August 09, 2003
The Texas A&M football team held its final workout Saturday before donning full pads for Sunday's workout at the grass practice facility near Kyle Field.
The Aggies practiced for approximately three hours in shorts and shoulder pads in the morning, and coach Dennis Franchione said the morning time frame may have been refreshing, but that's not what he was focused on.
"They worked good today," Franchione said. "It was a little more refreshing out here maybe than its been, but I don't pay a lot of attention to that. We want to be smart about it so that's why we take breaks. Not having summer school today allowed us to have a morning workout."
Missed assignments are a part of fall camp and preparation, but Franchione said those mistakes are not going away as fast as he would like.
"I don't think we're going to see it disappear as fast as I want it to and fast enough," Franchione said. "We're still in the installation stage and we're still throwing a lot at them and mixing things up. Not that I ever like it, but it's still going to happen."
He said developing a mental toughness is an important part of the camp.
"The mental toughness challenge that it takes to make it through and stay focused at the end, it's good for you," Franchione said, "beacuse it builds the mental toughness that you need to have in a football game."
The Aggies will attend services on Sunday at Shilo Baptist Church in Bryan before suiting up in full pads for the first time at the 3:30 p.m. workout.
The team will hold its first double practice day on Monday. A&M's summer school schedule will force the squad to hold its morning workout at 5:45 a.m. The evening workout on Monday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
A&M is preparing for its first game which is against Arkansas State on Saturday, August 30, at 7 p.m. at Kyle Field.