Javs hit the field

Coach Atterberry tries new approach to early practices

By George Vondracek (Contact)


KINGSVILLE -- During the days leading to the start of preseason football drills in 2007, Texas A&M-Kingsville coach Bo Atterberry didn't have the opportunity to gear the workouts to his full liking.

Keith Baxter had abruptly resigned as coach less than a month prior and Atterberry succeeded his former boss at A&M-Kingsville and at Southeastern (Okla.) State. The latter was forced essentially to hit the ground running.

It is a different story this season.

The Javelinas opened preseason drills Thursday, 21 days before the season opener at North Dakota. In a novel twist, the veterans will work out separately from the incoming players for the first three days. The rationale is two-fold, Atterberry said.


"One, it's to get them (the newcomers) used to the way we operate and, two, we can get our eyes on them a little bit longer and pay a little more attention to them because we only have three weeks until the first game," Atterberry said. "We need to find out if any of them can help us right now, and it helps us when we all come together transition wise."


Go to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times for the rest of the story.