Chancellor's Cookout Held before Practice
8/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Liberty University hosted its fourth annual Chancellor's Cookout, Thursday evening, inside Williams Stadium. The new student body was served a meal and was able to watch one of the final workouts of Liberty's 2011 Football Training Camp.
Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr., officially welcomed Liberty's newest freshmen class, treating them to dinner on the grounds at the stadium. The freshmen have ruled the campus the past few days, as returning students will hit Liberty Mountain this weekend before classes begin on Monday.
During the annual cookout event, Chancellor Falwell welcomed the fresh faces to Liberty's campus and talked with them about the importance of athletics to the overall collegiate experience.
The remaining amount of time before the two-hour workout was spent teaching the new faces to Lynchburg how to be a Liberty Flames football fan, as Liberty Athletics instructed the freshmen on the Flames game day traditions.
Toward the end of the event, which included segments featuring Liberty's cheerleaders and the Spirit of the Mountain marching band, head football coach Danny Rocco addressed the crowd.
The three-time national coach of the year thanked the freshmen for attending and told them how important it was to support their fellow students by attending each home game. Following Rocco's address, Alan York, the evening's emcee and the radio "Voice of the Flames," introduced the freshmen football players to their fellow student body members.
The final segment on the evening's schedule allowed the freshmen to experience the culmination of Liberty pregame routine – the team's entrance to the field. Similar to home game days, the Flames burst onto the turf, taking to the field with enthusiasm just like they will on Sept. 10 for Liberty's home opener against Robert Morris.
During today's post practice recap, York had a chance to talk with junior Brent Vinson. Last year, the defensive back split time between safety and Liberty's "adjuster" position, with Vinson slated to return to the hybrid linebacker/defensive back slot in 2011.
Vinson finished 2010 with 25 tackles and returned an interception for 21 yards against Charleston Southern. He led Liberty with five pass breakups and tied for the team lead with six passes deflected.
Vinson and the Flames held their second practice this week that focused heavily on third-down plays and red zone situations. Liberty has two practices remaining before year's training camp and regular classes begin.
Tomorrow, Liberty will hold a practice that will have a very strong special teams emphasis during the afternoon, while Saturday morning's practice will give the Flames one last opportunity to scrimmage.
