Football opens spring practice Wednesday

BULLDOGS BEGIN SPRING PRACTICES ON WEDNESDAY 

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Coming off its sixth seven-win season in the last seven years, the Bryant University football team begins preparations for its first season as a full Division I member this fall on Wednesday with the first spring workout at Bulldog Stadium.

Led by ninth-year head coach Marty Fine, the Bulldogs have 14 scheduled practices over the next four weeks, culminating with the annual Black and Gold Spring Football Game on Saturday, April 21 at 1:00 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.

Bryant will welcome 10 starters back in 2012, including Northeast Conference Offensive Player of the Year Jordan Brown (Glastonbury, Conn.). Brown led the country in rushing last fall with 1,815 yards and finished ninth in Walter Payton Award voting. He'll be joined on offense by electric wide receiver Jordan Harris (Lincoln, University, Pa.), a first team all-conference selection last year. In just his second season with the Black and Gold, Harris set a program records in receiving yards (959) and touchdown receptions (9). He finished his sophomore season with a touchdown grab in each of the last eight games.

On defense, the Bulldogs return three juniors in their secondary in Jeremy Woodson (Houston, Texas), Michael Johnson (New Market, Md.) and Max Machado (Berekeley Heights, N.J.). Woodson was a Second Team All-NEC selection last fall, Johnson broke up nine passes and Machado finished third on the team with 77 tackles and led the team in interceptions with three.

Be sure to stay tuned to bryantbulldogs.com for in-depth coverage of the spring season.