Feb. 24, 2003

Samford head football coach Bill Gray opened up spring practice Monday afternoon. The Bulldogs became the first team in the area to get back on the gridiron. Gray and his staff put 60 players through a light workout at the Samford practice field.

"It felt good to get back out their especially on a good weather day," Gray said. " We're starting from the ground up and working on fundamentals. That's usually what goes on in spring practice. We're trying out some different people at different places, giving them a chance to show us what they can do."

Samford worked for an hour and 40 minutes Monday. The Bulldogs have 15 days of practice in the spring. Gray's plan for the spring consist of four days of work on the field and two days in the weight room with Sundays off for the next three weeks. Players just wrapped up Camp Red, Sweat and Blue, a rigorous conditioning camp that lasted the past two weeks leading up to spring.

"I thought we made a lot of progress in our conditioning camp," Gray said. "The players worked hard and did what we asked of them."

Samford's head start for next season will be different this time around. Instead of getting ready for a season as a independent, the Bulldogs will be getting ready to compete for a title in the Ohio Valley Conference. Samford joins the conference in all 17 sports beginning in the fall of 2003.

The team will continue to work this week, going out on Wednesday and Friday in shorts and helmets. Samford will work in full gear for the first time Saturday morning.