The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Reaches Midway Point Of Second Practice Week
8/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 17, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB football team continued practice Wednesday morning with a two-hour workout on campus in full pads.
It was the team's second full-pad session of the week as the Blazers worked out for the third straight day and reached the midpoint of their second week of fall practice.
"It was okay," Callaway said. "It's kind of a little sluggish. I think they're tired, but we have to work through it. We have to keep pushing, play when we get tired, and we have to have some guys step up."
Callaway pointed out running back Dontavius Jackson for making some good runs Wednesday and commended the offensive line for blocking well in the running game.
Jackson is a junior who will suit up for the first time at UAB this season after sitting out last year as a transfer from Georgia. He is part of a running back group that has stood out in the early going.
Jackson joins senior Pat Shed, who ranked No. 3 in the country in all-purpose yards last year, and sophomore Greg Franklin in the versatile Blazer backfield. Freshmen running backs Bashr Coles and Darrin Reaves have also drawn praise so far in practice.
UAB will return to the practice field Thursday morning as it works toward its first scrimmage of the season later this week.
"We went at it the last three days pretty good," Callaway said. "We'll start tailing off a little bit tomorrow and then Friday we won't do a whole lot besides getting ready for the scrimmage Saturday. We evaluate them everyday, but we'll come out of that with a little better idea of the depth chart."
UAB opens its 2011 season on Saturday, Sept. 10 when it plays at Florida (7:00 p.m. ET/Fox Sports Net). The Blazers play their first home game of the season a week later on Sept. 17 when they host Conference USA foe Tulane in a 3:00 p.m. CT kickoff at Legion Field.
The team will host its annual Football Fan Day on Aug. 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the food court of the Riverchase Galleria Mall in Hoover.
