Quote of the Day - 3/31/09

FAITH

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

-- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday Recap

The Bisons completed their first day of spring practice Monday on what turned out to be a perfect spring day for football. The weather was ideal, and the focus and intensity matched it.

The defense continues installing their revamped scheme. Much time was spent teaching and learning, yet the practice ended with some serious pursuit drills. The enthusiasm and effort was inspiring.

The offense worked their spread, fast-break attack. They began with some individual work as well as a little teaching and learning, but quickly went into working tempo, tempo, tempo. The first group ended up running well over 100 plays as a team at a very, very fast tempo.

The special teams period consisted of unit work on the punt team. A lot was accomplished in a short period of time, and the punt team is well on its way to being another solid part of Bison Football in 2009.

Tuesday

The Bisons will be back on the field Tuesday for their second day of spring practice. We will be in position meetings at 3:10, and on the field at 3:25. Dress will be shorts and helmets; tomorrow will be full pads.

Quote of the Day - 3/30/09

PURPOSE

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

-- Paul, the Apostle (Romans 8:26-28)

Spring Game

The Bisons will play in their annual spring game on Saturday, April 18 at 5:00 PM at First Security Stadium. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Sunshine School.

Kurt Adams

According to NFL Draft Scout Rankings, Kurt Adams (Senior, WR, Searcy, AR) is a prospect for the 2010 NFL draft. NFL Draft Scout Rankings have Kurt listed at #57 for all receivers, regardless of college division. Over the past few years, approximately 32 receivers were drafted each year on draft day, and another 70 or so sign free agent contracts after draft day. Scott Goode, Harding University's Sports Information Director, states that this is the highest ranking a Bison has ever received, with the exception of Tank Daniels, who just finished his third year in the NFL (two seasons with Eagles, and one with the Giants).

Spring Practice

Here is the plan for this week:

Find a time to lift on your own on either Monday or Tuesday

Monday - shorts
Safeties meet at 2:30
Punt team meeting at 3:10
Pre-practice at 3:25

Tuesday - shorts
No special teams meetings
Position meetings at 3:10
Pre-practice at 3:25

Wednesday - full dress
No special teams meetings
Position meetings at 3:10
Pre-practice at 3:25
Challenges & TCU drill

Thursday - lift and film (time TBD)

Friday - full dress
No special teams meetings
Position meetings at 3:10
Pre-practice at 3:25
Scrimmage

Also, keep your Saturdays open the next few weeks. We may have to practice on a Saturday to make up for lost time.

Core Values

We will . . .

• Honor God, our Creator, with this football program
• Keep our priorities in order
• Do things with great effort and intensity
• Refuse to cut corners
• Tell each other the truth
• Put the team first
• Do our best in everything we do
• Be good role models
• Treat everyone with respect
• Refuse to be negatively influenced by peer pressure
• Never compromise what is right
• Help each other improve
• Have the courage and conviction to stand up for what is right

Quote of the Day - 3/27/09

PURPOSE

"I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy."

-- Og Mandino

Friday

The Bisons will be off Friday. We will officially begin spring practice Monday. We've had to endure a few bumps in the road the last few days, but we will enthusiastically persevere. In the words of Norman Vincent Peale, "Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do." Furthermore, we will also maintain a proper perspective and accept that the "adversity" we've dealt with regarding the postponement of spring practice is minimal compared to stories like this.

Have a good weekend and continue to hold one another accountable. Remember, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up . . . Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." -- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12

Thursday Update

Due to the unforeseen, we're going to alter our schedule.

We will have a team meeting on the field at 3:25 today. (QBs will still meet with Coach Yates at 2:30.) After we break, we'll have a walk-through.

Tomorrow we'll take the day off, but let's go ahead and be thinking now about how we're going to use that day off to improve as a team, and moreover, HONOR GOD. Some will be tempted to start the weekend early and make choices that are detrimental to us. Let's continue to hold one another accountable. Remember, we have a purpose.

We will officially begin spring practice on Monday.

Quote of the Day - 3/26/09

HARD WORK

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

-- Aristotle

Thursday

As of now, the plan is to proceed with practice this afternoon. Check back later to see if we've made any changes.

Quote of the Day - 3/25/09

UNITY

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."

-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wednesday Revision

Change of plans . . .

Defense will lift at 3:10 and meet after. Offense will meet at 3:10 and lift after.

Coach Huck has some uncooperative kidney stones, and the rest of the staff felt it would be nice if the head coach had the opportunity to be with us the first day of practice ;-).

As of now, we will plan on practicing Thursday and Friday.

Quote of the Day - 3/24/09

TOUGHNESS

“Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles.”

--Alex Karras

Monday Update

Even though Monday was our last day of "Phase 1" (lifting as a team ) before we begin "Phase 2" (spring practice), the Bisons refused to put it on cruise and coast through the end of the phase, which was not the easiest thing because we're all primed and ready for spring practice. But tough guys and champions finish strong, so that's what we did. We had a great day with lots of hard work and commitment. Both groups worked with great intensity, and, best of all, a purpose.

