There’s nothing easy about a football training camp. And when you’re two-and-a-half weeks in, you have to start digging deep.
“We are truly in the grind,” said Towson head coach Rob Ambrose. “When your body is sore and you have fight your body to make your mind work to make your body work, that’s the grind. And we are truly in it.”
The Towson Tigers are embracing that grind as they try to rebound from a 4-and-7 2016 season. One of the reasons they’re confident they can do just that. The return of a healthy Morgan Mahalak.
“Morgan’s got a much greater understanding of what we’re trying to get done offensively,” added Ambrose.
The starting quarterback returns for his second season running the Tigers offense. The redshirt junior transfer from University of Oregon broke his collarbone in the second game of last year. Without him Towson dropped six consecutive games. When he came back he led the Tigers to three straight wins to end 2016.
“I’m happy to be healthy now,” said Mahalak. “That’s the first major injury I’ve ever sustained. Not being out there with the guys was really tough. But, we finished the season well and just hoping to carry that momentum into this year.”
“As it showed last year, when we had him we won and when we didn’t have him we lost,” said running back Shane Simpson. “So, definitely having him will help our season turn around.”
But it’s going to take more than talk for a turnaround. Towson is predicted to finish tenth in the 12-team Colonial Athletic Association. They have more than their fair share to prove to their critics. They say they’re up for the challenge.
“It’s not something we talk about every day. Oh, but we understand how we are currently perceived and there’s isn’t a guy in that locker room that doesn’t have some great degree of pride that just doesn’t like it. That usually bodes well for us,” said Ambrose with a smile.
Only two more Saturdays remain before the Tigers kickoff the 2017 season. Game number one brings the Battle for Greater Baltimore, against Morgan State, at Unitas Stadium on September 2.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerABC2 and Facebook
