JACKSONVILLE – After three weeks of preseason workouts, the Jacksonville State football players got some revenge on head football coach Jack Crowe on Friday.
 
As the team finished stretching for what they thought was an afternoon practice, Crowe summoned the team just outside the stadium, where he surprised the team with a chance to soak the “Dean” of the Ohio Valley Conference coaches as he climbed into a dunking booth.
 
Crowe gave quarterbacks Marques Ivory and Coty Blanchard each three chances to dunk him, and Blanchard threw a perfect strike on his second attempt to trigger the booth and send Crowe into a tank full of cold water as the Gamecock players cheered outside the dunking booth.
 
Crowe said he wanted to give the team a break from the preseason workouts and he called it a “recharge day”.
 
“Today is recharge day,” said Crowe. “I've been measuring these guys in a lot of ways in assignments, techniques, missed tackles and yards gained. The truest measurement of a football team is their heart and we've tested their heart.”
 
Crowe said he wasn't expecting to get dunked, but he didn't expect the team members to elect Coty to be giving the ball.
 
“I didn't expect to get dunked in that position, but I didn't expect Coty to end up with the ball,” said Crowe.  “Coty got me, but I will get him back...I'm real happy that Coty is part of this football team. The next time I'll make sure he doesn't end up with the ball.”
 
The Gamecocks will hold a simulated game day practice on Saturday in preparation for the Sept. 1 season opener at Arkansas. A limited number of tickets remain for the Arkansas season opener through the Jacksonville State Athletic Ticket Office, while JSU single-game tickets are now available for purchase at JSUGamecockSports.com.