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!