The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

The Oldest College Newspaper in Pennsylvania

The Lafayette

Lafayette football training camp: No days off

By Michael Kelley ’14

The stands were empty but the action on the field was relentless. It was the scene for sixteen straight days as the Lafayette football team pushed on; through the heat, the pain, the screams, and each other.

When the last route was run and the last tackle was made, out came the popsicles, marking the end of training camp 2012, arguably the hardest stretch of the entire season.

The journey began with the first full team practice on August 10. The day before was all about the 34 freshmen, getting them acclimated to the practice schedule and to the coaching staff. Overall, the coaches felt that that camp was a success, albeit a grueling one.

“I thought it was very positive,” Head Coach Frank Tavani said. “In fact, I thought it was one of the tougher preseasonswe put them through. You take a peek at our preseason schedule, it’s morning to night until curfew at 10:30.”

The players agreed.

“Preseason is a grind,” Tri-Captain Andrew Shoop ’13 said. “There’s not much down time. A lot of guys got nicked up and fought through some small injuries but it comes with the territory of preseason.”

“As a whole it was challenging and we had a good amount of injuries, but we kept battling,” Jethro “Jet” Kollie ’14 said. “Our team has the motto ‘Next Man In’ so no matter who’s injured, the next man in his position has to be ready to play and be productive.”

Having experienced camp multiple times, both Shoop and Kollie knew what it entailed. The freshmen, however, did not.

Steve Mercado ’16 just finished his first camp and at one point, started asking himself what he got himself into.

“When you get to that moment, it just inspires you to get back up,” Mercado said. “It was pretty tough. Most of the physical stuff was done prior to camp but the mental stuff like learning the plays had to be done.”

A major source of inspiration for Mercado came from the words he was wearing on his wrists. Wristbands with mottos such as “Clearer mind, better performance” and “Family Always Sticks Together” resonated with the defensive lineman from Cape Coral, Fla.

“Those sayings get all of the negative and fuzzy stuff out of your mind,” Mercado said. “I really do take everyday for granted. You’re not only fighting for yourself but for others.”

Preseason surprises included wide receiver Mike Duncan ’15 and the linebacking crew, a group that was “the most maligned and watched,” Tavani said.

“Mike has really blossomed into the type of guy that we thought he could be in prospect camps,” Tavani said. “I told him to save some of those catches he was making in camp for the games but he assured me that there are plenty more to come.”

Each year, an 80-play offense vs. defense scrimmage is held. To no surprise of the coaches, the defense dominated.

“The offense takes longer to come together but with the talent we have, especially in the backfield, it won’t be long,” Tavani said.

With the senior class down to 13 members, leadership was a question mark heading into the season. Spearheaded by captains Shoop, cornerback Darius Safford ’13, and defensive lineman Rick Lyster ’13 however, Tavani believes that won’t be an issue.

With the season opener against William and Mary just one week away, final preparations are in full swing as the grueling training camp is now in the rearview mirror.

Check back next Friday for a full preview of the opener at William and Mary.

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