ATLANTA-Friday morning marked the 60th and final practice of 2009 for the Georgia State football team. Now head coach Bill Curry and his Panthers turn their focus to their inaugural 2010 season. The first football game in Georgia State history is just 286 days away as the Panthers kick off Sept. 2, 2010 versus Shorter at the Georgia Dome.
Season tickets go on sale Dec. 7.
The Panthers' final team workout of 2009 was a scrimmage at the Georgia Dome, where the team will play its home games beginning next fall.
A seemingly modest goal for each day has led to a significant step forward by the end of the season.
"Our goal each day was to improve two percent," said Curry. "Not 12 percent, not 28 percent, but you can improve two percent every day. And I think we did it. We had 60 practices, and I think we are much more than 100 percent better now than when we started.
"We just had to live in the moment," he continued. "I would tell them, Even though we don't have a game on Saturday, we're going to do this goal line drill now, and we're going to do it right. And the guys bought into it, and they were enthusiastic, virtually every day. It wasn't 100 percent-- there were some crummy days--but for the most part, they were enthusiastic every day."
Since August, the Panthers have normally practiced Monday through Thursday each week, and then had film study and weightlifting on Fridays. In addition, the team took part in leadership seminars and participated in a variety of community outreach programs on Fridays.
"We look like an entirely different group of human beings today than we did that first day," said Curry. "Running the ball, blocking and tackling, throwing and catching, snapping and punting . . . every little detail."
Curry acknowledged that despite his vast experience in the game of football - 10 years playing in the National Football League, including three Super Bowls and two Pro Bowls, 17 years as a head coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference, and 11 years as an ESPN analyst - Georgia State football stands alone.
"It is unique in all my years, and it's one of the highlights of my career," he said.
"I didn't know what it would be like. I came to respect these guys so much, and I looked forward to seeing them at 6:30 a.m. every single morning. They didn't always look forward to seeing me, but I looked forward to seeing them, and that's how you have to feel as a coach. And I hope that every day, there was something they could take out of that room that could help them have better lives."
The Panthers now focus on preparing for final exams in December and look ahead to spring practice.
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