Why I'm proud to be a Faulkner Eagle!

With two back to back wins and a Mid-South player of the week, it's real easy to get lost in the numbers and in the simple joy of winning. Sometimes it takes something nobody knows about to let you know what Faulkner Football is all about. Last night I witnessed just such a thing.

For the past few Monday nights we have been sending a few of our players down to Vaughn Park Church of Christ to help out with the Inner City Ministry. This was meant for a few of our guys to help out with under privileged kids for a couple of hours a week. It started out with 5 players and now 20+ are going over every Monday night. So, I headed down there to see for myself what they were doing. Let me tell you...I was BLOWN AWAY! Words can not express how proud those guys made me. They had no idea was coming or that I was even there. I watched as two bus loads of kids pulled up and our players stood in front of the bus doors and picked up every child on their backs and carried them to class rooms. These kids loved it.

Here is running back, Mike Timmons enjoying class with a child.

Right tackle, Paul Adams helps with a puzzle.

D-lineman, Justin Gomez helps answer a question.

Freshman safety, Walter Hough helps some kids with a stroller.

I don't know who is having more fun, the kids or Josh Cooper...

Running back, Scotty Pennington was happy to hang with people shorter then he is ;-)

Linebackers,Sean Thom and Zach Riggins show they have a softer side.

Freshman, Aaron Provins helps a young lady in class.

Chad Collins, Greg Brass, and Colton Terry help with class.

I'm not a good enough writer to properly do these young men justice. It takes an incredible person to leave their comfort zone for the joy of someone else. These guys proved to me that Faulkner Football was a GREAT idea and young men like these will set a high bar for future teams to measure up to. If you know these young men or they are your sons, grandsons, nephews, brothers...you should be very proud of them. If you see them, let them know how proud you are. I have to admit, I may have gotten a little misty watching this last night.

These young children, love these players. Each week kids ask for the same players to carry them off the bus. Some kids won't get back onto the bus unless a player carries them. For some of these kids, it's the only fun they have all week. Watching the expression on their faces was worth any victory we could ever hope to win on the field.

Here is the kicker...everyone of these guys VOLUNTEERED! That's right...this was not some mandatory "do it or run" punishment. We had to put up sign up sheets because so many players wanted to help out.

As I drove home last night, I thanked God for the job I have and the people I work with everyday. Thanks guys for making us all proud to be Faulkner Eagles.

GO EAGLES!

Sean Thom-Mid-South player of the week!

The 2008 season is a season of firsts. Today we were contacted about another "first" for our young program. Sean Thom from Fort Walton Beach, Florida was named Mid-South Conference defensive player of the week. Sean was all over the field on Saturday making 17 tackles 20 of which were for a lost.

Sean has been leading the nation in tackles for the entire season and is just now getting recognized for his tremendous efforts. As of this morning, Sean has recorded 135 total tackles which is an average of 15 per game. There is a lesson to be learned from this young man. Last season he recorded 87 tackles. During the off season and summer, he informed me that he was going to improve on those numbers. That was not just Sean taking trash. I watched as this young man worked out in the weight room when nobody else could pull themselves out of bed. In fact, there was times we had to kick him out of the weight room. Sean is the epitome of "work ethic". On top of his work on the field he continues his dominance in the class room as well. He has carried and continues to carry a 4.0 in all of his classes. He proves to all of us that hard work does pay off. Great job Sean...keep it up!

GO EAGLES!

Homecoming Victory!

