Lions hit field for first football practice
· Yahoo Sports
Energy and enthusiasm were the order of the day at Fred G. Hughes Stadium Wednesday as the Missouri Southern State University football team gathered for its first official practice of the 2026 season.
“The first of anything is exciting,” head coach Atiba Bradley said. “Every season has its own baby — its own challenge, its own entity, so I’m excited about opening it up. I’m excited to get it started. I didn’t get into coaching to sit behind a desk from 9 to 5. Being able to come out on the field and be in my element — this is what gets us going, and this is why we work so hard.”
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Southern defensive back Peyton McKee talked about his emotions heading into the first day of practice.
“It’s just a nostalgic feeling of being around football again,” McKee said. “I just love to play the game, love to be around my brothers and I’m just excited to get the season going.”
Wide receiver David Bethune also shared his thoughts about the first day of practice.
“It’s just all the excitement,” Bethune said. “We’re just ready to display everything we put in all summer — all the things we talked about, all the things we’ve been putting in each and every day the past three months, like waking up early every morning. Just putting that on the field, just playing and knowing why we went through the hardship that we did.”
MSSU finished 3-8 last season, with five of its losses being one-possession games.
This year’s team mantra is all about being comfortable in those uncomfortable situations, but Bradley said he’d also like to stress avoiding those situations in the first place.
“Can we do things earlier in the game to not be in this panic and fight-or-flight mode? Can we do some things? Can we be more efficient? Can we be more disciplined? Can we execute at a higher level in quarters one through three?”
Bradley talked about what he looks for in his players on the first day of practice.
“Retention,” Bradley said. “Like, how much information was retained from the spring, the summer, to day one. I know how much they can bench, I know how much they can squat, but that doesn’t always correlate to them being the best football player. I want to know who got stronger, who got faster, but also who got smarter.”
Bradley also talked about a slightly different vibe heading into this year’s first practice.
“No disrespect to the leaders or guys who came before them, but this is a hungry group,” Bradley said. “Dave Bethune, Peyton McKee and Riley Hammons — these are guys that have been in the program four or five years. It means something to them. We’ve had that in the past, but I don’t think the guys in the past have done a great enough job explaining and expressing to the rest of the team how important it is to them.’
Bradley also talked about how to manage the energy and enthusiasm on the first day of practice for a hungry team.
“You want that horse that wants to just get out and run. Let that energy flow,” Bradley said. “Then, when we get closer and closer to game time, we start to funnel it, we start to channel it, and we try to focus it. Right now, it’s just all guns a-blazing.”
The Lions open their 2026 campaign Aug. 29 in Wichita Falls, Texas, against Midwestern State University.