CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – As new Governors Stadium is being built right in front of its eyes, Austin Peay State University's football team will begin spring practice, Tuesday, April 1, in the stadium.
Yes, a few short weeks ago it would have impossible for the Govs to look at the field and even consider practicing. Long trenches were cut across the field to allow conduit and electrical cables to be installed. Heavy equipment was parked on different areas of the field. APSU will not be able to use the entire field—in particular the home side—but they will have enough field available on the east side to provide adequate areas.
“It is going to be different, APSU coach Kirby Cannon said. “I had a season when I was an assistant earlier in my career at Northeast Missouri when a stadium was being remodeled. The jackhammers and the construction noise—it was a challenge to focused.
“Our kids are so excited about the new stadium as is everyone in the Austin Peay athletic family. Any hardship or distraction or breaks in concentration created by all that there is still much more on the positive side where I don't think it will be a factor at all in our spring work.”
The preparation for spring practice began long ago. In fact, shortly after the season concluded the Govs began conditioning. And it didn't stop during the Christmas break. The Governors were handed a strength and conditioning program to follow during their December/January “down” time. APSU players were tested when they returned in 2014. Since then the football Govs have continued to improve their conditioning in all aspects.
“When you get ready for the official start of your spring season you want to be stronger at any point than you were in your season last year. Our kids have bought into what we have asked them to do from weight-training and conditioning standpoints. We presented them with good, sound programs and they bought into it. We are in tremendous shape.
“As a result, we don't have to put time in on conditioning during the spring practice period. You can utilize our time better practicing football. We are stronger which hopefully means two things—one, we have a better chance of being a dominant player at a position and two, we should be more injury protected.”
Receiver Bell finally signs
Junior college receiver Steve Bell, who the Governors had planned on signing in early February, finally has signed with the Governors.
The 6-2, 192-pound Detroit native (Coley HS), comes to APSU from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College, where he was teammates of previous APSU signee Bryce Hall, a 6-3, 288-pound defensive lineman.
As a sophomore at Scottsdale, Bell caught 25 passes for 543 yards, averaging 21.7 yards per reception while hauling in seven TDs. As a prep senior at in 2010 at Coley, he caught 87 passes for 1,880 yards and 20 TDs. He was a two-time Michigan All-State receiver and member of the 2010 Detroit Dream team.
His experience certainly is needed in an area where APSU used multiple walk-ons at times a year ago. He is expected to challenge for a starting spot.
“Steve Bell is an outstanding receiver,” Cannon said. “I have a little history with him. He was a member of the original 2010 Central Michigan signing list. He didn't make grades and took some time to determine what he wanted to do. He ended up at Scottsdale, a very good junior college that had an outstanding team this fall.
“His recruiting took a little twist. He committed to us during the original period but near signing day another institution at the BCS level got involved and confused the issue a little bit. They finally decided to go in a different direction and we hung in there with him.”
-AP-
