The Owls concluded their third practice in ‘shells’ on Tuesday, finishing their first week of fall training camp heading into the new football season.
Offensive coordinator Charlie Frye, who’s going into his first season with the Owls after signing on in December, addressed the media and sounded confident about the progress the team has made since the spring.
“I like what we’re doing, and I love our effort. It’s hot out there and everyone knows it, what we’re trying to do is build a competitive advantage for our home games,” said Frye.
Culture was something that head coach Tom Herman mentioned of great importance as the Owls are heading into their first year in the American Athletic Conference. Frye also talked about the culture in the building since the offseason started.
“The kids here are really building a culture for themselves. That culture is loving each other, relentless effort, physical and mental toughness, and it’s getting better every day,” Frye said.
In the midst of training camp, there is a friendly battle brewing in the quarterback room over who will start Week 1 of the regular season.
“The guys are out there competing, trying to make the best decisions they can, but when we get back to that film room we’re all together, trying to make each other better,” Frye spoke about the quarterback competition. “Building a togetherness is important, we have to remember we’re all on the same side.”
Frye has shown his firm belief in togetherness; he wants this team to be connected and the older guys to lead by committee.
“Everyone pushes everyone,” Frye said.
Junior offensive lineman Kamaar Bell talked about the offense’s mindset going into the year.
“Scoring, by all means, is an important mindset to us,” said Bell. As one of the more experienced linemen on the roster, Bell was questioned on whether he would be a leader to the younger guys.
“My coach had attention to detail, so when these guys came in, I kinda took them under my wing and showed them the ropes a little bit,” said Bell. “There are different ways you can do things, but there is a certain way things should be done here.”
Junior wide receiver Je’Quan Burton spoke about the team’s progress during the offseason and where they are now.
“We and a couple other guys got together and put together a plan on what we wanted to do this season, and from the time winter started to now we’ve put the work in, and we really feel it’s paying off,” said Burton.
Burton is an essential part of the Owls’ offense, sitting at back-to-back thousand-yard seasons. He went on to talk about his plan this season and how he has helped the younger guys.
“You know, iron sharpens iron,” said Burton. “I just try to play with passion and light the flame inside these guys. The chemistry on this team is really growing, we all trying to win championships.”
It’s a championship mindset for this FAU squad. The coaches and the leadership in this locker room are persistent in pushing this ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset within everyone on the roster. With coaches like Frye behind the wheel and leaders such as Burton and Bell showing the younger guys the ropes, there is a lot of excitement and potential for the Owls heading into the 2023 season.
Thomas Mendez is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or DM via Instagram @tmendezz.b.
