Troy University Athletics
Camp Report: Troy In Full Pads for First Time
8/7/2009 2:00:00 AM | Football
The fifth session of fall practice ended shortly after 8:30 pm and saw several exciting plays over the course of the evening.
One noteworthy play ended with a solid first down reception by sophomore tight end Matt Stidham.
The Blountsville, Ala. native didn't escape unscathed, as he was on the receiving end of the first big hit of the fall. After hauling in a Jamie Hampton pass, he took the brunt of a hit from junior safety Willard Ross.
Hampton and the rest of the reserve quarterbacks drew the praise of head coach Larry Blakeney at the conclusion of the session.
"I thought Jamie did some good things," Blakeney said. "Dan Parker has come a long way as a quarterback. He's been a good athlete, but he's come a long way as a quarterback.
"Corey Robinson makes mistakes sometimes, but he made some good plays. He's got a strong, powerful arm and sometimes I think he tries to throw it too hard. I like them all."
Blakeney was also quick to praise several other Trojans mentioning specifically the play of Jason Bruce, Kanorris Davis, Barry Valcin and Ross.
Troy hits the field again for a light session on Friday evening at 6 pm as they prep for their first scrimmage of the fall on Saturday morning at 10:30 am.
LANG ON WATCHLIST: Senior defensive end Brandon Lang became the third Trojan to be named to a preseason watch list when he was picked as one of 30 players to watch for the 2009 Ted Hendricks award given annually to the nation's top end.
Lang led the Trojans last season in tackles for a loss with 17.5 and sacks with 10.5. The Tucker, Ga. native was voted preseason All-Sun Belt Conference last month.
"Lang has played and played awfully well," Blakeney said. "He had to overcome an injury. Now he is rated up there as one of the best around. I'm just excited for him.
"He has worked hard. He's worked hard in the weight room and in conditioning. Guys like that are deserving. I hope he realizes and I hope all our guys that are on watch lists realize that whether we select them or they get picked that it's a preseason list. What happens in the season is what puts you on the final list."
Defensive ends coach Randy Butler thinks Lang is deserving of the recognition and attributes his success to his tremendous work ethic.
"On the field he comes to work everyday. It's like he is trying to make the team," Butler said. "He is a great example for the young kids. He tries to do exactly what I tell him to do. He's a listener and he does what we coach him to do."
Lang appreciates the recognition, but sends the praise a different direction.
"It makes me feel pretty good," he said. "It shows my hard work and dedication to the game has paid off. My teammates get the most praise because without them I wouldn't be where I am today."
