COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After four days of work, including two solo days for the rookies and two with the veterans thrown in, it has certainly been filled with some ups and downs for the Tennessee Tech football team.

 

The first few days of camp have been exactly that as players are getting introduced to the system, learning new teammates and trying to get acclimated with head coach Marcus Satterfield, his staff and their expectations.

 

It certainly hasn't been easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.

 

While there has been a slight learning curve early on, it's still very much full speed ahead for the Golden Eagles.

 

"It's been just our new coaches learning our tempo and our new guys learning how to practice with the entire group," Satterfield said. "Our transition in and out of periods was a little rusty (Monday). We addressed that last night and we looked sharper today. I was proud of the preparation of our coaches and players and we got a lot better today."

 

The young eaglets on the team have already put together four days of work, trying to start earning their spots on the roster. And with as many new faces as there are on the team, the Golden Eagles are already making huge strides.

 

"They've been doing great," Satterfield said. "We understand as coaches that there is a huge youth movement here, but we're not giving them that option to lean on. We don't talk about it with them – we put the expectation out there that they are to compete on an elite level and that's the standard that's being held to them by the upperclassmen and the coaches. We feel by doing that, we feel like we can get them where we want them to go faster."

 

Still, through these first four days, the pads haven't been strapped on yet, but those days are quickly approaching, meaning the introductory learning phase is nearing its end.

 

"They've done a nice job of taking care of each other," Satterfield said. "We can get a lot of work done and take care of our bodies. This is a longer training camp because there aren't two-a-days, so we have to be smart with the length, how much contact do we have, how long the practices are. We've gotten a lot done and (Wednesday) we get to push that further with the shells on and get to pop a little bit."

 

Camp continues through August 24, when the Golden Eagles host their annual Gathering of Eagles event. The team will then transition into game-week preparation for their season opener against Western Illinois on Aug. 31.

 

Season tickets are now on sale. For more information, call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or visit TTUsports.com.