Football takes field for first time
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Camp Practice Schedule
By HEATHER KENNEDY
UNCBears.com
GREELEY -- The excitement in the air could be felt throughout the west side of Northern Colorado's campus on Friday as the football team started practices for the 99th time.
Head Coach Earnest Collins Jr. welcomed 93 players to the beginning of fall camp with a 6 am wake up call. After morning meetings, the Bears hit the field for position breakouts and conditioning.
"The guys came out and they were crisp," said Collins. "They were running to the ball, they were excited to be here and that's all you can ask for on day one, is they want to be out here and learning. You could see them taking things from the classroom to the field and it's a good thing."
The first practice of 2012 started at 3 pm and for the first time in a long time, there was no discussion on the field or in the stands as to who the starting quarterback will be. Junior Seth Lobato has emerged this summer as not only a leader on the field, but off the field as well.
"It's a little different feeling this year going into camp than it was last year," said Collins of the beginning of his second camp with Northern Colorado. "You just don't know last year, now with a year under our belt you know what certain players can do and what they should be capable of doing so you can push them to their limits, so to speak, so you can get out of them what you need to get out of them."
After the two-and-a-half hour practice, the team headed across campus for dinner in the Harrison Dining Hall before returning for position meetings in the evening.
The Bears repeat the entire schedule tomorrow, taking the field at 3 for practice.