August 06, 2003
The Texas A&M football team held its first fall practice in preparation for the 2003 season Wednesday at the grass practice facility near Kyle Field.
The early afternoon workout lasted more than two and a half hours as the team wore shorts and helmets. New NCAA rules permit one workout per day during the first five days while also dictating the attire the squad will wear.
A&M coach Dennis Franchione said the weather was warm and he will be looking for mentally tough players to compete in that type of weather on game days.
"It was kind of a warm day, but you can't talk or worry about that," Franchione said. "We may have to play in temperatures like this, and you have to be mentally tough and be able to handle that.
"I'm going to find 11 guys who are mentally tough on both sides of the football. We will have the physical toughness. We just need the mental toughness."
Midway through the workout, the team took a break from the action and the heat by utilizing a specially equipped cool down tent adjacent to the south end of the practice fields that is large enough to house the entire 105-member squad.
Franchione also noted the positive impact newcomers had on the workout.
"We had a good first day and I saw good carry over from last spring," Franchione said. "I thought our freshmen did a good job being led by the older guys. They were fitting in the mix and not disrupting the flow."
He said that every player on the field received a lot of reps, including the newcomers.
"We get a lot done," Franchione said. "They get a lot of reps. Every freshman out here got a lot of reps today. The more reps you get the better you get. The more reps you get the better shape you are in. If you notice, we don't have to condition after practice."
There were four noticeable jersey number changes effective for this season. Junior quarterback Dustin Long will now wear No. 17, junior fullback Keith Joseph will wear No. 4, sophomore defensive tackle Johnny Jolly will wear No. 97, and senior middle linebacker Scott Stickane will wear No. 57.
The Aggies will practice once each day until Monday when they will hold two workouts.
A&M is preparing for its first game which is against Arkansas State on Saturday, August 30, at 7 p.m. at Kyle Field.