MOBILE, Ala. — Lightning cut short South Alabama football practice on Tuesday, forcing the Jaguars off the field midway through the workout on the second consecutive day weather affected their preseason schedule. The team moved indoors to finish the day.
How the Session Unfolded
Tuesday’s practice opened with about 30 minutes of position drills and roughly 15 minutes of fundamentals before the offense and defense lined up for inside running plays. About 15 minutes of skeleton passing drills followed. The team was approximately 10 minutes into pass protection work when lightning was spotted near the practice fields.
Head coach Joey Jones said the team completed most of its scheduled work, missing only the final two team periods. Players moved into the fieldhouse for meetings with their position coaches, followed by a visit from Mobile Mayor Sam Jones.
“It’s a tough thing because we were having a great day,” Joey Jones said. “Yesterday wasn’t a very good day, but we responded and I thought we were having a great practice.”
“Sometimes it’s good when rain forces a coach to keep them off the field and save their legs,” he said. “They went into meetings and went through some things mentally, so we still got a lot out of it.”
Intensity Returns
Jones had voiced his dissatisfaction with the team’s effort after Monday’s practice and said the players responded Tuesday.
“The intensity was back to normal, and when I say normal, it means a high intensity level,” Jones said. “They came out ready to practice, and I figured they would because these kids have a lot to them.”
Depth Chart Not Final
South Alabama released its preliminary depth chart after Monday’s practice. Jones said players will earn time on the field by what they show in practice, regardless of where they are listed.
“The way I look at playing time for these guys is if they show us they can win on the practice field, we’re going to find a way to get them on the field, whether they’re first, second or third string,” Jones said. “If you’re on the depth chart and you’re number two, but you show us you can win for us, then we’re going to rotate you in the game, and the same goes for guys listed at number three. That depth chart is a little deceiving because if they prove to us that they can do it on the field, they’ll get out there.”
Next Practice
The Jaguars are scheduled to practice Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., their new practice time, as they prepare for the program’s first season.
