looking for…competition at all positions. We’re also looking for execution. For the first time, I saw in the first and second offense and defense execution that was clean with not too many penalties. We had a couple (penalties) and those were coaching and teaching moments. Overall, I thought it was a good day,” Wood said.

The first team offense started the scrimmage with a 10-play drive for a score. The second team offense also put up a score. But, the Rattler defense stiffened and began to come up with big plays as the practice ensued. The ebb and flow of practice was a product of the players beginning to understand what’s expected of them and now trying to put their talents into it.

Wood stated that Royal has begun to separate himself from the other quarterbacks in camp. “Carson is coming along well. We’ve still got some work to do with him as far as some mechanical things throwing wise and making him super conscious of situations as he manages the game for us from an offensive perspective,” Wood said. He also added that he has cleared himself as the offensive leader during practice thus far.

The Rattlers will break until Tuesday when they resume morning practice at 5:45 a.m. in Bragg Stadium. The Orange & Green Spring Game will be held on Apri. 11, at 2 p.m. in Bragg Stadium.

2015 season football tickets are available now at the FAMU Ticket Office, located in the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium, and can be secured by visiting, or calling the office at (850)599-3141. Tickets to the North End Zone Experience are also available for pre-purchase at the ticket office.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION