August 10, 2003
The Texas A&M football team donned full pads for the first time this fall and put in a spirited two hour workout on Sunday at the grass practice facility near Kyle Field. The squad attended church services (Shiloh Baptist Church in Bryan) as a team earlier in the day.
"It was a good first day in pads," Coach Dennis Franchione said. "I was encouraged by our practice. The players handled the pads better than I expected and I am proud of them. The guys have managed the workouts well."
The Aggies will work twice on Monday with the morning workout starting at 5:30 a.m. due to summer school classes. The evening workout will begin at 6:15 p.m.
"The down side is we have to sleep fast," Coach Fran said in regard to the early workout. "The up side is the players have more time to recover and take a nap.
The 11th Annual Aggie Football Kickoff Camp concluded on Sunday. The inaugural class of 1993 had 47 members in attendance and the 2003 edition was the largest in history with 125 campers ranging from 31 to 91 years of age.
The Kickoff Camp is a fantasy camp of sorts. Each member donates $1,000 and the funds that are raised are split between the Sterling C. Evans Library, the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and for the past three years the Capital Campaign. More than $500,000 has been split among the respective entities.
"The people who attend the Kickoff Camp have a great passion for Aggie football," Coach Fran said. "It was great to be around them, and I think it is positive for others to get to know our program and how we do things. I was told 11 of the 125 members have attended all 11 years including Bernie Richardson (The Zone is named after Mr. Richardson)."
In addition to the donations to the three areas, this season the campers presented a check for $6,000 to Coach Fran Charities, a non-profit organization founded by Coach Fran and his wife, Kim. The organization provides support for children in the Brazos Valley community with a special emphasis on after-school programs in reading and literacy, life skills and the arts.
The Aggies open the 2003 campaign against Arkansas State on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. at Kyle Field.