University of Houston Athletics
Camp 2006 Opens For The Cougars
8/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 3, 2006
Houston, Texas - The University of Houston football team kicked off the fourth year of the Art Briles' era with its first practice in anticipation of the 2006 campaign. Under typical August conditions in Houston--hot and humid--the Cougars worked out for over two hours on the UH practice fields.
With over 100 student-athletes in camp, including 17 returning starters and 43 lettermen, Briles and his staff were eager to get fall camp rolling.
"Every time you start this time of year, everyone is full of anticipation and excitement, and we're certainly no different," Briles said. "The thing I'm proud about of our team is that I know (this team) as individuals, and they know us as coaches. We have pretty good feel on how we can gauge each other as the season begins."
As mentioned, the Cougars return 17 starters from last season's Fort Worth Bowl team, including 10 on defense and seven from Conference USA's No. 1 offense in 2005. Leading the Cougar offense again this season is senior quarterback Kevin Kolb, the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and a formidable Heisman Trophy candidate this fall.
"(Kevin's) had a really good career so far," Briles commented about his four-year starting quarterback. "There are some things that are left undone that (Kevin) knows we have to do as a team and a program, and he's going to do a great job in leading us to those loftier goals this season."
The Cougars return to the practice field tomorrow morning, a switch from earlier schedules that had work outs in the afternoon. Houston will do the same on Saturday as well.
Houston opens the 2006 season by traveling to "The Village" to face arch-rival Rice in the battle for the Bayou Bucket on September 2.
---www.KolbHeismanWatch.com---
