Memphis Showboats begin training camp with regular season just over 3 weeks away

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The Memphis Showboats, the 901′s newest professional sports team, hit the field at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Tuesday for the start of USFL training camp.

“I’m really excited, I know our coaching staff is really excited and I know the players are excited,” said Showboats head coach Todd Haley. “We’re excited to have the great fans of Memphis come out here and get behind us, and then it’s on us to put a good product out there and win a bunch of games.”

Training camp is about getting acclimated, and some players have a little head start there, such as former University of Memphis quarterback Brady White.

“Very comfortable man, this is my home turf,” said White of returning to his college stadium. “I call this my living room, so yeah this is my house right here and spent a lot of time here. So, feels really good to be back.”

White isn’t the only one on the team with 901 roots though. Defensive back Antonio Reed grew up in South Memphis and played high school ball at Southaven.

“Coming out of college, I never thought I would be in this position,” Reed said. “But now where I am, I’m pretty excited to be here and bring football back here, like I said.”

No matter who you talk to around this team, there’s a word that starts with an “H” everyone uses to describe it.

“Man it’s a lot of hunger,” Reed explained. “You can kind of feel it every day in the locker room. The guys that get there first gonna be the same guys, the guys that get there last gonna be the same guys.

“I feel like those guys that want it more are more hungry, but you can feel that during practice, in the locker room and during the game, you just kind of know who those guys are.”

“It makes it fun to coach,” said Haley. “You know because it’s going to come back to all these guys they believe that they have a chance to make the team first and foremost. Then ultimately be a starter or have a big role in what we do.”

Kickoff against the Philadelphia Stars and the return of pro football in Memphis is just 25 days away, on April 15.

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