BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford football team opened preseason practice for the 2021 spring season with a 90-minute workout in shorts and helmets Monday afternoon at Seibert Stadium.
Monday's practice was the first of two in shorts and helmets, mandated by the NCAA. Samford head coach
Chris Hatcher said it was strange to be preparing for a season in January.
"It's different, of course," Hatcher said. "Coming back off Christmas break and having the heat on you to get ready for the season is just not natural for a football coach. But, we've adjusted; our motto is find a way. We had great weather the first day, right around 70 degrees, it felt like April. So, hopefully the weather will stay this way."
The Bulldogs are still a little less than four weeks away from starting the season, which begins on Feb. 20 at ETSU. Hatcher said, however, he liked what he saw from his team on Monday.
"I thought that we flew around well," Hatcher said. "We have a lot of work to do, this is just our first day going against each other, but we knew where to go, it looked like we knew what to do. We didn't always do it the right way, but I think having the fall practices put us ahead going into this time of year, especially with all of the young players that we have. I was encouraged, I haven't seen the practice tape yet, but I thought we did some good things in all three phases."
Hatcher is working specifically with the quarterbacks, with seniors
Chris Oladokun and
Liam Welch competing for the starting spot. Hatcher assessed what he saw from that group as well.
"I thought today we tried to do a little too much at times, Chris and Liam did," Hatcher said. "We had what I call a lot of long foul balls, we threw some deep that weren't close. The defense did a good job forcing a few turnovers, which is good to see on their side. It just comes down to consistent effort each and every day. I thought our attitude was outstanding, competition was good, but we have a long way to go and a short time to get there."
Samford will practice again in shorts and helmets Tuesday at 4:01 p.m., with the first day in shells set for Wednesday at 4:01 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.
