Troy University Athletics
Troy Football Opens Fall Camp
8/3/2018 2:35:00 PM | Football
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TROY, Ala. – In the shadows of the $25 million North End Zone Facility, Troy officially began its Sun Belt Conference title defense as the Trojans opened fall camp with a 90-minute practice session in helmets and shorts on the turf in Veterans Memorial Stadium.
It's fitting that the Trojans opened camp in The Vet as that same field will play host to one of the most anticipated matchups of the season in just 29 days. No. 22 Boise State will become just the second nationally-ranked team to visit The Vet when the Trojans and Broncos square off on Sept. 1.
Fourth-year head coach Neal Brown opened camp with a tempo period before moving to ball security, 1-on-1, 7-on-7 and finally team drills.
Troy returns nine of 13 starters on offense and five starters on defense from last year's 11-win Sun Belt and New Orleans Bowl championship team. The Trojans led the league with 11 Preseason All-Sun Belt selections, including seven on the defensive side of the football – four of Troy's five returning starters on defense were named to the preseason first team.
The Trojans carry the nation's fourth-longest winning streak into the opener against Boise State with seven-straight victories, including the record-setting performance in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Troy's third straight bowl victory.
Notable
Head coach Neal Brown announced the addition of two late signees to the program following Friday's opening practice of camp. Freshman running back Trevon Woolfolk from Peach County High School in Fort Valley, Ga., and junior wide receiver Daniel Crowell from East Mississippi Community College both inked scholarships with the Trojans.
Crowell helped lead EMCC to a NJCAA national championship last season after catching 24 passes for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was ranked among the 100 receivers in the country coming out of Meridian (Miss.) High School and was an all-state receiver and defensive back. Woolfolk rushed for 1,209 yards and 20 touchdowns last season as he helped lead Peach County to the Georgia 3A title game.
Head Coach Neal Brown
"There was a lot of energy today as you would expect. We opened in the stadium to give them a game-like atmosphere on the first day of fall camp. The newcomers ran around – the new rules in the summer really benefit your incoming freshman and our entire signing class was here over the summer. I thought they did some really good things for their first real collegiate practice.
"We've got a chance. We're not game ready right now but I like our team. I like our enthusiasm and I like how we handle our business. We're showing discipline, we showed accountability over the summer, we've handled our academics. We came in the summer under Coach (Rafael) Horton, our strength coach, and his staff and I thought those guys had the best summer that we've had in four years, and I don't think it was close.
"We're in the best shape coming into a fall camp, we're the most healthy we've been coming into a fall camp and we're the furthest ahead as far as knowing offense, defense and special teams going into year four and that's the way it should be. We have a lot of experience on our team and that showed today. It was a clean practice. We did not have a lot of guys on the ground and we did not have a lot of big mistakes, so overall a positive first day."
TROY, Ala. – In the shadows of the $25 million North End Zone Facility, Troy officially began its Sun Belt Conference title defense as the Trojans opened fall camp with a 90-minute practice session in helmets and shorts on the turf in Veterans Memorial Stadium.
It's fitting that the Trojans opened camp in The Vet as that same field will play host to one of the most anticipated matchups of the season in just 29 days. No. 22 Boise State will become just the second nationally-ranked team to visit The Vet when the Trojans and Broncos square off on Sept. 1.
Fourth-year head coach Neal Brown opened camp with a tempo period before moving to ball security, 1-on-1, 7-on-7 and finally team drills.
Troy returns nine of 13 starters on offense and five starters on defense from last year's 11-win Sun Belt and New Orleans Bowl championship team. The Trojans led the league with 11 Preseason All-Sun Belt selections, including seven on the defensive side of the football – four of Troy's five returning starters on defense were named to the preseason first team.
The Trojans carry the nation's fourth-longest winning streak into the opener against Boise State with seven-straight victories, including the record-setting performance in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Troy's third straight bowl victory.
Notable
Head coach Neal Brown announced the addition of two late signees to the program following Friday's opening practice of camp. Freshman running back Trevon Woolfolk from Peach County High School in Fort Valley, Ga., and junior wide receiver Daniel Crowell from East Mississippi Community College both inked scholarships with the Trojans.
Crowell helped lead EMCC to a NJCAA national championship last season after catching 24 passes for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was ranked among the 100 receivers in the country coming out of Meridian (Miss.) High School and was an all-state receiver and defensive back. Woolfolk rushed for 1,209 yards and 20 touchdowns last season as he helped lead Peach County to the Georgia 3A title game.
Head Coach Neal Brown
"There was a lot of energy today as you would expect. We opened in the stadium to give them a game-like atmosphere on the first day of fall camp. The newcomers ran around – the new rules in the summer really benefit your incoming freshman and our entire signing class was here over the summer. I thought they did some really good things for their first real collegiate practice.
"We've got a chance. We're not game ready right now but I like our team. I like our enthusiasm and I like how we handle our business. We're showing discipline, we showed accountability over the summer, we've handled our academics. We came in the summer under Coach (Rafael) Horton, our strength coach, and his staff and I thought those guys had the best summer that we've had in four years, and I don't think it was close.
"We're in the best shape coming into a fall camp, we're the most healthy we've been coming into a fall camp and we're the furthest ahead as far as knowing offense, defense and special teams going into year four and that's the way it should be. We have a lot of experience on our team and that showed today. It was a clean practice. We did not have a lot of guys on the ground and we did not have a lot of big mistakes, so overall a positive first day."
Players Mentioned
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