Orange Appreciate the Experience

Senior running back Prince-Tyson Gulley is no stranger to the military. His mother Shellaree Bradford serves in the Navy and his brother Toneo plays football at the U.S. Naval Academy.

The family ties have allowed him to fully appreciate his time on post and the Fort Drum experience.

“Since my mom joined, I see it from a fully different perspective,” Gully said. “Coming up here is real big to me because I know what they do because I’ve seen it first hand with my mother. She’s gone all day just 

working and protecting our country – it’s a big deal. So when we come up here I make sure that I show love to them because I know how big of a deal it is and the time you have to put in. That’s why it’s always a big deal to me because I know what they do even if it’s a different branch of service.”

For senior quarterback Terrel Hunt, the experience is different this time around. Having previously made two trips to Fort Drum, this is his first time at the post as the starter. On top of the military interaction, Hunt feels interacting with his own teammates, especially the freshmen is one of the biggest benefits of the trip.

“The army interaction and time here has helped because you don’t know the freshmen that well, but we’re learning,” Hunt said. “I’m able to work with them, I’m able to talk with them and I’m able to get to know them on a personal basis. That helps a lot”

The Orange have its final full day on post tomorrow, where they will get an opportunity to host a clinic for the children at Fort Drum.

Top Articles from Aug. 13 on the Orange:
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Cuse Nation Blog: Hodge Poised for Breakout Season
Syracuse.com: Fort Drum Relationship will Continue to Strengthen

Orange Learn Leadership Skills at Fort Drum

The Orange's leadership, teamwork and communication skills were put to the test on Wednesday as the student-athletes were tasked with completing a number of courses and challenges under the watch of members of the 2^nd Brigade Combat Team.

The student-athletes were broken up into five different groups in the morning, where members of the team had to lead each other through a maze while blindfolded, work together to transport a 180 lb. casualty dummy over 400-yards, move through a rope web without touching it, a memory challenge and suspending themselves together as a group in a still position for over a minute.

"The most tiring was using a tire, a pole and a wooden plank to move a 180-pound casualty person across a 200-yard field and back," said senior linebacker Josh Kirkland. "We had to make everything work in harmony, so it was hard to do. It was all the little details and communicating at the same time so we needed a lot of team work.

"The biggest thing is when you begin to get fatigued you start to lose your mental game. That was the biggest variable into this. They wanted us to get tired so that you lose your memory or communication, so that's what we were working on."

The challenges were designed to test the student-athletes' abilities to work in conjunction with one another to communicate and complete tasks under pressure, something SGT Dylan McElhinny thinks the team can use going forward.

"It's an absolutely great opportunity to get our organizations together to do a joint training exercise," Sgt. McElhinny said. "Both of us are very team oriented. We both use team work and leadership to get our jobs done and it's just absolutely great for us to get to share our knowledge with them and hang out with the Syracuse football team."

Following the leadership exercises, members of the 2^nd Brigade Combat Team led the Orange on a march back for lunch where they once again dined with members of the 10^th Mountain Division.

The Orange will take the field for practice this afternoon.

Related Links:
Cuse.com: Photo Gallery from Day 3 at Fort Drum

Steel Beams Go Up for Indoor Practice Facility

Syracuse's new indoor practice facility is literally off the ground. Steel beams began to go into place at the construction site on Wednesday, as the foundation is almost complete. Senior associate athletics director/facility operations Pete Sala provided an update on the project as local media were invited to come see the progress at the site. Sala says Dec. 1 is the target date for construction to be complete on the facility that will be a "game-changer" for Syracuse athletics, benefitting all Orange programs.

Renderings

Major points from the construction update:

• Target date of Dec. 1 for construction to be completed
• Construction of steel beams will take approximately eight weeks
• Shell of the facility and interior work will commence in November
• FieldTurf has already been purchased and will be delivered in November
• Floor space will be 405 x 215 feet, exactly the same as the Carrier Dome
• Ceiling will be 45 feet high at eves and 65 feet high in the center
• Outside is designed to aesthetically match the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center
• "Plaza 44" will be located in front of the building, featuring three statues
• Front of facility will have team rooms to be used by the soccer stadium