Samuel seeks leaders, toughness, fewer errors

~ The Redhawks will take the field Monday afternoon for their first practice under their first-year coach.

Tony Samuel claims to be both excited and curious as he prepares for his first fall football camp at Southeast Missouri State.

"This is always an exciting time of the year, when things really start to get going," said Samuel, the Redhawks' first-year head coach who inherits a team that went 2-9 last year. "I think the attitude here is starting to slowly turn and I'm real curious.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of leadership is going to start coming out of this whole thing. I'm very curious about that."

Samuel and his staff expect to welcome 87 players back to campus today. The Redhawks begin fall workouts at 4 p.m. Monday. That session will primarily consist of a conditioning test designed to gauge the fitness level of the entire squad.

"Each position has specific times the players have to meet," Samuel said. "It's a pretty good test of conditioning and recovery time."

"Fall camps are always important, but for this team and our new coaching staff, this year's camp is a real key to our season," Samuel said. "We have to find out which players can help us win football games. We had a chance to check out the returning players in spring practice, but our fall camp is crucial for not only the newcomers but the veterans."

Even though the Redhawks return 18 starters from last season, Samuel said virtually all positions are up for grabs -- and not just because he's in his first season with the program.

"Even if I was here 10 years, it would be like that," Samuel said. "I don't believe in incumbents. Summer is a long time."

Samuel said he likes the NCAA guidelines regarding preseason workouts that are designed to help eliminate potential heat-related problems.

The first five days of practice are designated "heat acclimation" days, with the first two in helmets only, the next two in helmets and shoulder pads and the fifth in full gear but with no contact.

Teams can practice only once per day during those first five days. Also, after that initial five-day period, squads are prohibited from holding two-a-day workouts on consecutive days. The Redhawks' first full-pad, full-contact practices will be Saturday, when they work out twice.

"We would have eased into it anyway, but it's nice to know that everybody is doing the same thing," Samuel said. "It's a real good point of emphasis, because you've had some serious issues over the past few years. I think it's all good, as long as everybody is doing it.

"I played ball in the Midwest and it's not just the heat, it's the humidity," added Samuel, who played at Nebraska. "We're real conscious of that and so are the trainers. We consult with them, they consult with us. You have to be aware of the heat, but it's important they train in it."

Added Samuel: "We encourage them to drink a lot of liquids. You have to hydrate, and you have to eat right. You need a nice bit of time in between practices, where they're off their feet so they can recover."

Samuel said a big goal for fall camp will be to instill toughness in the Redhawks, the kind he learned not only as a player at Nebraska in the 1970s but also as an assistant coach there from 1986 to 1996.

"That's the only way I know," Samuel said. "Football is a very tough game. We have to be physically and mentally tougher than the people we face.

"Toughness isn't necessarily how strong you are. It's how you respond in adverse situations, how you practice, those kinds of things. We still have to identify the toughness level of this team."

Other points of emphasis in practice will be penalties and special teams. The Redhawks were the Ohio Valley Conference's most penalized team last year by a wide margin and also had numerous punts blocked -- 12, according to Samuel.

"We'll cut down on penalties, no question about it," Samuel said. "We want to be aggressive. You're going to make penalties, but you don't want to have stupid ones."

As for the blocked punts, Samuel said, "That's a major issue."

Samuel said fans are welcome to attend Southeast practices. The rest of this week will consist of workouts at 3:50 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with Saturday's two-a-day sessions set for 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

"We don't have any secrets," he said. "All our practices are open."

The Redhawks begin the season Sept. 2 at Austin Peay. Their first home game is Sept. 9 against Missouri-Rolla. The OVC opener is Sept. 16 at Jacksonville State.