Thanks to a stingy defense that forced six West Virginia Tech turnovers and a surpris­ingly good kicking game that produced four field goals, the Eagles beat WVTU 26-15 to win back-to-back games for the first time in school history.
"We knew early on that if we were going to win this game, it was going to be up to our de­fense," Faulkner head coach Jim Nichols said. "Those guys played a great game. We chal­lenged them and they respond­ed. Our offense was really strug­gling, especially in the second half, but our D just refused to give up anything."
It didn't hurt that the WVTU offense seemed rather de­termined to give up everything.
Following the first Faulkner field goal of the day -- a 36-yarder from sophomore Paul Cink -- the Golden Bears re­sponded with a balanced rush­ing and passing attack that al­lowed them to go 59 yards in nine plays to grab the lead. Quarterback Michael Scott passed to Patrick Evans for the eight-yard score to put WVTU up 7-3 with 9:15 to go in the first quarter.
On that drive, the Golden Bears picked up 31 yards on four pass plays and ran five times for 28 yards.
"They really hurt us mixing it up on the first drive," Nichols said. "We were scrambling around to make adjustments."
There was no reason to fret.
Not counting sacks, WVTU attempted just 10 more running plays the rest of the game and gained just 15 more yards on the ground. Add in Faulkner's three sacks and the Golden Bears to­taled just eight yards on 18 car­ries.
"The idea after that first drive was that we were going to put as many men as possible in the box and stuff the run," Faulkner linebacker Sean Thom said. "If they didn't run it, we went after the quarterback. It was a surprise that they stopped trying to run it so quick, though."
But they did.
The Golden Bears allowed Scott to attempt 60 passes in the game. He completed just 31 of them. And threw five to Faulkn­er.
Of Scott's five interceptions, three came on the first play of drives. A fourth came on the sec­ond play of a drive. And his fifth ended a possible go-ahead drive when he was picked off in the end zone near the end of the third quarter.
Faulkner, in the meantime, was having problems of its own with turnovers. Eagles quarter­back Philip Moore was picked off three times in the game -- all of them coming in the second half. In one four-series stretch in the second half, Moore threw three picks and was whistled for intentional grounding in his end zone for a safety.
"We couldn't do anything of­fensively there in the second half," Nichols said. "With the defense playing so well, I got to a point where I didn't mind. We were playing it safe and relying on our D."
The one thing Faulkner did have going for it was a hot kick­ing game. After the early field goal from Cink, sophomore Jared Corder, who Nichols said has the strongest leg on the team, came on to knock through three more.
Corder's first field goal -- a 42-yarder midway through the second quarter - came just 28 seconds after a Moore one-yard TD run put the Eagles up 10-7. Corder also hit from 36 and 27 yards and Faulkner led 19-7 with 8:51 to go in the third quarter.
"You have to get points when you have an opportunity," Nich­ols said. "We've struggled with that this season, but I was proud of those guys today. They really came through and, I think, helped us maintain some mo­mentum."
The Golden Bears grabbed some of that momentum back with just under six minutes to play in the third, when Scott hooked up with Murvin John­son on a seven-yard TD play. Moore's grounding penalty and safety came on Faulkner's ensu­ing drive, allowing WVTU to pull within four with 3:51 to play in the third.
But again, the Eagles' de­fense came through.
The Golden Bears drove to the Faulkner 14 and were facing a fourth and six. Scott attempted to loft a pass into the corner of the end zone, but defensive back Q Brasswell got in front of his man and made the interception.
Faulkner tacked on a late TD when Moore hooked up with Mike Timmons on a 36-yard screen play with 6:47 to go.
"This was big for us, espe­cially for our defense," Thom said. "We've been talking a lot about doing things right and we finally put it all together here to­day. It really felt good to play that way."*Kicking it: Coming into Satur­day's game with West Virginia Tech, Faulkner was ranked sec­ond to last in the Mid-South Conference in field goal kicking. The Eagles had hit just 3 of their 8 attempts, with the longest coming from 27 yards.
Saturday's tally: 4-for-4, in­cluding a 42-yarder and two 36-yarders.
Asked if he was surprised by the sudden accuracy of sopho­more kickers Paul Cink and Jared Corder, Nichols was said he knew it was just a matter of time.
"We know their abilities," Nichols said. "This was just the first time in six weeks that we haven't had any wind to deal with. I'm serious about that. That's been the problem. These guys were kicking in 15 and 20-mile-per-hour winds every time out."
Whatever prompted the im­provements, they were game-changing for Faulkner.
Instead of being stuck going for it on fourth and long inside an opponent's 30-yard line, the Eagles got points.
If the importance of that was ever questioned, all it took was a look to the opposite sideline, where WVTU, which came in 0-for-8 on FG tries, was forced to go for it on four fourth-and-long plays in Faulkner territory.
The Golden Bears didn't con­vert any of them.*Still hitting: Junior linebacker Sean Thom came into Saturday's game as the leading tackler in NAIA play, with 118 total tackles through eight games. That's an average of just over 14 tackles per game.
Thom did nothing to hurt that average against WVTU, as he racked up 17 total tackles, in­cluding seven solo stops.
"He's just got a knack for al­ways being around the ball," Nichols said. "I think it's because he's so smart. He's a 4.0 student and he's very quick. You just ex­pect him to be around the ball on every play."*Firsts: With a second-year foot­ball program, the firsts come rather easily. Saturday's win gave Faulkner its first two-game winning streak and was the Ea­gles' first official win at home. (They beat Kentucky Christian at Cramton Bowl last season, but the NAIA doesn't recognize it as an official game.)
Faulkner also won its first homecoming game and set re­cords for interceptions, total takeaways in a game and field goals. Jared Corder's 42-yard field goal was also a career and program long.

