Coach Dan McCarney Speaks at Season's First Practice

AMES, Iowa -- Quotes from Iowa State head coach Dan McCarney during Wednesday's football practice, the first of the season. ISU opens the season at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 against Toledo in Jack Trice Stadium.

McCarney: “It will be a short first two days, half pads a couple days, and the first full day of pads will be on Monday. It's all about evaluation now, and building your team one day at a time.”

How is the team doing health wise?

“We're in real good shape. Going into two-a-days and camp we are probably as physically healthy as we can be right now. We are anxious to watch some guys that are coming back from surgeries and other injuries. Obviously you can only see so much without pads, but whatever happens with (wide receiver) Jon Davis, he is an inspiration for all of us and he has come a long way since tearing his Achilles.”

Tell us about your first game and your first practice and how good it feels to be back out here.

“It feels great. America comes alive with the start of football season and we are on the front end of things with an early kickoff on Aug. 31, so we start before probably 95 percent of the other teams in the country. It is real fun and exciting to be on the front end of this to help kick off another year of college football the atmosphere is as good as it gets. We call it the field of dreams out here on these two grass fields. You can't find them any better in college or the NFL.”

Talk a little about your newcomers; although for the first couple of days it will be without pads, how excited are you to see them start their careers?

“It is a good bunch of kids. We said that last February and a whole bunch of them passed their conditioning check. Not all of them, but a bunch of them did and we are real excited. There is a whole lot of personality within this group of newcomers. If they can play as well as they talk, we will have a real good bunch.”

Defensively, you lost a lot of key players, but obviously there are some good players returning, could you talk about the defense and the youth you will have there?

“Well, we are missing a lot of guys from last year's defense, there is no doubt about that, but I think we have recruited well and if we play with energy, emotion, spirit, toughness relentlessness and play within our system, which is a proven system in the Big 12 Conference, I'm confident that we will have another solid defensive unit. But we have a lot of work to do in the days ahead.”

Coach Dan McCarney Speaks at Season's First Practice

Players Mentioned

Jon Davis

Jon Davis

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Coach Dan McCarney Speaks at Season's First Practice

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Players Mentioned

Jon Davis

Jon Davis

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