Kats first team in nation to start practice
7/28/2014 2:10:00 PM | Football
K.C. KEELER INTERVIEW ON YOU TUBE
When the Bearkats walked on to the turf at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium Monday morning, Sam Houston became the first college football team in the nation to begin 2014 preseason camp.
The Kats travel to face Eastern Washington in Cheney August 23 at 2:30 p.m. (Central Time). The game, called the FCS Kickoff and telecast nationally on ESPN, is the first college contest of the year this season. The match-up of FCS powers will be the only game played that day.
Thus both Sam Houston and the Eagles get to open preseason camp ahead of all other teams. EWU starts their practices Wednesday.
“In my first 21 years of coaching, on the first day of practice we've told the players that all the other teams across the nation that are starting camp just like us. What are we going to do to make ourselves different,” SHSU head coach K. C. Keeler said. “This year we are different because we're the first team to open practice.
"This is such a compliment to the history of Sam Houston's football program, especially the last three years. We were chosen to be the first."
Keeler knows the Bearkats will have their hands full with an Eastern Washington team that returns 12 players who earned All-Big Sky Conference honors and three All-America selections.
“Our focus is completely on preparing for the Eastern Washington game,” Keeler said. “We've got a lot of work to do in a short time.”
Ninety-five players took the field for the first practice Monday morning. The Bearkats will have 23 practices and three scrimmages before Aug. 18, which signals the end of preseason camp and the beginning of school.
"There's an old saying. A journey of a million miles begins with one step," Keeler said. "Today we took that step. The kids have worked hard this summer but they're a little rusty. The effort was there. But we have to get better every day.”
Following the morning practice, the Bearkats had a team lift and a series of position meetings.
After game versus Eastern Washington on ESPN Aug. 23, Sam Houston plays host to Alabama State in its home opener Saturday August 30.
SHSU will host five home contests at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium in 2014.
Season tickets for all five home games plus the “Battle of the Piney Woods” at NRG Stadium in Houston Nov. 1 are on sale at the athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House and online at www.gobearkats.com . Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
Fans who purchase season tickets during the first week of preseason camp (July 28 – Aug 1) will be eligible for special prizes including team autographed poster (Tuesday), 2 Bearkat polos (Wednesday), 2 Piney Woods sidelines passes (Thursday) and K. C. Keeler autographed football (Friday).
SAM HOUSTON STATE FOOTBALL
2014 TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE
MONDAY, JULY 28
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 1 (HELMETS)
TUESDAY, JULY 29
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 2 (HELMETS)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 3 (HELMETS)
THURSDAY, JULY 31
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 4 (UPPERS)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 1
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 5 (UPPERS)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 6 (FULL)
3:00 – 4:20 p.m. - PRACTICE # 7 (HELMETS)
MONDAY, AUGUST 4
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 8 (SCRIMMAGE # 1)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 9 (FULL)
3:00 – 4:20 p.m. - PRACTICE # 10 (HELMETS)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 11 (FULL)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 12 (FULL)
3:00 – 4:20 p.m. - PRACTICE # 13 (HELMETS)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9 (Season Ticket Holder pick up party)
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 14 (SCRIMMAGE # 2)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 15 (FULL)
3:00 – 4:20 p.m. - PRACTICE # 16 (HELMETS)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 17 (FULL)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 18 (FULL)
3:00 – 4:20 p.m. - PRACTICE # 19 (HELMETS)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 14
12:30 – 2:30 p.m. - PRACTICE # 20 (SCRIMMAGE # 3)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 21 (FULL)
3:00 – 4:20 p.m. - PRACTICE # 22 (HELMETS)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16
8:00 – 10:00 a.m. - PRACTICE # 23 (FULL)
