Postcards From Atlanta - Day 2: Practice At The Georgia Dome
12/27/2002 7:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 26, 2002
Today's Terp Tidbit: The Terps won their only game on artificial turf this season, beating West Virginia, 48-17 on Oct. 5. The game at the Georgia Dome will signifiy the team's first game on artificial turf at a site other than West Virginia since beating Temple at Franklin Field in the first game of the 1999 season.
By Jason Yellin
Maryland Media Relations
ATLANTA, Ga. - Time to hit the field, the game field that is.
The Terps had their first practice in the Georgia Dome on Wednesday in preparation for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl next Tuesday night on New Year's Eve.
The players received their wake-up calls at 9 a.m. and had breakfast for the next hour before heading to positional meetings.
The scout team departed for the dome first at 10:30 a.m. and was followed by the "dress squad" of 64 players at 11 a.m. A total of 103 players are part of the official team travel party including several injured players.
Among the players sitting out the bowl due to injury are C.J. Feldheim, Chad Killian, Orlando Evans and Akil Patterson, who is out with mono.
Once the team got to the dome, it was time for the official team picture in the stands of the Georgia Dome. Each player will receive a commemorative plaque with the picture as one the souvenirs from the trip.
The Terps wore their red jerseys, as they will be the home team for the game, with special Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl patches on their shoulders.
After a quick change of gear, it was time for a full practice on the artificial turf of the Georgia Dome. The team was outfitted with turf shoes -- which are similar to basketball sneakers, but with more grip on the bottom.
The Terps have only played one game on artificial turf over the last two seasons, when they beat West Virginia, 48-17, on Oct. 5, this past season.
Practice ran until 2:10 p.m., and was followed by interviews with the media.
After practice, the Terps' dress squad headed to Georgia Tech for weightlifting at the Yellow Jackets facility.
The evening was a fun one for the team as they headed to ESPN Zone in Buckhead for the Official ACC Welcome Party. The players had full control of the arcade playing unlimited games and activites at the Zone.
The team returned to the hotel around 8 p.m. and enjoyed a pleasant night in the city of Atlanta.