Article by Josh Moon/The Montgomery Advertiser/Nov.2nd, 2008

VICTORY IN THE BLUE GRASS!

I know sometimes people think what I put on my blog is simply what people want to hear. However, this is not the case. Last week I posted about the importance of being a good "come from behind" team. I wrote about how we are pretty strong late in games. Well, we proved that Saturday against Kentucky Christian. Heading into the 4th quarter the Eagles were down 21-10 and the Knights of KCU were looking to run down the clock. The defense made a good stop in the middle of the 4th to give the offense a shot. Unable to move the ball, Faulkner punted with about 5 minutes left. Once again, the "D" stepped up and gave us the ball back. With two minutes left, the Eagles drove about 80 yards. A great catch run by Frankie Padula got us close then with one minute left Phillip Moore connected with Luther Burton for the go ahead score. The defense came back out and put the KCU on lock down to seal the win.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this team is really close. I say it all the time, but it's little things like this that prove that we are knocking on the door. Sometimes, it's hard to keep the faith. It's hard to sit in the stands and watch. But to become the best, you have to start small. I told Coach Nichols, that one day we will sit in some Mid-South Conference locker room and laugh about these days. But in order to get to those days we have to trudge through these days.

What a great feeling. Nothing beats a win, but nothing beats a win that both the offense and defense stood tall in the end when they needed to. I could not have thought of a better way to thank our traveling fans then giving them a road win. So to the Road Eagles, thank you and this win is just as much yours as it is ours.

Now, let's build off this win and win Homecoming this weekend. See you there!

GO EAGLES!

Lambuth game.

You have to understand how I see things. I understand what goes into building a program. Good people and baby steps. You can't run before you walk. Well, I know we have the good people, and I can see us taking baby steps, so we must be going in the right direction. Saturday at Lambuth was a good step. The final score does not really tell you the whole story. The Eagles did a great all around job. All season, I've seen little glimpses of the ability to come back. That is a huge talent you HAVE to have in college football. Well, Saturday we all saw that Faulkner has the ability to come back. The Eagles brought it within 14 points in the 4th quarter against a good team. You may think I saw that with tongue in cheek, but I assure you, if you saw how bad some of the officiating was, you know just how hard it was to climb back into this thing.

These guys did a great job. You have got to have the ability to fight your way out of a corner when things are not going your way. We proved that we can do that. I can promise you, that things are coming together. There will come a time when those long drives that end because of a penalty will end with a score. There will come a time when we won't have to fight our way back. All of this comes with time. A lot of people tell me that I look at the positives to much...well, I'm cool with that. I know what this group of young men can do, and there will be a day when Faulkner hits on all cylinders. When that day comes...WATCH OUT!

GO EAGLES!

"And the crowd goes wild"

Let me just say for the record, we have the best fans in all of football. Sure, being a 2nd year program the "newness" of a football program is still in the air, but I'm talking about the hardcore fans that are at EVERY game. There is a group of fans that no matter where the game is, they will be there. I know your telling your self, "the are probably parents". You would be right about that, but those are the type of people you build something around. Nothing is built without a firm foundation, that includes the fans. There have been some games where our visiting fans have impressed other schools. Faulkner traveling fans have even set attendance records at other schools. But that's really not what's important. Let me tell you what is important...

When you run onto the field or off these people are yelling and cheering as loud as they can...that's what's important. These folks care for, not only their sons, but the success of the program. Sure, we've hit our share of bumps along the way, but this program is heading into the right direction. There will come a day when this program is one of the best in the country, and these dedicated fans will be a big reason for that.

So, if you have not been to an away game, I encourage you to make a trip. Once you get there, look around at the Faulkner fans and thank them for making it to every game. For you parents who are unable to make away games...don't worry about a thing...these people are cheering for your boys as well. I assure you that this is a big family and these fans show love to all the team. Please excuse me if I don't list the name for fear of leaving someone off, but you know who you are and on behalf of the coaching staff, players, and the entire University...THANK YOU!

See you in Kentucky!

GO EAGLES!

Sorry for the delay...

Sorry for the delay in posts on the blog. You string together a couple of back to back road trips on top of every day duties and time will fly by. It seems like as soon as you get back from a trip you blink and you are right back on a bus again. Really, that's no excuse, but it's all I got right now. So let me catch up with a few articles today.

Coach Chat with Frank Padulla

A new feature on the blog this season will be Coach Chat. This is a chance to interview a few of our players and coaches so that you the fan can get to know some of the guys behind the numbers. So this week, I've sat down with Frank Padulla #25 a Jr. wide receiver from Panama City, Florida.

Coach: Frank, what do you think of the season so far?

