Miami Football Begins Practice

Aug. 6, 2005

Coral Gables, Fla. – The University of Miami football team’s first practice of the 2005 season at the Greentree Practice Fields experienced a slight hitch when the threat of lightning 30 minutes into the workout chased the team, coaching staff and several hundred fans who were on-hand to safer ground Saturday afternoon.

“Obviously it was great to get started, but I was a little disappointed we didn’t get to finish up our practice,” head coach Larry Coker said. “The fields are beautiful, the weather was beautiful and the players are beautiful. We were into it and really moving around well.”

Despite the frustration with the weather, Coker would not to let it be a distraction. “We’re resilient enough,” Coker said. “We’re not going to let this be an excuse and we’re not going to let this set us back. We’re going to do whatever we need to do to get ready to play.

“We’re in shorts, so we are limited in what you can do,” Coker said. “It was definitely a fundamental practice and we wanted to see how guys fit in, operate and execute. I think we’re in great condition.”

The Hurricanes will return to the practice field at 8:30 a.m. Sunday (a change from the scheduled 3:30 p.m. start).

Notes:- Senior linebacker Rocky McIntosh was held out of practice to recover from arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip from his right knee last week. Coker expects McIntosh to be back within a loose 10-day window.- The seemingly daily threat of afternoon thundershowers in South Florida could impact how the Hurricanes schedule some of their practices. “Every opportunity we’ll have, we will schedule practice in the morning, and I think we’ll get it in.”

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