Army West Point Athletics
Black Knights Open Preseason Football Camp
August 02, 2008 | General
WEST POINT, N.Y. Brilliant blue skies and warm, summer temperatures greeted the Army football team as the Black Knights took to Howze Field for their first official practice session of the 2008 campaign.
Donning helmets and shorts in accordance to NCAA guidelines, more than 200 players dressed out for the Black Knights’ initial day of preseason camp.
With head coach Stan Brock tending to a personal medical situation at the outset of Friday’s workout, Black Knight offensive coordinator Tim Walsh and defensive coordinator John Mumford put their respective units through a myriad of team and individual drills. Brock joined the squad about 80 minutes into the two-and-one-half hour workout, just three days removed from prostate cancer surgery and little more than 24 hours after being released from the hospital.
“It’s the season. I’m not going to sit in the house,” Brock stated afterward. “Doc let me out of the hospital yesterday and I went up to see the guys on the fourth floor of Kimsey Center last night. You’ve got to get that energy from them. You feed off the kids. You like being around them. This is what I like to do. This is where I’d like to be. I think technically this is where I’m supposed to be.
“I’m real excited about the start of the season. The kids have worked so hard through the spring. They had an awesome summer. The attitude is just different. It’s so upbeat. The kids are happy and they’re excited about getting going, and I just feed off of that. I feel good about where we’re going and what we’re trying to accomplish here. I feel good about the players we have and getting started.”
Brock’s excitement was echoed by junior defensive end Victor Ugenyi
“It felt like riding a bike again,” Ugenyi said. “We had a good summer with training, but nothing beats being on the field playing football. We have the same energy level as last year, but we’re more focused. We’re a little more loose now. We’re having fun wreaking havoc wherever we go. We’re ready to put on pads. Running around and tagging, that’s all fun, but defense isn’t about tagging, it’s about knocking someone out. We’re waiting for that. We’re waiting for when we can get pads on. We still have a lot of work to do, to get everyone to where they know their assignments cold, but attitude right now ... we’re ready to hit somebody.”
Ugeynyi and his defensive teammates will have to contain their physical feelings a few more days as the Black Knights cannot sport full pads and participate in contact drills until their fifth preseason practice (Wednesday).
Army returns to action Saturday for another session at Howze Field. The workout, to be conducted in helmets and shorts once again, is scheduled to run from 3:40-6 p.m. The Black Knights will practice from 9-11 a.m. on Monday, then take part in their annual Media Day festivities from 1-3 p.m.
Army’s players and coaches will take time out from their preseason regimen later in the day when they meet the public for an autograph and photograph session at Michie Stadium from 3-4 p.m. “An Afternoon With The Knights” is open to the public with admission free.
For more information on Friday’s practice, including some very interesting comments from Brock concerning his prostate cancer diagnosis, visit the Black Knight Blog by clicking here. A multi-media report of Friday’s practice is also featured on Knight Vision.
