ATLANTA--On day three of preseason practice for Georgia State, the Panthers began to show some signs of fatigue, which is normal, according to head coach Bill Curry.
"Today is day three, and I don't know if it's because I've been doing this so long, but this is the day everybody gets sore and needs to be pushed," said Curry after the Panthers' morning workout at the GSU Sports Complex. "We were ragged until we got to team, and then we got their attention. We had a vigorous, enthusiastic team period."
Curry noted that the first day in shoulder pads is likely a factor.
"For guys who were injured last year, there's always that initial fear, What's it going to be like, am I going to get hurt again?" said Curry.
"I was so proud of Michael Davis," he continued, referring to the sophomore offensive lineman who missed the 2010 season due to injury. "He had a horrific knee injury one year ago today.
"The trouble with Michael is he's way too smart. He's a 4.0 student, and he's very, very bright, very conscientious. Yesterday he got to thinking, Oh gee, it was one year ago, but he fought through it. He was in charge of our positive thought for the day, and his positive thought was, I've made a decision to go out there and be positive and have fun. That's the way you have to play football, and he did that.
"I've been through the same exact thing more than once, so I was watching him like a hawk, and I'm really proud of him."
On a Panther offense that returns Travis Evans, Parris Lee and Rosevelt Watson at running back and also added Kentucky transfer Donald Russell, Curry said another ball carrier caught his eye today.
"Malcolm Smith took a step forward as a running back today," he said of the junior from College Park who carried seven times for 38 yards last season. "There were others, too, but he stood out."
"We've got some minor aches and pulls, but so far we're getting through it relatively injury free," Curry added.
Preseason drills continue Sunday with a 3:45 p.m. workout. The first practice in pads is scheduled for Monday morning.
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