Syracuse Football Enlists, Holding Pratice At Fort Drum August 12-18

The 2012 Syracuse Orange football team might not be characters in a sports movie about a group of scrappy underdogs who, due to their unorthodox methods of training, overcome the odds and obstacles to become champions, but Doug Marrone is doing his damnedest to follow those scripts this preseason.

First, Marrone closed off spring practice to the fans and media. An unconventional move that Ed "Straight Arrow" Genero would have appreciated. And just as Straight Arrow toughened his team up by making them practice against a team full of prison convicts (which included Jim Kelly, obviously), Marrone is going to put his team up against a group far tougher than football players...the United States Army.

Head coach Doug Marrone is planning to take the Syracuse University football team north for a week of preseason training. The team, which opens practice for the 2012 season Aug. 6, will spend a week practicing at U.S. Army base Fort Drum, outside of Watertown, according to a release from the university.

Working with the 10th Mountain Division, the Orange will incorporate elements of military training into its daily preseason camp schedule.

The team will travel to Ft. Drum on August 12th, stay in the barracks, practice on Sligh Field and then end the week with a scrimmage played in front of 10th Mountain Division Soldiers and their families.

Pretty cool experience for everyone and it gives us the opportunities to see more photos of Syracuse football players pointing guns at our faces, which is always fun.