Jax State Practices in Shells; Rodriguez Praises 11 Seniors

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State put on shoulder pads for the first time during its 2023 Fall Camp on Friday morning, when the Gamecocks' first workout in shells lasted just under two hours on Salls Field.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez hoped for better energy in Friday's workout and saw that, but he emphasized the importance of continuing to learn how to be responsible in those contact drills.
"I think the intensity improved a little bit," Rodriguez said. "We're still learning how to practice. With the new guys, we teach them what we call 'practice like a pro.' It's where you can be physical and intense but not be silly or stupid. So learning how to practice like a pro is still a work in progress."
He didn't focus concern on the mistakes that were made on Friday. His focus was on making sure that lessons were learned and those problems will be corrected before taking the field for practice No. 4 on Saturday morning.
"This was the first one, so if we have the same problems tomorrow, then it will be an issue," he added. "We're just teaching our guys how to be competitive but not be silly."
Getting the message across to the young guys on Jax State's roster is made much easier with what Rodriguez calls a "great group" of seniors wearing a Jax State uniform in 2023. The 11-member senior class is a mix of players that have been in the program for all of their careers and players that have transferred to Jax State to finish their careers.
The common denominator in those 11 players is something that Rodriguez has eluded to many times since taking over the Gamecocks before the 2022 season – a love for football. He expects them to be crucial in Jax State's success in 2023.
"We have 11 seniors and it is a great group," Rodriguez said. "A lot of those guys have been around for a long, long time. Some of them have been here six, even seven years and football is important to them. Every team needs to have a great senior class, no matter if it is 10 guys or 20 guys. We have 11 guys and I really think that they do all of the right things and will provide great leadership this year."
Part of that senior class is a player that has made an immediate impact since joining the team prior to fall camp.
Linebacker Quae Drake transferred to Jax State from ULM, where he spent the past two seasons as one of the Warhawks' top defensive players. In a short amount of time in Jacksonville, he's already emerged as one of the players that Rodriguez has identified as a leader.
"I first met Quae when I was down at Monroe and he was one of our best defensive players there," Rodriguez said. "We were hoping at some point that he would come back home. He's a really good player, but he's an even better person. He's already a leader and has a lot of captain qualities about him. I'm just tickled to death that he's finishing up here, and he seems very happy, too."
When asked about his transition, Drake confirmed Rodriguez's assessments of him. He also attributed his time with Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Zac Alley (ULM's defensive coordinator in 2021) in Monroe to his comfort level in Jacksonville, which is less than 70 miles from his hometown of Wadley, Ala.
"I'm just comfortable," Drake added. "I'm comfortable around (the coaches) and I'm comfortable around the payers. They make me feel like I'm at home and that has made this transition very easy. I played in Coach Alley's defense (at ULM), so that has made coming here very easy for me, especially on the field, where we have to be able to play fast and play comfortably."
Drake is taking his leadership role on his new team seriously, especially since he is one of Jax State's most experienced players at the collegiate level. He redshirted in 2018 and played the 2019 season at Kennesaw State before spending the spring of 2021 as an All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference player at Butler Community College in Kansas. He transferred to ULM prior to the fall of 2021 and comes to the Gamecocks with 37 Division I games under his belt – 24 at the FBS level.
"I try to come out here and teach these guys some of the things that I may have already seen that the young guys may not be able to catch on," Drake said. "I've played a lot of football and seen a lot, so I'm just trying to translate that, teach these guys what I know and help them as much as possible."
Drake sees progress from his team and the Jax State defense after just three days of practice. He, like his head coach, knows that you can't stand pat and that the Gamecocks must continue to work to get better before the season starts against UTEP on Aug. 26.
"I feel like the defense and the team as a whole are getting better," Drake said. "We're adjusting to the heat and just trying to come out here and make ourselves better."
Jax State will open its season on August 26 at home against UTEP, which will also be the Gamecocks' first conference game in Conference USA. It will be the first of six home games in 2023 and will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. For season tickets, visit JaxStateSports.com/Tickets or call the Athletics Ticket Office at (256) 782-8499.