Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Engage In Full-Squad Practice
8/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 10, 2000
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The first day of full-squad practices saw 101 Wake Forest hopefuls go through an early morning workout followed by a strenuous and lengthy late afternoon session.
"After going through spring football with a relatively small squad because of graduation, then working with the freshmen for six practices and having just 30 guys out there, and now with 101 players out there, it's a big change," eighth-year Deacon head coach Jim Caldwell said. "It's certainly a good feeling to get started. There is a lot of excitement in the air right now."
At Wake Forest, two-a-day practices start early. "Camp Caldwell" generally gets started at 6:45 a.m. The afternoon session begins at 4 p.m.
"We're going to have longer practice sessions than we did last year (because of the number of young players)," Caldwell said, "We understand that we have a lot of guys out there that haven't played a whole lot of football and we must be able to get some game experience through practice."
Players will continue to wear helmets and shoulder pads for Friday's practices. Saturday is Photo Day at Groves Stadium. On Monday, the Deacons will wear full pads for the first time.
"Today's practice (the afternoon session) was as hot as I can remember any practice in my career," senior All-American candidate Bryan Ray said. "The sun was blazing. In the end, though, practicing in these conditions will help us." Ray, one of Wake Forest's all-time leaders in sacks and tackles-for-loss, is publishing a preseason camp diary entry almost daily on WFU's website, www.wakeforestsports.com.
Wake Forest will kick off the 2000 season exactly three weeks from tonight - Thursday, August 21 in Groves Stadium against Appalachian State. Tickets are available by calling 1-888-758-3322.
