Second-year football coach Zach Grady could sleep a little better after his first week of practice.
Grady said the Tigers had a good first week.
“It was night and day difference from last year,” Grady said. “We had a good group this summer and it wasn’t as much teaching as it was last year. I thought we had a tremendous first week. I’m excited about the strides we made. Last year, it was a new staff and a lot of young kids. Honestly, it was a mess. This year, we have gotten a few things in place this year. I can breath and sleep a little bit better. Last year was rough.”
Grady said he could tell the Tigers were improving after the summer in the weight room.
“It’s not a surprise that we looked better,” Grady said. “You could tell some guys had been in the weight room. We looked more physical. I thought the offensive line looked a lot better. Of all the things we saw last week, the line was a plus for us. We are still going to be extremely young but we should be a lot better.”
Grady said they spent a lot of time working on special teams.
“We are putting a lot of emphasis on special teams,” Grady said. “We are going to make sure we can kick the ball and play special teams. We are putting a lot of emphasis on that. And we have to be in shape. We are running the kids and getting them in shape to play for four quarters.”
The Tigers will play in the Louisville jamboree on Saturday at 11 a.m. against West Lowndes.
“We are excited to get some live reps,” Grady said. “We are going to take that and evaluate and get ready for your first game against Morton. That will be a great opportunity for us. The level of excitement is tremendous. Hopefully, we can keep that momentum going.”
After playing in Louisville, the Tigers will open the regular season on Aug. 23 as they host Morton.
