Leaders Emerging in Preseason Camp

Leadership is the theme for 'Cuse football. Head coach Scott Shafer complimented several veterans for their willingness to step up on Syracuse's second day of preseason camp, while five former Orange captains will take the field tonight in the NFL Hall of Fame game (8 pm, NBC).

"I thought we had a very spirited practice today albeit no pads," Shafer said. "I'm really looking forward to putting some uppers on and slowly working our way to full pads in the next few days. I've been pleased with the way Terrel (Hunt) has taken charge of the offense and have been really pleased with Cam Lynch, Dyshawn Davis and Durell Eskridge on the defensive side. They are really stepping up and taking charge of the way we're practicing out there."

'Cuse will get its first opportunity to put on shoulder pads on Monday and its first practice in full pads is Wednesday.

Five former Orange team captains, including New York Giants Jameel McClain (2007), Ryan Nassib (2012), Justin Pugh (2012) and Jason Bromley (2013) and Buffalo Bills Macky MacPherson (2013) will battle tonight on the NFL playing field. The teams are lead by former Orange standouts Doug Marrone, who is in his second year as the Bills head coach, and Tom Coughlin, the Giants 11-year leader.

"I was concerned after last season going into spring and summer with who our next Macky MacPherson or our next Jason Bromley, Marquis Spruill, Ryan Nassib or Justin Pugh, were going to be. I was thinking about the next guys who were going to represent Syracuse the way that those guys did," Shafer said. "How awesome is it that those guys are going out there with coach (Doug) Marrone and coach (Tom) Coughlin going head to head (tonight). I'm fired up to take a look at that.

"They are the type of people who we're trying to develop with the next man up in the program and I'm starting to see that out of some guys."

Top articles from Aug. 3 about the Orange:

Syracuse.com: Whigham Has Put Injury in Rearview Mirror
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Time Warner Cable News: Orange Football is Back to Work