Football Excited for 2017 Season

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – With the fourth football practice for Boston College came Media Day, and a chance for coaches and players alike to share the elation of being back in business at Alumni Stadium.

"The first few days of camp you get excited," said junior defensive end Zach Allen. "We have some pretty high goals and we expect to achieve those and we know the work that it takes to achieve those goals. We've been going full speed from the jump and it's been awesome."

"It's an exciting time of year," head coach Steve Addazio added. "We're involved in football. It's been a long time to get back to it. We've had a great offseason, a great winter, a great spring, recruiting has gone fantastic. Our players have had a tremendous amount of energy and juice about them throughout the whole offseason and summer."

Of course, the beginning stages of a season for any team is cause for added enthusiasm, but the Eagles have plenty more to get amped about than just being able to put on the pads once again.

The first name off the lips of the media on Thursday was that of All-American Harold Landry, who decided to forgo the NFL Draft and return to campus for his senior season, following a junior campaign in which he led the nation in forced fumbles (7) and sacks (16.5).

"He's a marquee player," said Addazio. "He made the right decision, big picture, for him. He made a really good, smart, well-thought-out, educated decision."

"He has a great understanding of how to study film and how to practice," added defensive coordinator Jim Reid, who went one step further and compared him to former NFL great Jason Taylor, who he used to coach while both were with the Miami Dolphins.

While it is expected that Landry will gather more attention from the opposition this season, Addazio pointed to Allen and junior end Wyatt Ray as guys who he fully expects to take advantage and take big strides forward on the defensive end.

The Eagles coach also lauded the speed of his group, rattling off his "documented fast guy" list which included the likes of wide receivers Jeff Smith and Mike Walker, defensive backs Taj-Amir Torres and Hamp Cheevers, and running back Jon Hillman, amongst others.

"A lot of these tempo teams have the ability to go super-fast and have the ability to slow it down," said offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler alluding to how that speed could play up with the offense this season. "We're trying make ourselves unique in terms of having the ability to have multiple groups, multiple formations on the field."

"We're fast right now," Addazio said. "We have speed."

Now in his fifth season at the helm, the ever-excitable Addazio is seeing the fruits of his labors finally coming together to form the greater vision that he entered the role with in 2013.

There is staunch competition across the board, breeding strong depth amongst the bunch, and a stronger passion shining through.

With all things beginning to slowly work their way together for the Eagles, it was easy to see on media day that the head coach had an added pep to his demeanor.

"We've improved at all positions," said Addazio. "Our team is maturing. We have some marquee players. We have some food team speed and we're off to a good start in training camp."

Practice Notes: Things got a little testy after freshman running back A.J. Dillon was hauled down late on a run play, prompting some offense and defensive players to get in each other's faces and jaw a bit. Things dissipated without incident as moments like this tend to serve as bonding material among teammates. "If you don't have that passion, then it's really hard to build off of that. At the end of the day, we're all one team. To have that passion, that's huge," Allen said of the players standing up for one another…Reid stated that middle linebacker Connor Strachan was "in the best shape of his life." The senior lead the ACC with four recovered fumbles a year ago…Thursday marked the second day of practice with shoulder pads. The team will go to full pads on Friday. "It's not real until you put the pads on," said senior center Jon Baker. "That's when you really tell this and that, what's going to work, who's going to be ready, and all that."

Boston College Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Zach Allen

Jon Baker

Hamp Cheevers

Harold Landry

Wyatt Ray

Jeff Smith

Connor Strachan

Taj-Amir Torres

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