FP: Obviously I would like us to have more wins, but things are starting to click. I've been in this type of offense before and it takes time to understand it and apply it on the field.

Coach: What is there to understand and apply?

FP: Tempo and finding green. This is a fast pace offense. Everything from play calling to executing the play needs to be quick. Then as a receiver, you must always have the ability to adjust to the QB and get into the open areas of the field. That takes younger players to learn. I think the past two games we've seen this starting to come into play more.

Coach: What's your favorite play?

FP: Any play where I get the ball (Laughing and flashing a wink). no seriously, any play where we are moving the chains. We have a lot of play makers out there and when one of my teammates makes a play is my favorite play.

Coach: Tell me about some one of your favorite play makers.

FP: I like Colton Terry, he's very scrappy and very disciplined. He knows this offense and what it takes to be successful on and off the field. He plays the game like I do. He plays like he's mad, but he's really having fun in everything he does. If I have to pick another play maker it would be Jurrell. You can knock him around and he will always come back and make a play. He NEVER says a word, he just goes to work...I love that.

Coach: How do you see the rest of the season playing out?

FP: Like I said, we are starting to click. We are standing at the door, and we are about to kick it in. If we continue to go in the direction I've seen the past two weeks, we should start putting up big numbers. If we do that, then we WILL win ball games. The coaches have done a great job keeping us motivated and focused on our goal.

Coach: What are those goals?

FP: Coach Nichols said all along that we are going to win our side of the conference and we can do that. Let's face it, we are still building a program from the ground up and we are doing a great job so far.

Coach: How are we going to reach that goal?

FP: Give me the ball! (again laughing)

Coach: Aren't you a little bit cocky?

FP: I have to be. Every time I go across the middle there is some linebacker looking to take my head off. The football field is no place to be if you're scared. I have a "go to work" attitude. No excuses...no matter what...do your job no matter how bad it will hurt. That requires a bit of attitude.

Coach: What do you plan to do after college?

FP: I'm planning on attending law school. Some folks have told me that I have a gift of "running my mouth". So, the best place for me to put that into use is in law. Seriously, I think I can help people and I want to put all of my talents to ggod use.

Coach: Thanks for your time and effort...now get to class!

FP: Yes sir.

Check back for more chats with players.

GO EAGLES!

Got to love those fighting Eagles!

When #18th ranked Union rolled into town, nobody gave the Eagles much of a chance. Once again Faulkner proved that they can play in this conference. After a tough loss against Huntingdon a week earlier, the Eagles went from the pot into the fire with Union. Loaded with pure athletes, Union looked to keep their undefeated streak alive. With the exception of ANOTHER big play, we were in this thing all the way.

Defense played big all day. After that big run, the defense got mad and started digging in. I know I say things like "if" and "exception of", but these are things you have to consider in a young program. There is really no excuse for giving up a 99 yard run or any big play for that matter. However, when you are playing your 13th game in history and you still hold the #18 team in the country to 23 points, you have to look at every little thing.

Bottom line, our defense did a great job. The QB for Union said he had never been hit that hard all season. Granted, that doesn't take the stink out of a loss, but again, we are building something bigger then ourselves. Sure, it's easy for us to sit here and complain about the losses, but when you are building something that will be here long after you are gone, this should be looked at as a huge moral victory.

As a coach, you want the "W", and often get tired of hearing, "you guys are getting better" but our fans our right. We are getting better. That's two straight games where we have been close enough to kick the door in, but just didn't finish. Offensively we have to finish a drive. Last two games we have driven the ball on the first drive then get bogged down. This will come with time. Trust me, the coaching staff and players are doing the right things. We are just learning to finish. Again, building a college program is a monumental task, and things don't happen over night. Just ask Huntingdon and Coach Turk. Not to long ago that team were going through the same growing pains. But games like we have had the past two weeks help that process. Obviously we want to win now...who wouldn't? It will come.We are a young and gritty team. We may be a bit undersized, but everyone on that field and sideline are fighters. Our guys battle to the end, and soon...very soon we will kick down that wall. It just takes time.

So, to all of our fans I say this. Thank you and hang in there. College football is a team effort and we consider you guys just as big of a part of this thing as we are. We can't do this without your support and we are fighting for you guys every week. You guys are helping us build this program from the ground up as well. Years from now we'll all look at these early years with gratitude and fondness. Thanks for all that you do for us and will continue to do for us.

We look forward to seeing you guys this weekend in Rome, Georgia as we take on the Hawks of Shorter. So pack your bags and let's roll into Rome as one big Faulkner family.

GO EAGLES

Another first...

