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Business News
PITTSBURG —
Five days after their first practice of preseason camp, the Pittsburg State Gorillas held their first two-a-day practice session Tuesday and what a world of difference five days has made for the Gorillas.
“It’s been good,” junior linebacker Nate Dreiling said on the eve of practice Tuesday night. “I’ve never seen Coach (head coach Tim Beck) wear a jacket out here in fall camp. Team wise, it’s going well. We’re bonding pretty good like we need to and defensively, the speed’s been there. We’ve just got to keep bringing it and try to get better everyday.”
Anticipation was high Tuesday night at Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium for players, coaches and spectators alike.
Nothing like cooler temperatures in mid-August bordering on midseason football weather, the Gorilla Drill, a scrimmage and collisions between offense and defense under the bright lights to bring out the best.
“It definitely raises the intensity level,” Dreiling said. “We have a scrimmage afterward so it’s going to be a lot of focus on that and the Gorilla Drill is great to get the team morale up, get everyone focused and ready to roll.”
The intensity was perhaps embodied most by assistant coach Steve Wells and graduate assistant Ike Eguae, firing up their players and themselves at seemingly every turn as the offensive and defensive lines did battle with each other for territorial supremacy. Every solid hit or every good catch was greeted with applause.
Pitt State had a special guest earlier in the day Tuesday: former National Football League defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
“It was awesome,” Dreiling said. “Just listening to him talk, you can tell his intelligence level is out of this world. We were very honored and privileged to have that opportunity.”
Williams, an Excelsior Springs (Mo.) native, attended Truman State University and his nearly 30 years of coaching experience includes head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001-2003.
Pitt State alums Brian Moorman and John Levra both have direct ties with Williams — Moorman as punter and Levra as defensive line coach on those Bills teams.
The NFL suspended Williams indefinitely for his part in the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal. An audio recording was found where the former defensive coordinator instructed Saints players to injure San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, running back Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis and wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.
Pitt State football will have a jam-packed day Saturday: Carnie Smith Stadium hosts the annual YMCA Football Clinic at 11 a.m., the third annual Ladies Night at the Pitt from 6-7:30 p.m. and an evening practice session. The Gorillas will take part in a team autograph session from 1-3 p.m. at Meadowbrook Mall. All roads for Pitt State football lead toward Tahlequah, Okla., on Aug. 30 as the Gorillas take on Northeastern State.
Five days after their first practice of preseason camp, the Pittsburg State Gorillas held their first two-a-day practice session Tuesday and what a world of difference five days has made for the Gorillas.
“It’s been good,” junior linebacker Nate Dreiling said on the eve of practice Tuesday night. “I’ve never seen Coach (head coach Tim Beck) wear a jacket out here in fall camp. Team wise, it’s going well. We’re bonding pretty good like we need to and defensively, the speed’s been there. We’ve just got to keep bringing it and try to get better everyday.”
Anticipation was high Tuesday night at Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium for players, coaches and spectators alike.
Nothing like cooler temperatures in mid-August bordering on midseason football weather, the Gorilla Drill, a scrimmage and collisions between offense and defense under the bright lights to bring out the best.
“It definitely raises the intensity level,” Dreiling said. “We have a scrimmage afterward so it’s going to be a lot of focus on that and the Gorilla Drill is great to get the team morale up, get everyone focused and ready to roll.”
The intensity was perhaps embodied most by assistant coach Steve Wells and graduate assistant Ike Eguae, firing up their players and themselves at seemingly every turn as the offensive and defensive lines did battle with each other for territorial supremacy. Every solid hit or every good catch was greeted with applause.
Pitt State had a special guest earlier in the day Tuesday: former National Football League defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
“It was awesome,” Dreiling said. “Just listening to him talk, you can tell his intelligence level is out of this world. We were very honored and privileged to have that opportunity.”
Williams, an Excelsior Springs (Mo.) native, attended Truman State University and his nearly 30 years of coaching experience includes head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001-2003.
Pitt State alums Brian Moorman and John Levra both have direct ties with Williams — Moorman as punter and Levra as defensive line coach on those Bills teams.
The NFL suspended Williams indefinitely for his part in the New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal. An audio recording was found where the former defensive coordinator instructed Saints players to injure San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, running back Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis and wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.
Pitt State football will have a jam-packed day Saturday: Carnie Smith Stadium hosts the annual YMCA Football Clinic at 11 a.m., the third annual Ladies Night at the Pitt from 6-7:30 p.m. and an evening practice session. The Gorillas will take part in a team autograph session from 1-3 p.m. at Meadowbrook Mall. All roads for Pitt State football lead toward Tahlequah, Okla., on Aug. 30 as the Gorillas take on Northeastern State.
