Wake Forest Athletics
Josh Gattis' Preseason Postcard
8/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 19, 2005
Editor's Note: Throughout the preseason, junior free safety Josh Gattis will be giving Deacon fans a glimpse of life inside preseason camp in the series, "Josh Gattis' Preseason Postcards."
About Gattis: Gattis started at free safety in all 11 games in 2004. He was the team's second-leading tackler with 71 stops and one of four defensive players to start every game. Defensive coordinator Dean Hood says having Gattis in the secondary is like having a coach on the field.
Friday, August 19
Today, we went along with a normal two-a-day practice schedule. Up early before the sun could rise, we were out on the practice fields with a full pads practice. You could tell it is late into camp as we were all dragging ourselves to the field, but as soon as the whistle blew for period one, we were ready to get to work. Well, at least some of us, as the freshmen were given the morning off because they had freshman seminars to attend.
Practice was full pads, and in the routine of a game week practice. Everyone was focused as we began preparing for Vanderbilt. A day after our second full scrimmage, the intensity of our Defense has not let down. The offense looked great today as well, and the real surprise of practice (at least from the defensive view) was Kevin Marion's return to practice after his two week hiatus for a sprain ankle, but I believe it must have been a toe nail because he never favored it as his 160 lb frame ran by everyone in his routes as he was gone in the wind. Pretty impressive considering the wind wasn't blowing too much, but he looked more like he was racing the speed of sound. Practice lasted about 2 hours as we got a lot of good work done, right before we traded in our cleats to become sprinters as we ended practice with gassers.
Our second practice came in the afternoon, when the sun was out bright paying us back for the cool breeze we were given from earlier. Good to have the freshman back in this practice as you could tell they were all energized for practice after their break earlier. You could really tell they enjoyed their break from the first practice in meetings, because they were all awoke and not dozing off whiplashing their necks. Practice was also serious as we split practice up and prepared more for Vandy. We ended on the night with meetings after dinner.
This team full of potential, but as a Coach Hood says, Potential only means you have something special that people notice but you have not fully fulfilled your goals. It means you have the ingredients to be great, but this team will fulfill those goals. 2005 we know potential gets old after a while, and now its time for this team to reach success. "The Rush is On.........."