It's not that unusual for a second year team to have a lot of "firsts" in anything they do. However, this will be the first time Faulkner hosts a ranked team. Union College rolls into town ranked 18th in the latest NAIA poll. Union has started the season 2-0 and look to adding to that on Saturday. The Eagles from Faulkner plan on not letting that happen. This is an exciting moment, having a ranked team come into our house. This is a great opportunity for us to keep heading in the right direction.

Now the story that is making all the noise is Willie Williams. Union's starting middle linebacker has been a journeyman for some time and has now made his home at Union. Once one of the most highly recruited linebackers in the country, now after some trouble off the field is looking to make an impact one last time in the college ranks. There is no doubt that he can flat out play, but there are 10 other guys that have to make plays as well. Someone asked, "how do you prepare for someone like him?". Simple, go where he aint and make him miss. He is really not a big concern for our game plan. If we run our offense the way it should, then there will be and should be open areas of the field. Bottom line, if you hit the open areas, it won't matter who is out there.

Fans, it's an early kick-off on this one. Faulkner looks to knock off #18 at 11am on Saturday. We need your support. Come on out and have a great time. We look forward to seeing you out there.

GO EAGLES!

Sean Thom Ranked No. 1 in tackles per game!!!

Faulkner linebacker Sean Thom sits atop the nation’s defensive rankings averaging 16.5 tackles per game. The junior from Papillion, Nebraska, had 18 tackles Saturday night against Huntingdon and had 15 in the program’s opener against Samford. The 18 tackle performance against the Hawks tied his single game best of 18 last year against Southwestern Assemblies of God.

Congratulations to Sean for all of his hard work!

Faulkner learns from loss

From the start of Faulkner's game against Samford last Saturday night in Birmingham, Eagles' head coach Jim Nichols knew his squad was in trouble.
Nichols had said prior to the game that his team would need to play the perfect game to have a shot. On the first play from scrimmage, those dreams were dashed, as running back Ryan Williams fumbled.
And it only got worse from there, as Samford rolled to a 62-0 win.
"We took it on the chin," Nichols said. "There's no way around it. We didn't play well enough to win that game, but let's be honest, that was a very tough game for us to play at this point just two years in."
Despite the lopsided loss, both Nichols and starting quarterback Phillip Moore called the game with Samford a good learning experience. And Moore believes it will help the Eagles throughout the season.
"Seeing that kind of speed and that kind of size was good for us, because we won't see anything like it the rest of the season," said Moore, who was 3-of-9 for 35 yards and one interception against the Bulldogs. "Plus, it was a whole different setting up there than anything else we'll see this year. I think it helped us in a bunch of ways."
It didn't help so much from a coaching aspect, however.
Because the Samford players were so much bigger and so much stronger than any of the players Faulkner will face this season, Nichols said it was tough to judge just how well his players performed.
"You just don't know whether the reason this play didn't work or the reason that mis take was made was because they were so much faster and stronger than any of the teams we'll prepare for," Nichols said. "From that standpoint, we really didn't get a good idea of how well we executed. We could see some things, but not much. It's like I told (Huntingdon head coach Mike) Turk, 'Here's the film (from the Samford game), but I don't think you'll be able to tell much.' "
While he couldn't tell much about execution, Nichols learned a lot about his players.
"You don't want something like this to affect their psyche and it hurt the rest of the year, and I really don't think that's the case with this team," he said. "These guys seem to have put it behind them."
Moore said the upcoming rivalry game against cross-town rival Huntingdon helped speed up the healing process.
"It's good that this game comes now," Moore said. "When we all got to the field house on Sunday, it was an upbeat environment. Everyone was ready to work and get that game behind us. It was good to see. And we've been focused ever since. That game (against Samford) hasn't affected us."
If only the same could be said for the coaches.
"The coaching staff is taking it harder than the kids," Nichols said. "You know, those guys pour everything into getting the team ready, and a loss like that really hurts them. The kids are more resilient. The coaches hang on to it a little longer."
Note: Tickets for Saturday's game between Faulkner and Huntingdon are $5 for students and $10 for general admission (kids under 10 are free). Tickets can be purchased at the Faulkner athletic offices or at Cramton Bowl on the day of the game.

We stand on the shoulders of giants.

Last month James H. Faulkner Sr. passed away at 92. I don't have the words to express to you what he meant to this University and the state of Alabama. Many of us were lucky enough to know him personally. He was a great man. This past spring the coaching staff went down to visit him for a little bit. He was a big Faulkner football fan.

This season the Eagle football team will remember this legendary man by placing an helmet decal on everyone of the players that take the field this season. Lets face it, none of us would be where we are today without the great work and big heart of Brother Faulkner.

