| 7/30/2025 | Football BOCA RATON, Fla. – The 2025 edition of the Florida Atlantic football team took the fields on Wednesday for the first practice of fall camp. Braving triple digit heat index, the new-look Owls, featuring more than 60 newcomers, participated in individual and team drills donning helmets and shorts. The heat wave was a worthy test for first-year Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley’s unit as they begin a packed fall schedule in preparing for FAU football’s 25th season. The first game is one month away with a visit to Maryland on August 30. VIDEO RECAP QUOTABLE Hagerty Family Head Football Coach Zach Kittley On representing the football program as it enters its 25th season “Year 25 is always one of those special landmarks. I can’t wait to get more alumni in. I’m a big believer in being extremely thankful and grateful for the people that came before you, that helped set the standard of what the football program’s supposed to be like. 25 years ago, Coach Howard Schnellenberger coming up with an idea to start a football program here is really cool. I just want to honor everybody from the past: coaching staff, players, everybody that had their fingerprints on the program, and just be a competitive football team that plays the right way with a brand of football that they’re proud to watch.” On having established leaders such as redshirt junior QB Caden Veltkamp “I have a saying that the team goes as we go. That starts with the quarterback. Having Caden here has been huge because he’s a vocal leader, guys trust him, he’s one of the first people in the door and the last one to leave. He does everything right, he’s a pro. He takes care of his body, sleeps enough, puts in the right calories, does the right mobility in the training room for prehab, rehab, and everything that goes with it. When you have a guy that lives it and breathes it and he is the quarterback, that helps you go a long way. Having him here is massive, us coaches go on vacation for a few weeks in July, so you have to have somebody here other than the strength coach who has a voice. When you can have a player-led team with a guy like Caden, it speaks volumes to where we’re hopefully going as a football program.” Assessing day one of camp “I thought it was a good day. My chief of staff (Harrison Hannah) said to me there’s a huge heat wave going through Florida, it was one of the hottest days we have had in a while. I’m extremely proud of us pushing through. That first couple of days is usually some of the toughest because you’re in good shape, you can run hundreds all day, back-and-forth shuttles all day, but that football conditioning is a little bit different, especially defensively and offensive when you’re going tempo, you’re playing more at a rapid-fire pace. On my field with the ones and twos, we protected the football, had no turnovers which is always positive, but then we also had some really good plays on the defensive end…As far as effort, attitude, knowing where to go, that was a great day one.” On the adjustment to being head coach “I go out there and I have my routine…the fun part for me is really being able to dive in, go to the defensive side of the ball for ball security takeaway circuit, go to the special teams and watch all of our guys. We have six brand new veteran older transfer defensive backs, so being able to watch those guys move around with a helmet on and get to know those guys a little bit and to love on them and tell them they’re doing a good job…I do think there will be a little bit of a different vibe hitting me whenever I’m making that first fourth-and-one call against Maryland, but right now I’m just running with it. It’ll be different when I go watch the film and I’m watching both sides of the ball and I’m grading both sides of the ball as well as special teams. Right now, I’m just fired to be out there with the guys.” PHOTO GALLERY Gallery: (7-30-2025) Football Preseason Practice #1 SINGLE-GAME TICKETS To purchase single-game tickets, click HERE. SEASON TICKETS To purchase season tickets, click HERE. GROUPS OF ALL AGES To purchase group tickets, click HERE. COMPLETE 2025 SCHEDULE Click HERE. FOLLOW THE TEAM Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com or through football’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUFootball. |
