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Offseason workout sessions increasing FAMU football's mental toughness, competitive spirit
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- Offseason workout sessions increasing FAMU football's mental toughness, competitive spirit
Football is more than a collision sport where the lower but stronger man wins.
It's a game where players must have the fortitude to overcome adversity that could arise.
Therefore, Florida A&M has been testing the football team's resolve with 'Fourth Quarter' drills twice a week. The Rattlers participate in organized team activities, including cardio and bag drills.
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Tuesday was FAMU's third of six sessions, where the team worked out before dawn in chilly 35-degree weather on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium .
"It's a chance to find out who our leaders are," first-year FAMU head coach James Colzie III said.
"The weather is not ideal, but you got to be able to push through. No matter what's going on, we got to get to work and get going by doing the things we need to do."
Florida A&M Rattlers head football coach James Colzie III looks on as his teams participate in '4th Quarter' drills on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
FAMU Director of Sports Performance Cole Forney leads the drills and directs the Rattlers football team during weightlifting sessions.
Forney is a three-time NCAA Division II National Championship-winning linebacker at Northwest Missouri State. He also has six years of experience in strength and conditioning experience, previously working for the Georgia Bulldogs before arriving at FAMU in 2020.
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Forney implements lessons learned throughout his playing and coaching career.
"It's a lot about pushing," Forney said of the FAMU's 'Fourth Quarter' drills. "They know it's going to be tough, and it's about us coming in as a team and truly getting after every rep and opportunity. We're trying to create a little mental toughness.
"We know they're tired and hurting from lifting. But are you still going to come out here and compete?"
FAMU vying to replicate success of last year's national-championship season
Florida A&M Rattlers football team has '4th Quarter' drills on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
It's been a little over two months since the FAMU won the Celebration Bowl to claim the Black College Football National Championship on Dec. 16, 2023.
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The triumphant feeling has pushed the Rattlers to stay active through the offseason to assist them in remaining on the mountaintop of HBCU football.
"We're setting the standard early," said FAMU defensive lineman Gentle Hunt , a Second Team Southwestern Athletic Conference selection. "It's about who will come and work when nobody's watching.
"That's what makes us great. I'm proud of these guys and what they're doing."
FAMU has about 20 newcomers set to join the team for the 2024 football season.
So, 'Fourth Quarter' drills are vital to transfers and high school signees adapting to the FAMU culture as coaches get their first in-person glance at how the additions fit impacts the team.
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"It's all about first impressions," said wide receiver A'Ceon Cobb , a transfer from Florida Atlantic.
"They've seen us on film, but it's about what you do in the locker room and outside practice. We don't want coaches to worry about how hard we work."
FAMU begins spring football practice on March 5. It concludes with April 13's Orange and Green Spring Game at Bragg. The NCAA reserves 15 spring practices for its football teams.
During the 2022 season, former Rattlers head coach Willie Simmons moved the team's practices from the afternoon to 6 a.m. Colzie said he plans to continue that schedule as he enters his first spring football season as FAMU's head coach.
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So, the early-morning 'Fourth Quarter' drills will prove valuable for FAMU once spring football starts in two weeks.
"It's important for them to get acclimated," Colzie said. "We're just trying to get them ready for the season."
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee .
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: Rattlers growing through offseason workout program