Faulkner vs. Samford

Well, it was a great weekend for the Faulkner Eagles. You are probably saying to yourself, "62-0, what is so good about that"? A lot of things. Sure, the game didn't end up like we had hoped for, but we did gain valuable experience for stepping up to the challenge. Look, Samford asked a lot of teams to play that game and everyone turned them down. Not us. You don't learn anything from hiding. It was a great opportunity for the players and coaches to go against D-1 talent.

Samford was bigger, stronger, and faster. However, you learn a lot about yourself playing teams better then you. Faulkner football will not duck anyone wanting to play. Our guys learned a lot about themselves with this game. Our guys NEVER rolled over. They fought and they fought hard. And the coaches saw a lot of positive things as well.

When you play a team that much better then you, you find out who REALLY wants to play on your team. We had an opportunity to play some younger guys and see what they have as well. Plus, this was a great college atmosphere, and it was fun for all of us to see what it's like at that level. Nobody wants to get blown out like that, but sometimes it has to happen to move your program into the right direction. That's what this game has done. We see where we are and now we see where we want to be. I would also like to add that this was an extremely clean game. Both teams played with class. Samford could have showboated all night and they didn't. On the flip side, we could have turned over and started playing cheap, and we didn't.

Again, I'm proud of the players and coaches. I think they did Faulkner proud. There is more to a game then just the score. We have come a long way in just one year, and we showed it at Samford. On top of all of that, we had a great crowd. I can't say enough about our fans. They showed up and they showed up big. Not only that, but they stayed for the whole game. The players, coaches, and even Samford noticed how strong our fan support was. On behalf of the whole Faulkner University Football family, let me say "thank you" to all of you who came out. It was a great feeling seeing you all there to support us.

I promise you, we are growing and getting stronger. With your continued support, Faulkner Football will become a top notch program in the very near future. Thank you again.

Now it's time for the Hawks of Huntingdon...see you there!

GO EAGLES

Twas the night before Samford...

Well, the meal is over, meetings are done, and the players are all tucked in with visions of touchdowns and victory dancing in their heads.

The team arrived right on time this afternoon under police escort through Birmingham. The meal of pork chops, beef tips, and apple pie ended an afternoon of excitement.

Sean Thom and Edmund Curry are proof that Faulkner football players know how to eat before a big game. After supper we had a team devotional lead by Coach Nichols. From supper we went right into offense and defense meetings where we went over last minute changes and updates. The guys had some down time after that right before bed check.

The special part of the evening was after the meetings. Some of the coaches made a drive over to the Children's hospital to visit Dean Briggs newborn granddaughter that has been there for 4 weeks now. Let me tell you, Dean is one proud grand dad...as he should be. We all had an opportunity to visit with baby Reagan and some of the amazing nurses from the hospital.

I'll tell you this, a walk through that hospital or watch these people work, you'll see REAL heroes. Football and this game really mean nothing...it's just a game, but meeting some people that really make a difference in life puts things in perspective. These kids are amazing. We had a chance to talk with one young man who just had a cancer treatment, and loved to talk about video games, so Coach Howell went into detail about the history of Donkey Kong...he's truly a renaissance man. This is a great hospital that does unbelievable things for people. God Bless the Children's Hospital.

Go Eagles!

Here we go....

The last team practice ended Thursday at 5pm with Coach Nichols telling everyone that it's time to take care of business...and he was correct. The Birmingham paper says that Samford does not know what to expect from Faulkner. Well, that's what we are planning to show them on Saturday night. Practice on Thursday went well with spirits high and tempo even higher.

The buses should pull off of campus at 3:30pm sharp and head to Birmingham. We'll have several meetings and walk thrus tonight and in the morning. The players will have time on Saturday to relax in their rooms and enjoy some football on tv before we head over to Samford. I don't have to tell you how big a game this is for our program. This game has drawn statewide attention and we are looking to make our presence felt on the football landscape in the great state of Alabama. We hope that everyone will come out and watch a great football game.

Stay tuned for further updates this weekend.

GO EAGLES!

Eagles work on specifics

Faulkner head football coach Jim Nichols used Thursday's practice to prepare his Eagles for next weekend's meeting with NCAA D-I Samford University.
"We have to fine-tune our special teams to get ready for Samford," Nichols said. "You can win games with special teams because of momentum and change of possession. Against Samofrd, we really don't want to mess it up on special teams."
Nichols also wants to make improvements over last year's performance on first down. "We have got to do better on first down this year over last year. We have to find a way to keep our offense on the field longer."
Nichols also noted that he was pleased with Thursday's performance by defensive tackle Ivan Freeman of Dothan, and defensive back Anthony Haywood of Montgomery.
The Eagles begin the season at Samford in Birmingham at 6 p.m. Sept. 6.

