May 1, 2002

As an addendum to spring practice, Samford football will wrap up the spring semester with the 2002 version of its end-of-the-year strength and agility testing, or "Dog Games," May 13-15, in the varsity weight room.

The Dog Games will test the Bulldogs in ten different areas: power cleans, incline press, vertical jump, back squats, broad jump, academics, bench press, 40-yard dash, 10-yard sprint and shuttle run. On April 11, the Bulldog rising seniors drafted players to be put on a Red Team or Blue Team, which will each be scored based on a point system and then ranked accordingly. The winning team will be cooked and served dinner by the losing team at a cookout following the conclusion of the games.

"Let me start by saying how impressed I have been with the work ethic exhibited by our players during our off-season," said head coach Bill Gray. "We have tried to put our team in a position where they have the opportunity to compete each day we are together.

"Although we are not where we need to be as a team, we are making progress toward that goal. It is my desire to have them realize that to enjoy the benefits of winning, it will take sacrifice by each member to work harder than they think they are capable. The satisfaction of knowing that you have paid the price is something they will never forget. Winning then becomes a byproduct of their hard work."

The schedule for the 2002 Dog Games is as follows:

Monday, May 13

3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Power cleans (3 reps), Incline press (3 reps), Vertical Jump (best of two jumps)

Tuesday, May 14

2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Back Squats (3 reps), Broad Jump (best of two jumps), Academics (GPA as of 1-30-02)

Wednesday, May 15

3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Bench Press (3 reps), 40-yard dash (best of two attempts, 10-yard sprint (best of two attempts), Shuttle run (best of two attempts)

Thursday, May 16

4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Red/Blue Cookout (losing team cooks and serves)