Troy gets in first practice of season

TROY — A Sun Belt title last year combined with a good bit of experience and talent returning has this year’s Troy senior class aiming for big things.

Each year, the senior class sets goals. While most seniors don’t go into great detail what the goals are, they’ll spell out the basics.

“We want to be the best Troy football team that’s ever been here,” center Danny Franks said. “We’d like to make accomplishments that everyone knows we can but we haven’t proven yet.”

Troy opened preparations for the 2009 season Sunday with a practice in shorts.

The Trojans will practice in shorts today before going to shells (shoulder pads) Tuesday and full gear Thursday. All weekday practices are at 6 p.m. and open to the public.

The Trojans went 8-5 last year and led LSU big in the second half. It’s been a common trend over the years for Troy to take a much bigger school to the wire, but the elusive wins have been hard to come by, except for home wins over Oklahoma State in 2007 and Missouri in 2004.

This year, the two big chances are at Florida Sept. 12 and at Arkansas Nov. 14.

“We’ve been almost there, almost there, almost there, but fell apart,” Franks said.

“We want to make that last stride and prove to everyone that we’re there. Like every year, we want to strive to be the best.

“We don’t want someone to tell us that we almost won this one or almost had it. We’re tired of hearing it and want to get that big win.”

Troy had the same high expectations in 2007 and went 8-4, dominating the league for most of the year until the final game against Florida Atlantic, a 38-32 loss. Troy and FAU are expected to be top contenders for a league title this year.

“Back then we were young and everybody’s experienced now,” defensive end Brandon Lang said. “We’ve got some players in here that are stepping up and making big plays and they’re ready to go.”

Locker room renovation finished: Troy’s locker room recently got an overhaul, with new carpets, paint, lights, two big screen TVs and other cosmetic changes.

“It’s working out good,” Calvin said. “I like the locker room. It’s looking good with the black (paint) in there, so I’m glad they were able to get it done.”

Redshirts stand out: Two guys that redshirted last year were cornerback Bryan Willis and wide receiver Tebiarus Gill. Both made big plays in Sunday’s session and stood out to head coach Larry Blakeney.

“Both of them looked like they’re chomping at the bits,” Blakeney said. “Both had good springs, Gill on offense and Willis at corner. (Willis) looks like he’s making plays and understands what his duties are. (Wideout Jason) Bruce has tremendous quickness and has a chance to make plays. (Cornerback Barry) Valcin looked like he made some bump and run plays. There’s some speed and ability out there but we’ve got to make sure we get them all in the right place.”

Other news and notes: Freshmen left tackle Cody Jenkins and safety Bradley Wallace were hold out for undisclosed reasons. … Troy will focus on getting better against Troy until about 10 days before the season opener Sept. 3, Blakeney said, and then the focus will be on Bowling Green preparation. … Right guard Steven Adams (spring shoulder surgery) was limited, but is expected to go all out Tuesday when the Trojans put the pads on. “We’re just holding him a little bit, trying not to rush him too much,” Blakeney said. “I think he got hurt in a non-contact drill. He’s come a long way in a hurry to get well.”