Clemson Holds Rare Sunday Practice

by TigerNet Staff - Sun Aug 03 20:51:09 GMT-04:00 2008

CLEMSON - Clemson held what should be its only Sunday practice of the year on August 3, as the Tigers worked for three hours on the practice fields behind the Jervey Athletic Center. The NCAA has specific rules concerning the first five days of practice, so continuing practice on Sunday was necessary.

The Tigers worked in shoulder pads and shorts and helmets on Sunday, the third of nine consecutive days of practice to open the preseason. Clemson will continue in that gear on Monday.

“We have had a good first three days, “said Head Coach Tommy Bowden, who is in his 10th season with Clemson. “We were able to be a bit more physical today in that we had some pads on.”

Bowden singled out the play of the defense on Sunday evening after practice. “We had a passing drill in the middle of practice and on the first play of that drill you could see a burst of white (the defense wears white jerseys) rush to the ball. That was good too see. It was the first real team situation we had and it is evident we have a chance to have some speed on defense this year.”

Bowden also singled out a few of the players on Sunday.

“Matt Sanders showed me some toughness and aggressiveness on Sunday. He was involved in a cross over drill against the number-one defense and showed some real strength. Jamie Harper showed me he can help us in a number of ways, but he impressed me the most in terms of pass protection. Stanley Hunter also was a standout in many of the drills on Sunday and will help us on defense.”

Sanders is a freshman offensive lineman from Crestview High School in Crestview, FL. He was a first-team all-state selection in high school and was rated as the number-16 offensive guard in the nation by Scout.com. Harper is a running back from Jacksonville, FL who was listed as the number-12 overall prospect in the nation by ESPN.com last year. Hunter enrolled at Clemson in January of 2008 and was a SuperPrep All-American at Byrnes in 2006.

Clemson will continue practice on Monday evening. Practices are closed to the public. The team will have its annual Fan Appreciation Day at Clemson Memorial Stadium on Sunday from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Admission is free.