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Streamer Notes - Day One at JMU Football Camp
8/8/2016 5:30:00 PM | Football
1) No Pads, No Problems
Even though the shoulder pads don't get strapped on for a couple more days, the energy for day one was high for the Dukes with players making big plays on both sides of the football. The Dukes will also look to build on last season's CAA title, but know there is work to be done to reach the top again.
"It's great to be back out here and I know a lot of guys were ready to get back here and get to work," senior Brandon Ravenel said. "We have a lot of unfinished business that we need to take care of. I thought the energy was great, the focus was unbelievable and we're ready to get back to it."
2) Well-Conditioned Squad Heading to Camp
JMU's new strength & conditioning staff of John Williams and Markus James had the Dukes prepared for day one of preseason camp after a strong off-season training slate during the spring and summer months. The Dukes showed a lot of speed and playmaking ability during individual and team reps.
Read more about our new strength staff in today's Daily News-Record story ($) by football beat writer Greg Madia: http://bit.ly/2aPCMXF
3) Plethora of Offensive Weapons
JMU quarterbacks have plenty of options on who to the throw the football to as the offense returns practically all receivers and running backs from a year ago. The depth certainly allowed for many positive results on day one of practice. During the first half of the team portion of practice, six receivers and two running backs caught at least one pass as the QBs completed more than 75 percent of their pass attempts.
"With the bulk of our receiving corps back from last year and a couple of experienced quarterbacks in there taking snaps, you would expect to see guys pretty comfortable and I thought you saw that [today]," Head Coach Mike Houston said.
4) Defensive Playmaking during Indy Drills
JMU's defense produced three interceptions and had numerous pass breakups during the individual and 7-on-7 sessions at practice Monday. Freshman cornerback Adam Smith made the first INT of preseason camp with a diving grab along the sideline during individual drills.
Later, while in 7-on-7, redshirt senior linebackers Gage Steele and Justin Wellons each made great reads on short pass plays to snag an interception. Redshirt senior cornerback Taylor Reynolds robbed the offense of a 30+ yard pass completion during the team session with a swiping pass breakup.
"The new [coaching] staff definitely set up a better foundation [on defense], and we have really good communication as far as the back end goes and knowing our different jobs and assignments," senior safety Raven Greene said.
Follow @JMUSports on SnapChat all preseason long
5) Final Thoughts from the Head Coach
Day one of camp concluded with a team huddle and Coach Houston spoke about the best basketball player of all time: Michael Jordan. He touched on why he was dominant, and that is because Jordan went out to compete and be the best in everything he did, not just basketball.
"You have to be good all the time, not just when you want to be," Houston said. "You have to push yourself to be the very best every day, whether you're a fifth-year senior or a freshman."
Another quote to live by: "Excellence is a habit." – Aristotle
Question of the day (from Bob Trott): What team did Aristotle play for? The Greeks
Stay connected with JMU football all camp long through social media @JMUFootball on Twitter, JMU Football on Facebook and JMUSports on SnapChat. We'll also provide three "Streamer Notes" each week on the happenings at preseason practice.
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