-Montgomery Advertiser

Game week!

Well folks, here we go! After a good break from hurricane Faye the program is ready to roll into game week. Where has the summer gone? This time next week will be rolling into Birmingham, Alabama to prepare for our first showdown with Samford. Things are starting to click at practice and confidence is high. Coach Nichols has been pleased with the tempo of practice. I have to say, that our guys are in a lot better shape then we were at this time last year. This should translate into a very competitive team.

Now everyone shifts gears. Coaches, players, and even the fans. The coaching staff and players go into a new schedule mode. Lots of film, meetings, and practice. While the fans start planning for the trip to all of our games. Let me just say, that last years fan support was the best. We are depending on that to increase this season.

Now, my plan is to update the blog while on the road for the games. I'm going try to include pictures of our game preparation at the hotel. So, keep checking in with me.

Last Saturday's scrimmage.

Last Saturday we took our show on the road and had a scrimmage at Jefferson Davis High School. We got about 90 plays in before darkness shut us down. We saw a lot of great things and we saw some more things we need to work



Coach Nichols was pleased with what he saw. Right now we have about 98% of our offense installed and now it's all about repetition. We had about 120 folks come out to watch and they were please with what they saw as well. I can't tell you how much further ahead we are compared to last year at this time.

Frank Padulla had a big day with several diving grabs and a touchdown. We are expecting big things from the Panama City native. The other receivers are having a great fall as well.

With this new offense, the ball is flying around the field like never before. However, we find ourselves in a "catch 22". Now that are running game is hitting on all cylinders, we are finding it hard to pick plays. Don't get me wrong, that's a great a problem to have. Not to mention we never had that problem last season.

Ryan Williams continues to impress the coaches as well as frustrate the defense with his slash and cut running style. He is a man of few words but his running says it all. Don't get me wrong on my blog, I talk a lot of offense, simply because I coach running backs. But our defense is looking strong once again.

We have another scrimmage this Saturday at the Cramton Bowl. Stay tuned for more.

GO EAGLES!

Fall camp coming to a close.

Fall camp is almost over and the school year is about to start. All this means is a change of pace. During fall camp our schedules went something like this:


Treatment: 7am
Breakfast: 8am
Position meetings: 9:30am-11am
Coaches meetings: 11am-12:30pm
Lunch: 12:30pm
Practice: 3:15pm-5pm
Dinner: 5:30pm-
Weights: 7pm-10pm
Bed check/lights out: 11pm


As you can tell, we are go go go all day. With the academic year beginning, we look at changing gears and focusing on the entire student athlete. Bottom line is this, these guys are students first, athletes second. The intensity does not waiver during this time, but we begin to really focus on our first game on Sep. 6th against Samford.

So, get ready folks, the clock is running and we are closer to the first game of the 2008 season. Get your tickets today.

GO EAGLES!

week 1 down!

The first week of fall camp ended with EXTREME optimism. The players are quickly coming together to form a great team. When you have a strong spring like we had, you hope that everyone comes back and picks up where you left off...and man did we ever. The new guys have stepped in and have started to make names for themselves.

I think I've been more impressed with the older guys showing the new guys the ropes. Last season everyone came in at the same time, so nobody stood out to take on a leadership role. This year is not that way at all. Returning receivers are teaching younger guys routes, returning linebackers are helping the up and comers, and the returning offensive linemen are showing the new guys all the best places to eat in town.


If there is one thing that has not changed in the Faulkner Football program, it's the hitting. Not only did we recruit great character athletes, we recruited some GREAT BALL PLAYERS!

Look for another season of smash mouth Faulkner football. Last season, it was the defense that could deliver the big hits, but this year offense has some guys that can deliver a "knock out" blow.

Despite the 130 degree field temperature, President Billy Hillyer came out to wish us well and welcome the new guys to the Faulkner Family.

We ended the week with an 70 play scrimmage to take a look at what we have installed during the week. For the second day in full pads, we saw a lot of great things. Not to mention more then 100 people came out to just watch practice.

All I can say is, get ready folks, this is going to be a great season. I highly suggest that you buy your season tickets now, and register for the Royal Club while there is still time. This is going to be a great year. 4 weeks from Samford and things are looking great. Check back soon.

GO EAGLES!

Off and Running!

The Faulkner Eagle 2008 season is officially underway. The team met for the first time this year on Sunday night and Monday afternoon the Eagles went to work. The temperatures are hot, but the enthusiasm is even hotter.

