Football Begins Spring Practice

March 27, 2007

WEATHERFORD, Okla. -- The Southwestern Oklahoma State University football team begins spring practice this week at its on-campus facility. The Bulldogs will have 15 days of practice, typically on weekday afternoons, and will culminate with the annual Blue White Intrasquad game on Thursday, April 26.

Coach Ryan Held enters his third year as head coach and has 90+ student-athletes in camp. The Bulldogs return 44 letterwinners from last year’s team that finished 6-5 and second in the Lone Star Conference North Division. SWOSU will bring back 19 starters, including 10 on the offensive side of the ball.

Held and his staff will also get an extended look at 40+ new players that either redshirted last season or transferred prior to the spring semester. That group includes several defensive linemen and linebackers who figure to bolster the depth and quality at both positions along with a host of talent at other key spots.

“We’re not taking the approach that we have 19 starters back,” Held said. “No one is guaranteed anything, our players understand that. We expect to have battles for all 22 positions, plus those on are special teams.”

Held said the bulk of his 2007 team is on campus now and will be going through spring drills. This will allow SWOSU to concentrate on elements that it has’t been able to do in the past, particularly special teams.

“People will notice a difference in our special teams this year,” Held said. “It is not going to be thrown together two weeks before our first game. We have those players in place now and we will spend considerable amount of time on it this spring.”

SWOSU opens the 2007 season at home with the resumption of the series against longtime rival Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Kickoff for the game will be Thursday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. in Milam Stadium.