FSU Practice:Day 1

NOTES

• FSU held their first practice Tuesday afternoon and worked out in shorts

• The team was forced off the field due to lightning in period 11

• Freshman tight end Brandon Warren was cleared and participated Tuesday

• Next practice (also in shorts) will be Wednesday morning at 9:00 - 24 periods

• Media day and fan day will be held this Sunday (8/13)

QUOTES

Head Coach Bobby Bowden

(on shortening practice because of lightning)

"We got everything in today except about 45 minutes. The fact that this is the first practice won't hurt us. I hate for it to happen everyday though because it will eventually catch up with you, but right now as far as time goes we have time. We will practice in the morning at nine o'clock and pick up right where we left off."

(on the freshmen)

"I spend most of my time watching the new guys, watching the freshman. There weren't any disappointments. Like I have said in the past, they all look like All-Americans in shorts. They all look good in shorts so you look and see if there are any disappointments. Are there any guys that can't run like you thought they could or can't catch the ball like you thought they could, but as I watched them I wasn't disappointed in anything I saw out there."

(on how hard the guys worked over the summer)

"They must have done pretty good. Jon Jost, who is the only one who could be out there with them this summer, felt really good about it. I didn't see anybody pulling up or holding back today. They handled what we did today pretty doggone good."

(on Drew Weatherford)

"He is a year older than last year and he has 12 games under his belt so that is big. This time a year ago you are looking at him and Xavier as one of them starting the first ball game not having any idea of how they would respond under pressure so now he has 12 games under his belt. His confidence has grown and our confidence in him has grown with it. Now we have to get Xavier caught up, looked like he was throwing pretty well today but he just has to learn the stuff which takes time."

(on this year's team motto)

"Best effort. That was kind of our theme this summer. Give it your best effort."

QB Drew Weatherford

(on summer workouts)

"The only thing that I could tell the difference from is that this has been more enjoyable. Everybody got along, the guys on the team had a good attitude the whole time and we weren't fighting with people about showing up. Everyone was voluntarily there and happy to be there and work really hard which made it easier on the coaches."

(Can you really tell the difference from one year to the next?)

"Competely, just from the attitude that everyone has. In years past it wasn't bad but it wasn't as good as this year. There was a lot more talking going on. There were a lot more people who were vocal. Last year it was pretty much all seniors and then a bunch of young kids. Now it is in the middle. We have a bunch of sophomores and a bunch of juniors and because of that there are more people stepping up into leadership positions and speaking up."

(Do you feel like you are falling behind if you aren't at voluntary workouts?)

"If you know one team is doing it then you know everyone is going to do it. People are too competitive to sit at home on their butts while everyone is out there working. The coaches have too much of a competitive spirit to succeed and if you want to do that you have to work the hardest."