Camp opened with a greater number then expected for the second year in a row. Coach Nichols was excited about the caliber of athlete that came in this year. "It looks like all of our work in recruiting has paid off" Nichols stated. I, for one, can tell you that hours upon hours went into recruiting athletes that are great on and off the field this year. Nichols plan was by year three, we would have the team that Faulkner University expects and I believe we are ahead of schedule on that plan.

The first two weeks are focusing on evaluating talent and installing both the offense and the defense. The players schedules are jammed pack from sun up to sun down for the first two weeks. Lots of conditioning and learning going on right now. The players are getting along great and the action should heat up with the addition of full pads on Friday.

Summer camp is packed full of stuff, so I'll try to update all of you as often as I can. Please go by our Faulkner University athletics website and buy your season tickets today. Also, look into joining the Royal Club. Talk to you all soon.

GO EAGLES!

2nd Annual Coaching Retreat.

Where has the summer gone? With our players reporting in a week, this is truly the, "calm before the storm". In an effort to help the coaching staff relax and regain the focus needed for the next 4 months, Coach Nichols once again set up another coaching retreat. This is basically a working/playing/more working then playing retreat. I'm kidding, but this is a great time for the coaching staff to sit down and present what they plan to do during the season. For the past month the offense and defense has met as staffs to come up with the 2008 game plan, and this is the time we have to go over it.

Football season is a crazy four month odyssey that will go by so fast you would think that you slept through the whole thing. This is another reason why Coach Nichols likes to get the coaches and get them off campus for a few days. It gives us a chance to enjoy each others company and gives us an opportunity to really plan in depth the upcoming season. Okay, and we fish and play golf....you go it out of me...are you happy now?

This season 9 of us are heading to exotic Red Bay, Alabama. That's up in Northwest, Alabama. We have some nice cabins and a good meeting facility. We will spend time doing some fishing and a day of golf, however, most of the time we will be in meetings. It will still be nice to get away for a bit.

Stay tuned for some pictures....

GO EAGLES!

2008 Faulkner Football Screen Saver.

Here it is folks. If you have ever wanted a Faulkner Football screen saver and a game schedule...kill two birds with one stone. Thanks to our guys in our I.T. department, they have come up with a great screen saver that includes all of our game schedule.


















I'm not kidding, this thing looks good. In fact, our whole coaching staff has this on all their computers. Yes, even Coach Nichols. Not only will it make your computer look cool, but it will also let you know when you need to pack up the family and head out to catch the next Faulkner football game. If you are interested in this FREE screen saver...did I say it was FREE? Yes I did! Why are you sitting there reading my blog? Follow the link below and get it today.

http://www.faulkner.edu/athletics/football/multimedia.asp


GO EAGLES!

Top Academic Eagles.

Building a football program is hard enough, but building a program around quality young men is key. You can get anyone to play football, but getting guys that can hit the field as hard as the books is tough. Coach Nichols and his staff have done just that. When grades came back this summer, the Faulkner football team did an excellent job in the classroom. Two Faulkner eagles had a 4.0 gpa. Six players had a 3.5 gpa or higher. Also there were five players that had a 3.0 gpa or better.
There were also 18 players that had a 2.5 gpa or better. As they say in the south, "that aint to shabby".

A lot of people ask what we do to help these young men in the classroom. Sure coaches know a lot about X's, O's, the weight room, and between the lines, but what do we know about academics. Head Coach, Jim Nichols is always finding ways to help his players excel in the classroom. "Football at Faulkner University is more then just practice and games. It's about a quality Christian education" Nichols said. I have to echo that as well. I know from experience that we have these guys in study halls and tutors are made available for everyone. Coach Nichols meets with each and every player...yes...EACH and EVERY player several times during the semester to discuss their grades. Really, what's the point of going to all the trouble of recruiting a player if he can't make the grades? The better a player is in the classroom the better of an investment he becomes to the program. That's how you build a program from the ground up...it starts with a firm foundation. If you see these guys, make sure you tell them "great job". It's hard enough being a college student, but throw in a full time job of a student athlete and things get really tough. Great job guys, thank you for working hard. Keep it up.

GO EAGLES

Summer Camps

Faulkner University Football took another step toward success with the first annual summer football camps. This summer we had our first two sessions. June 2nd/3rd we started with grades 2-5. WOW! These kids had a lot of energy.

DJ going in for the score!

Coach Briggs walks away from another one of his interceptions...Dean, stick to linebackers...please!

Our first young group.

Coach Howell pointing things out.

Look at that footwork! Sign him up!

Stay tuned for picture of our older group.

Go Eagles!