University of Houston Athletics
Football Continues Preps for Fort Worth Bowl
12/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 21, 2005
FORT WORTH, Texas - The University of Houston football team continued preparations for Friday's Fort Worth Bowl with a rigorous workout under nearly perfect weather conditions Wednesday afternoon.
A day after working out in wet weather with temperatures that dipped into the mid-40s on Tuesday, the Cougars practiced for about 90 minutes at Saginaw High School under clear skies and mild temperatures.
The Cougars meet Big 12 Conference opponent Kansas during the Fort Worth Bowl at 7 p.m., Friday, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The game can be heard live on KTRH 740 AM with the pregame show slated to start at 6 p.m. Tom Franklin will call the play-by-play action and is joined in the booth by color analyst Tony Fitzpatrick. Chuck Brown serves as the roving sideline reporter.
In addition, the game will be televised live nationally on ESPN. Gary Thorne will call the action with Ed Cunningham serving as the color analyst and Dr. Jerry Punch on the sidelines.
This marks the second time in the last three years that the Cougars have competed in a bowl game. With a trip to the 2003 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl, these UH players have become the first since 1980-81 to play at least two bowl games in a three-year span.
Following a mid-morning breakfast, the Cougars headed to Saginaw High for their only practice of the day. It was the team's final full workout before facing the Jayhawks on Friday. On Friday afternoon, the team will venture to Amon G. Carter Stadium for the first time for a walk-through.
From there, several players headed to Cook Children's Hospital where they met and talked with several of the young patients. As impressive as the players have been on the field throughout the 2005 season, those Cougars who went to the hospital were equally admirable in bringing smiles and some excitement to the children at the hospital.
Quarterback Kevin Kolb, linebacker Lance Everson, wide receivers Kendal Briles and Vincent Marshall and linebacker Tristen Robertson signed posters, handed out miniature foam footballs and passed out other toys to several children for more than an hour.
Five players from Kansas also took part in the day's activity at the hospital and teamed up with the Cougars for several photos with the patients.
After returning to the team hotel, the Cougars took a couple of hours off and then walked to Reata's for their team dinner. While players, coaches and staff had a choice between beef and chicken, the tenderloin appeared to be an overwhelming favorite.
Following dinner, Briles and several players, including Kolb, Marshall, senior running back Ryan Gilbert, senior defensive tackle Marquay Love and senior defensive end Kade Lane, did taped interviews with ESPN's Cunningham and Punch for Friday's broadcast.
Other players enjoyed the nearby players' hospitality suite where they played cards, dominoes, watched the GMAC Bowl which featured fellow Conference USA team UTEP or played football on various Sony Playstation2 or Xbox systems until their midnight curfew.
