SU Holds Intra-Squad Scrimmage at Fort Drum

Coach Shafer's Post-Scrimmage Comments

Scrimmage Highlights 

The SU football team is nearing the end of its trip to Fort Drum, capping off practices with an intra-squad scrimmage. Military personnel and their families were able to watch the practice and scrimmage and participated in an autograph session with the players.

Before the Orange took the field, the team set up drill stations for the Fort Drum Mountaineers, the Pop Warner league on post. The children of the soldiers were instructed by the coaches and players in all positions.

It was a great time, the little kids all starry-eyed,” Macky MacPherson said. “It was a great time. They’re all giving a lot of effort. They’re ages 5-12, so those are the glory days of football. That was just a great time for everyone involved, and us included. I was laughing my butt off

Read more coverage:

• Syracuse.com - Thank You From a Fort Drum Mom
• YNN.com - Syracuse Football Hosts Youth Clinic

Football Coverage Update

Come back later in the day for a recap of the intra-squad scrimmage on Fort Drum for the military personnel and their families!


In the meantime...check out some of the coverage of SU football for the day:

• Syracuse.com - Macky MacPherson Follows Grandfather as Leader of Syracuse Football
• CNYcentral.com - Orange Football Takes Part in Drills at Fort Drum
• Syracuse.com - Darius Kelly Feeling at Home on Fort Drum

SU Finishes Second Day at Fort Drum

Small Group Leadership Challenge

Practice Footage

Player Interviews

Heavy Artillery Demonstration

The skies cleared for another afternoon of practice at Fort Drum for the SU football team. Half of the squad participated in small group leadership activities in the rain earlier in the day. The rest of the team took part in a heavy artillary demonstration.

Tomorrow evening the team will hold a clinic for children of the personnel on post before holding an inter-squad scrimmage for the military families. The scrimmage will be complete with an announcer, spirit squad and Otto. 

Read the full coverage of the day:

• SUathletics.com - SU Takes on Leadership Challenge
• Syracuse.com - Syracuse Football Players Complete Army Leadership Activities
• YNN.com - SU Football Challenged Mentally As Well As Physically

The Orange Participate in Leadership Challenges

The SU football team spent the morning doing leadership challenges, taking instruction from a group of about 50 soldiers. The Orange were in teams of 10-12 student-athletes and participated in five different exercises that taught the groups how to work together to accomplish a goal.

Read the full coverage of the morning:

• SUathletics.com - SU Takes on Leadership Challenges at Fort Drum
• Syracuse.com - SU Football Players Complete Small Unit Leadership Activities
• Syracuse.com - Jeremi Wilkes, Ivan Foy Lead Trust Exercise

Video from Fort Drum Arrival Day

Team Arrives at Fort Drum

Coach Shafer on Being at Fort Drum

Orange Heading Back to Fort Drum

The Orange got off to an early start on Monday morning, practicing at 10 a.m. to get ready to leave for Fort Drum in the afternoon. The team will stay at the military post from Monday evening until Friday afternoon. This is the second year in a row the Orange is practicing at Fort Drum and engaging in military activities with the soldiers.

"There are multiple reasons we go to Fort Drum," Coach Shafer said. "First and foremost it's to get away, to be alone. There's no cell service, we're not going to have the internet and a lot of the luxuries the kids have on a day-to-day basis are going to be taken away from them and the coaches. There will be fewer distractions. The other reason we're going to Fort Drum is to be around the world's greatest military, and one of the greatest divisions in the military, the 10th Mountain Division."

Read the full coverage on the team's trip to Fort Drum:

• SUathletics.com - Football Gets Ready for Week at Fort Drum
• Syracuse.com - Syracuse football team heading back to Fort Drum...

Orange to Fort Drum on Monday!

Be sure to check back for updates as SU football heads to Fort Drum on Monday to train for the week!