Jacksonville State Football holds annual media day ahead of Fall camp

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The Jacksonville State Football team will open camp on Wednesday as the favorites to win the Ohio Valley Conference, something the team has done the past five years straight. The Gamecocks will open the 2019 campaign on August 29th at home against Southeastern Louisiana. 2018 was a year to remember for former Austin Black Bear Josh Pearson after being named an all-american, and he’s more than ready to get back out there on the field. “Finally glad that football is back. Everybody loves basketball and baseball but football excitement is totally different and I’m glad it’s here,” said Pearson. “Get to see what our team can do this year, we have high expectations and so hopefully we get to live up to our mean, you know so first day of camp tomorrow we gonna go in and try to set the intensity high and just get better and grow.”

Since 2014, Jacksonville State has absolutely dominated its competition in the OVC going 39-1 in conference play, but the team took a tough 55-27 loss to Maine in the second round of the 2018 FCS Playoffs. The veterans on this team are ready to put the loss behind them, and focus on a new year. “Every person on this team reminds that like go back on that game and say we should’ve never lost,” said starting quarterback Zerrick Cooper. “I mean right now we can’t really dwell on the past, we gotta move forward.” “We can’t live off being a five time OVC Champion it’s a whole new season,” added Josh Pearson. “We don’t care about last year we have to put it in the past and get better for this year. We’re not gonna underestimate any of our opponents, we gonna take it one game at a time, day by day week by week and just get better.”