by Logan Pittman
Troy football wrapped up its second spring training under Head Coach Jon Sumrall this past Saturday with its annual T-Day game. The game consisted of four, fifteen-minute quarters with a running clock and a five-minute halftime. T-Day concluded with a score of 36-22 with White defeating Black.
Before the game, T-Day started with a youth camp hosted by the Trojan coaches. There were over 250 kids that participated.
For lunch, a sold-out crowd participated in ‘Lunch With Legends.’ The panel featured Levi Brown, Boris Lee, Ted Clem, Ted Horstead, Steve McLendon and Hall of Fame Head Coach Larry Blakeney.
Quarterback Goose Crowder and receiver Landon Parker, who both joined the team prior to the spring, were standouts on the offensive end for the Trojans. Crowder tossed two touchdown passes with one to Parker and another to tight end Ethan Conner, who also joined the team prior to the spring.
Parker’s touchdown reception came from a one-handed snag in the corner of the endzone that made the crowd cheer and rise to their feet. He would record a few more receptions including two 20-plus yard catches.
Reggie Bracy and Reddy Steward both recorded picks on the day for the defensive side of the ball. Trojans Tre Shaw, Phillip Lee, freshman Ty’Quarius Perry and transfer Keyshawn Campbell all recorded sacks.
“We have a long way to go, and we’re nowhere near ready to play a big-time game, which we have plenty of those coming up in the fall,” Sumrall said. “We are more efficient on both sides of the ball and know who we are.
“Last year at this time, we were still trying to figure out what our base calls were going to be and how we were going to function. We are lightyears ahead of that; we just have to get guys to play consistently at a high level.”
The biggest surprise of the day did not happen on the field but during halftime. After encouraging messages from former Trojans and walk-ons Carlton Martial and Craig Slocum, Jon Sumrall announced that linebacker Terry Thomas was now a former walk-on.
“He’s a tremendous guy in the locker room for the culture of our program,” Troy Coach Jon Sumrall said of Thomas. “He’s ridiculously hard working and very selfless and humble on top of being a really quality football player. He also does good in the classroom”
The scholarship was announced via jumbotron for all the fans to see.
“When I was watching it, I was kind of wondering,” Thomas said with a smile. “Carlton talking about being a walk-on and then Craig talking about being a walk-on, it kind of gave me the impression that somebody was getting a scholarship.
“It was a joy, it’s always a joy to get something that you worked for, but it’s even more of a joy when you do it in front of your guys, the people you work with and that see you put in the work every day. For them to get excited for you and tell you that you earned it brings it all to fruition.”
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