Aug. 5, 2011

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford football team will report for the 2011 season on Sunday, Aug. 7, with the team's first practice scheduled for Monday, Aug. 8.

This season will mark the fifth season at Samford for head coach Pat Sullivan and his staff. Sullivan said he was looking forward to getting started.

"Fall reporting day is always one of the most exciting days, if not the most exciting day of camp," Sullivan said. "You have a new team with new enthusiasm, everybody is healthy and you're ready to get started. We are looking forward to getting them all in, especially the freshmen, and we'll be excited to get started on Monday."

The Bulldogs will report Sunday afternoon at the Cooney Family Field House, and the team will have its first team meal of the season later that evening in the Samford Cafeteria. Monday's first practice is scheduled for a 4:40 p.m. start.

Samford returns seven starters on offense and four starters on defense this season. The Bulldogs were picked to finish seventh in the Southern Conference by both the league's coaches and media.

The team will practice in shorts and helmets on Monday and Tuesday, and in shells on Wednesday and Thursday, with the first full-pad practice scheduled for Friday at 4:40 p.m. The Bulldogs' first two-a-day will be Saturday, Aug. 13, with a practice at 8:50 a.m., followed by the team's first scrimmage at 3:50 p.m.

In addition to the scrimmage on Aug. 13, the team will also scrimmage on Aug. 20, and they will hold a mock scrimmage to go over game-day situations on Aug. 27. All practices and scrimmages will be held in Seibert Stadium.

Samford opens the 2011 season with a SoCon game against 2010 national semifinalist Georgia Southern. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Seibert Stadium.

FOOTBALL PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Aug. 8: 4:40 p.m. (shorts)
Aug. 9: 4:40 p.m. (shorts)
Aug. 10: 4:40 p.m. (shells)
Aug. 11: 4:40 p.m. (shells)
Aug. 12: 4:40 p.m. (full pads)
Aug. 13: 8:50 a.m. (shells), 3:50 p.m. (scrimmage)
Aug. 15: 9:10 a.m. (full pads), 3:50 p.m. (shells)
Aug. 16: 9:10 a.m. (full pads)
Aug. 17: 9:10 a.m. (full pads), 3:50 p.m. (shells)
Aug. 18: 9:10 a.m. (full pads)
Aug. 19: 9:10 a.m. (full pads), 3:50 p.m. (shells)
Aug. 20: 9:30 a.m. (scrimmage)
Aug. 22: 9:10 a.m. (full pads), 3:50 p.m. (shells)
Aug. 23: 9:10 a.m. (full pads)
Aug. 24: 9:10 a.m. (full pads), 3:50 p.m. (shells)
Aug. 25: 9:10 a.m. (full pads)
Aug. 26: 10:20 a.m. (shells)
Aug. 27: 9:30 a.m. (mock scrimmage)