http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2014/08/syracuse_football_fort_drum_1.html
Fort Drum, N.Y. — At the end of their morning training session, the Syracuse football players and Fort Drum military members circled up and cheered raucously inside the ballroom of the community activity center.
For most of the four days the Orange will spend in Fort Drum, it will be learning from military personnel. But during the physical training session on Tuesday, SU strength and conditioning coach Will Hicks flipped the script.
"Part of the reasoning behind Coach Shafer wanting us to be here is the interaction," Hicks said. "We have a military interaction every day The next two days we're kind of going to do stuff on their terms, so today we did a little something on our terms.
Hicks led an intimate warm-up stretching routine and light abdominal workout, shouting out commands as he walked through about two dozen rows of participants. Before each new drill, a Syracuse player would demonstrate and the other players and military personnel alike would cheer and clap.
As the routine moved forward, Hicks adjusted forms and provided pointers to a number of the soldiers.
"Great form. You could be a tight end," he quipped at one.
Syracuse senior linebacker Dyshawn Davis said he felt the two groups bond during the activity. After the session was over, one of the military members joked around with him about who had better form in a couple of the drills.
"It was funny seeing the guys adjust to our workout," Davis said."They looked pretty funny trying to do combo and tight knees, seeing how tight their hips are."
But Davis was quick to note that if he had a 60-pound pack strapped to his back and was set for a seven-mile run, the tables would certainly be turned.
All in all, the atmosphere heading out of the first activity of Fort Drum week was upbeat.
Syracuse will hold its first practice of the trip Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