We also had some impressive updates for the goal board. Joey Stallings (OL, Sugar Land, TX)moved up to 355 on hang clean, Kyle Young (RB, Phoenix, AZ) moved up to 339, and Alex Franklin (OL, Charlotte, NC) made it on the board at 300.

Other impressive numbers: Mark Gutierrez (DE, Lancaster, CA) repped 225 a total of 33 times on the bench press, and Travis Davis (DL, Greenwood, AR) repped 225 a total of 45 times. Thirty-three reps would have put Mark tied at number six for the defensive linemen at the 2009 NFL Combine. As for Travis, his 45 reps would have put him at number one overall. The next highest total was Louis Vasquez, a 6-5, 333 lb. OT from Texas Tech, at 39. To see all of the 2009 NFL Combine numbers click here.

Monday

Normal lifting times today (3:05 and 4:30).

We will meet tomorrow at 3:10. Offense in room 100, and defense in room 110.

Quote of the Day - 3/23/09

HONOR GOD

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

-- The Apostle Paul (Col. 3:17)

Spring Practice

The Bisons will begin spring practice on Wednesday, March 25. The tentative schedule is to practice on the following dates: 3/25, 3/26, 3/27, 3/30, 4/1, 4/3, 4/6, 4/8, 4/10, 4/13, 4/15, 4/17. The spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 18 at 6:00 PM. More details to come later.

Quote of the Day - 3/20/09

ACCOUNTABILITY

"The ancient Romans had a tradition: whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible: he stood under the arch." -- Michael Armstrong

The moral: Make sure you are willing to stand under what it is you are building when it comes to Bison football. If you're not, what you're building is more than useless, it's dangerous.

Friday

We will be lifting in our various group times today. Make sure you bring your running shoes for our post-lift fun-time.

Have a good weekend and continue to hold one another accountable. "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up . . . Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." -- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12

Summer Camps

The Bisons will be holding several camps this summer:

Youth Football Camp
3rd through 7th grade
June 8-14
Contact Coach Paul Simmons for more info
501-279-5286
psimmons@harding.edu

7 on 7 Team Camp (application)
Junior High, JV, Varsity division
June 12-13
Contact Coach Clay Beason for more info
501-279-4061
cbeason@harding.edu

Senior Camp (application)
Seniors (Class of 2010)
June 20
Contact Coach Gray Yates for more info
706-766-6377
gcyates@harding.edu

Speed & Strength Camp for All Sports
7th through 12th grade
June 22-26
Contact Coach Clay Beason for more info
501-279-4061
cbeason@harding.edu

Thursday

Several said the 7 on 7 this afternoon would start at 4:15 PM. Make sure you WARM-UP appropriately for that. We don't need any injuries right here before spring ball.

Also, tomorrow (Friday) you can lift at 6am, 7:15am, 9:45am, 1:15pm, 3:05pm, or 4:30pm.

Don't forget to take care of all of your equipment issues THIS WEEK with the managers in the equipment room. They will be there in the afternoons.

Quote of the Day - 3/19/09

PURPOSE

"Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."

--Helen Keller

Caption this . . .

Reply with a comment that would aptly caption this photo.

My caption: "Jordan Watson failed to get on the hang clean goal board, so we deemed him useless."

Spring Break

This video is proof of all the hard work we did at Timothy Hill Children's Ranch over spring break.

Wednesday

The Bisons will be back in the weight room on Wednesday at normal lifting times (3:05 or 4:30). Tomorrow we will have the day off, but some guys are getting together for 7 on 7. Friday we will lift at various times throughout the day.

Quote of the Day - 3/18/09

COMPOSURE

“The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy burden after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper."

--Aristotle

Quote of the Day - 3/17/09

LEADERS

"Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else: through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."

-- Vince Lombardi

Tuesday

The Bisons will have the day off Tuesday, as well as Thursday. However, rumor has it that there may be a little 7 on 7 going on in the afternoon. We will be in our normal lifting groups on Wednesday, and then lift at various times on Friday.

Timothy Hill Children's Ranch

Here is an update from our spring break trip to THCR in Long Island, New York:

The ranch is currently home to approximately 30 at-risk, middle school aged boys. Our job was to provide labor for the ranch throughout the day, and spend time with the boys in the afternoon and evening. The guys we took did an outstanding job in every facet of the trip.

We arrived late Saturday night and awoke early Sunday morning for a worship service that was led by our own Zach Caton. After lunch (New York style pizza), we departed on a ferry across the Long Island Sound for the Timothy Hill Church Camp in Northampton, Massachusetts. We arrived to over a foot of snow and some very cold temperatures, but that did not deter us from spending all of Monday cutting down trees and splitting firewood. That was quite an experience.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday were days spent back at the ranch in Riverhead where we did things such as cutting down more trees and splitting more wood (Zach Caton, Jeremy Townsend, RF Hendricks, Corey Baber & Jackson Edwards), erecting greenhouses (Austin Smithey, Jaycob Baker & Brad Parker), and painting (Josh Powell, Kurt Adams & Jordan Watson). We had devotional time in the evenings, and recreational time with the young men of the ranch after the devotionals. Tuesday’s devotional thought was led by RF Hendricks, and Wednesday’s by Brad Parker. Both did a great job of relating to the guys at the ranch.

