| 8/1/2024 | Football BOCA RATON, Fla. – Day two of Florida Atlantic’s football preseason was held under a cloud cover that cooled the field from the 107-degree heat index of day one.It was another day of helmet acclimation and a day where choice and effort were the focus. The Owls’ defense returns their core, and those returning have welcomed and taken the newcomers under their wings.With the players working under the direction of second-year Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Tom Herman and 90 percent of the previous season’s coaching staff, the expectations, playbook, and work ethic are embraced. With that, ease and comfort have permeated the locker room to shift the culture to one of the football family first. QUOTABLE Defensive Coordinator/LB Coach Roc Bellantoni On how this camp compares to previous years in his 30-year coaching career “I feel at peace a little bit more than I have in any of the other 29 camps before. I feel more comfortable with what to expect from our team, our coaches, Coach (Tom) Herman, and how we do things. There is just a little bit of peace over me. Maybe that’s because of the players we acquired and their buy-in level and knowing they will do everything we coach them to do and hoping for a great season. I feel a lot better than I have than in any of the camps I have been a part of.” On working the transfer portal and recruiting “If we didn’t have the means to go, and thank you to everybody who has helped us, go out and get some of these players, we wouldn’t have a lot of the guys that are out there that we brought in. [I’m] very thankful that we can go get them and really upgrade the talent of our roster. We have also upgraded in recruiting. We are recruiting at a level as good or better than the last time I was here with some of the people we brought in. Some of the young guys are going to be great football players here. As we found out the last time I was here, you can’t necessarily win with a bunch of young players until year three, so it’s nice to build at the bottom with some young guys but supplement them with some of those transfers to raise the level of this program, and I think we have done that. We haven’t done anything in a game yet, but I think we are on the right path to do that.” On areas to improve on in defense “I would like to be more consistent. In the beginning of the year through about halfway through the year, we were one of the top five rush defenses in the country, I’d like to finish stronger there. We have to get more sacks. Now, we doubled our sack total last year compared to the year before. We have a goal that we want to get for sacks because sacks are going to stop drives, cause mayhem for quarterbacks, and generate turnovers. That’s the other thing that I really want to do better is get more takeaways. If we can get one more takeaway and sack a game, we give our offense much more opportunity to get in the rhythm, get in the flow, and score more points so we can win more games. Those are the two areas I’d really like us to see take the next step.” On having his family at practice “We love this place, FAU, and Palm Beach County. When I left, they stayed. I don’t take for granted being around them and having the opportunity for them to watch practice, because two years at Buffalo and two years at Auburn they weren’t there. That’s maybe another reason I have peace: coming off the field and seeing them means the world to me.” Redshirt Senior Defensive End Marlon Bradley On working his way back to team drills after his injury “It’s truly a blessing. The training room and weight room had a plan, now we are back where we are supposed to be.” On what he sees out of the edge rusher group “Athleticism, buy-in, obviously, we all have a long way to go team-wise, but there is a lot of exciting stuff we are seeing from the new guys.” On working through his injury “I give a lot of thanks to the coaching staff, weight room, training room, and also [Former FAU football player and NFL defensive tackle] Brandin Bryant. He helped me a lot mentally.” Junior Defensive End August Salvati On the first couple of days of camp “It has been great getting to play football. I didn’t have a spring because I transferred over, so I was taking classes all spring. It’s been awesome just getting back into football, doing football movements, and getting that feeling again.” On coaching staff’s expectations “Effort, get after the quarterback, and just bring that physical toughness to the room that I always play with effort and toughness.” Redshirt Freshman Defensive Lineman Wilky Denaud On how the team has grown through the summer “Me just coming in and really trying to get to know everybody, seeing where everybody’s standing is with each other on the team until now, it has grown tremendously. Everybody wants the same goal, everybody wants to get to the same place, they all want to be in the league, and they all have the same dedication of coming in and getting extra work, just wanting to be around the facility and get better.” On why he thinks this team can compete “We all hold each other to that standard that Coach Herman and all of his coaches around him try to keep us with. We all want to come in and finish the day 1-0, be mentally tough and physically tough. I just think things like that will separate us from other teams in the conference.” On his trust in DC Roc Bellantoni “The relationship Coach Roc and I had was before he was even here. It started back when he was recruiting me back at Auburn, and I felt like that trust that I built with him is something that can take me really far with my game and his understanding of where I need to be at as far as my position. That trust in him made me feel more comfortable with FAU.” Redshirt Senior Long Snapper Nicholas Marino On being named to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List “I was super excited. I have been looking at that list for the past three years, so finally, when I saw my name on there, I was really excited to be there. I have been here six years, so it is cool to finally be on that list.” On having an experienced specialist room “It’s more of a relief feeling, you don’t have to baby them anymore and try to coach them up. You have Morgan (Suarez), (Logan) Lupo, and (Nick) Salmon; they have all played in games and have game experience. At long snapper, Luke (Whiting) played at Idaho State, so he has experience, too. We have one freshman, but that’s easy when you have seven guys that want to help him to get better.” VIDEO RECAP HIGHLIGHTS Jayden Williams continues to receive praise from the coaches, and his leaping pass breakup in the end zone early in Thursday’s practice is an example why Receiver Devarius Mitchell made the best of a broken play with a diving catch to move the chains “Bugs” Kahzir Brown broke up a long pass during 7-on-7 PHOTO GALLERY Gallery: (8-1-2024) Preseason Football Day 2 COMPLETE SCHEDULE Click HERE. SEASON TICKETS 2024 season tickets are available for as low as $75. To purchase season tickets, click HERE. Recent alumni and Florida Atlantic faculty/staff can access discounted season tickets as low as $50. To learn more, submit your info HERE or visit HERE to make a purchase today.VIP group experiences with discounted tickets are available now, including pre-and post-game field access, halftime team tunnels, fundraising opportunities, and more. If you have a group of 15 or more who are interested, sign up HERE. FAU Alumni and Community Engagement will host two away events. The first is October 19th, when the Owls travel to San Antonio to face host UTSA. The second will be before the November 16th game versus Temple in Philadelphia. For more information, email [email protected]. TOUCHDOWN IN THE TROPICS Get ready for a night of tropical elegance at “Touchdown in the Tropics” to support the upcoming Florida Atlantic University football season and its student-athletes. Join us at the Boca Marriott on August 22, 2024, from 6-9 PM at 5150 Town Center Cir., Boca Raton, Florida 33486. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Indulge in amazing food, enjoy live music, and hear from Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Tom Herman. This tropical casual affair promises a fun and unforgettable evening as we kick off the season in paradise with your hometown team. All proceeds from this event directly benefit our FAU football student-athletes. For more information, click HERE. BROADCAST Television outlets are listed on the schedule page. Wire-to-wire radio coverage will air on Fox Sports South Florida 640 AM. Ken LaVicka and FAU alum Chris Newbold will have the call, while Mike Mreczko will host the pre and post-game with added on-field coverage by FAU and long-time South Florida television personality Frank Forte. FOLLOW THE TEAM Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball. |
