Spady eager for season to start

Football 8/29/2017 9:05:00 AM aamu sports info

Spady eager for season to start

HUNTSVILLE -- Alabama A&M Director of Athletics Bryan Hicks set the mood for the annual Kickoff Luncheon.

"This is a great time today," he said to the capacity audience Monday at the Knight Center on the A&M campus. "This time of year is important ... and exciting."

The luncheon helped launch Game Week for the Bulldogs who will take on Alabama-Birmingham at Legion Field. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Alabama A&M President Dr. Andrew Hugine also spoke, reflecting on the Aesop's Fable of a father, his sons and a bundle of sticks.

In the fable, a dying father whose sons weren't getting along, called them together for some fatherly advice.

Using sticks, the father had them try to break a bundle - but they could not. He had them take one stick at a time and they easily broke each one.

Hugine then reflected on the fable as he noted other coaches, fans, A&M faculty and staff, alumni and supporters in the audience.

"What we see here today is unity," he said.

Spady continued the unity theme as he spoke about the Bulldogs coming together over the summer.

More than 70 players worked out in the classroom and the weight room to better themselves academically and athletically.

"I've never looked forward to a football season before more than this one," Spady said. "We spent the summer getting the guys trained up ...

"We are a lot further along than we once were."

Senior defensive lineman Averee Giles echoed Spady's remarks.

"That was different," he said. "Last summer, there were 20 of us. This summer, there were 70."

Jordan Bentley, a sophomore and first team All-SWAC preseason running back, said success in the classroom carries over onto the field and in life.

"It was instilled in me at a young age that school comes first," said Bentley, an engineering major with a 4.0 GPA. "When you do well in class, everything else goes well."

And the Bulldogs are planning on everything going well this Saturday at Legion Field, their "home away from home."

The Blazers are returning to football after the program was dropped following the 2014 season.

And, there is a lot of excitement in the Magic City around the game, with the Bulldogs being kind of lost in the mix.

But Spady said the Bulldogs aren't concerned about the "distractions" and the fact they may be overlooked.

"I like the fact that (we're overlooked)," he said. "We plan to sneak up, knock 'em out and leave town."

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Players Mentioned

#1 Jordan Bentley: RB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#95 Averee Giles: DL; 6' 1"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#1 Jordan Bentley
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: RB

#95 Averee Giles
: 6' 1"; Senior
: DL

Players Mentioned

#1 Jordan Bentley

#95 Averee Giles

Players Mentioned

#1 Jordan Bentley

#95 Averee Giles