On Thursday we spent the day in New York City, which, for many of us, was a first time experience. We were able to see lots of sights (Ground Zero, Times Square, the American Museum of Natural History, Madison Square Gardens, the Statue of Liberty, the Met, Chinatown, Little Italy, Rockefeller Center, etc.), and experience the fast paced life lived by millions of New Yorkers. It was a great day, and one we will never forget.

Saturday consisted of one more game of football between our guys and the young men at the ranch. It was a bittersweet time for us. After a long, hard week, most of our guys were ready to get back to Arkansas, however, some new relationships had been formed, and it was difficult to leave just when things were really starting to blossom.

Overall, the trip was a true blessing to us. We went to serve, and hopefully we did, yet we too ended up being served. To experience and witness all that the Hill family has done in the name of helping “the least of these” was quite inspiring. They have dedicated their lives to these young men, and for that I am sure that the Father is well pleased.

Lord willing, we will return next spring break.

Quote of the Day - 3/16/09

THE CROSS

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

-- Paul the Apostle (1 Corinthians 1:18)

(A hearty thanks to Coach Symons for using this passage in the coaches' devotional time this morning. It is a powerful and encouraging passage.)

It's good to be back

Harding has returned from Spring Break, and although we're thankful for a much needed break, it's also good to be back with our Harding Family.

The group that went to Timothy Hill Children's Ranch in New York had a great trip. More updates and info will be coming in a day or two.

The Bisons will be back in the weight room today lifting at their normal times.

Spring Break

Harding University is on Spring Break the week of 3/9.

Other than a possible update from our mission trip to Timothy Hill Children's Ranch in New York, the blog will be taking a break for the next week (sorry, no "Quote of the Day" for the two of you that enjoy reading those).

Please pray for all of our players over spring break that they will make decisions that Honor God. Pray that they will be unselfish, team-first, and most importantly, mindful of the eternal.

Also, please pray for the crew we're taking to Long Island, NY:
Jeremy Townsend
Zach Caton
Josh Powell
Kurt Adams
Jordan Watson
RF Hendricks
Austin Smithey
Jaycob Baker
Corey Baber
Brad Parker
Jackson Edwards
Coach Edwards

Honor God,
The Bison Football Blog Staff

PS - Congratulations to Coach Huck and Mrs. Huck's daughter, Hope, on her marriage this weekend. May God bless you and keep you & yours, Hope.

Quote of the Day - 3/5/09

LEADERSHIP

Good leaders must first become good servants.

-- Robert Greenleaf

Thursday

We had a great morning workout session this morning. Almost every man demonstrated great mental toughness as they fought through the pain of more circuits than ever before. Overall, the morning workouts have been very positive, and we have improved immensely.

Four more guys were added to the 300 pound bench press goal board during the second lifting session yesterday, which puts us over the goal of 50 guys. Right now, 53 of our 86 players are bench pressing 300 or above. The new additions yesterday were Jeremy Holt, Kurt Adams, Bruce Hall and Jeremy Price.

When we return from spring break we will have a week of lifting and conditioning before we begin spring practice. Tentatively, the plan is to start spring practice on Wednesday, March 25. We will practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and lift & study film on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The spring game is scheduled for Saturday, April 18.

Wednesday Update

Several guys were added to the goal board for bench press during the first lifting session. Kale Gelles on the 300 board, Kyle Young, Brad Parker and Garrett Taylor on the 350 board, and Andrew Jackson on the 400 board.

There's one spot left on the 300 board. Hopefully somebody in the second lifting session will fill that last spot.

Get to bed early, Bisons. The 5:45 AM mark will be here before you know it. I'm sure this last morning workout will be a memorable one.

Quote of the Day - 3/4/09

LEADERSHIP

Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.

-- Thomas Watson, Sr.

Wednesday

Be ready to bench press heavy today. We need 2 more guys on the board to get 50 guys bench pressing 300 or more.

Also, all offensive linemen need to see Coach Perry before you leave for Spring Break and pick up a hand-out of information concerning Spring Practice.

Quote of the Day - 3/3/09

ENDURANCE

Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.

-- Gautama Siddharta

Tuesday

We will resume our normal schedule tomorrow with afternoon lifting, and then a Thursday AM workout on the turf. Let's finish strong as we near spring break.

Several guys have been added to the goal boards the last few days. Morgan Toline is now on the hang clean board, and Zac Ross, Daniel Phipps, Kolby Boesen, Josh Udeh, Matt Cooper, Darby Palmer, James Kee, LJ Tarrant & Darren Newson (apparently a 5 @ 5 is a good warm-up before a bench press max) are now on the bench press board, which is almost full.

Quote of the Day - 3/2/09

"Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
-- Jesus

Monday

The Bisons will be lifting and running on their own today. We will resume with a normal schedule on Wednesday afternoon, and then finish the week on Thursday morning. Due to spring break next week, we will not lift on Friday.