Pesky pellets pester players

FLORENCE - As they remove their pads after practice, North Alabama football players can now be seen emptying their cleats.

"I have to empty them out of my shoes every day," wide receiver Robbie Burdine said.

Burdine is talking about the little rubber graules that lie within the university's new ProGrass synthetic turf practice field.

"They get stuck on your arms, legs and in your pants," Burdine said. "It takes a while to get all of them off of you."

Removing the granules may be a little annoying, but the players said they don't mind because the renovated practice field has made practices a much better experience for everyone this fall.

UNA now has two 70-yard practice fields where it used to have just one regulation size field. Lights have been installed, and the team has taken advantage of them.

"It's nice to have the two fields," Burdine said. "We have a lot more room and can get more done. It's great practicing at night when it is cooler. It's also nice not having any potholes or divots that might make you fall."

Playing on the new turf was a bit of an adjustment at first, but the players said they like the new surface.

"It's a fast track, which I really like," linebacker Michael Johnson said. "Now, when the weather is bad, we can still go out and practice. It gets a little hot, but that's no big deal. Overall, we're really enjoying it."

Burdine said there are pros and cons to the new playing surface.

"You can cut a little better on grass, although I've gotten used to the new turf," he said. "It's also a little hotter on the turf. Some days you feel like your feet are on fire.

"But those are really the only negatives. There are a lot of positives, especially having so much more room. I wasn't sure what to expect at first, but we're to the point now where I don't even think about it being artificial turf."

As much as the players like the new field, coach Mark Hudspeth likes it even more.

"No one in the country has a better looking facility," Hudspeth said. "Being able to go out and practice after a hard rain is a great advantage for us. We also have so much more room, and are not all bunched up like we were before. It has been a great addition to our program."

The total cost of the renovation will be around $1.25 million. The field also is the new home for the UNA soccer team.

UNA athletic director Mark Linder said he is pleased with the project.

"It is a great facility for our football team and also a first-class field for our soccer team," Linder said. "Lightning is about the only thing that can keep our teams off the field now."

Work continues on the three-lane track and the new road and parking lot. A scoreboard and bleachers for soccer will also be added.

Linder said the artificial turf should last for several years.

"It has an eight-year warranty, and the life range is usually 10 to 12 years," said Linder, who estimated that the total project should be complete within about three weeks.

According to Linder, field maintenance consists of simply sweeping it with a tractor to smooth out those pesky rubber pellets.

Jeff McIntyre can be reached at 740-5737 or jeff.mcintyre@timesdaily.com.