SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The San Antonio Commanders’ inaugural season is now officially underway.
The Commanders opened training camp this afternoon, hosting their first-ever practice at Central Catholic High School. Players practiced for the first time in uniform, wearing helmets and jerseys but no pads as of yet. Head coach Mike Riley was pleased with what he saw.
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“These guys are really fired up to continue their playing career,” Riley said. “We’re regulated by what they can wear right now and it’s smart to start them out without full gear. It’s easy to get them back into it this way. You just have to be careful and keep reminding them that they don’t have gear on. We have to be very smart when we practice against each other and you have to be a pro. You’ve got to learn how to practice in shorts so you can get some repetition without all the big hitting all the time.”
“It’s a good start,” said quarterback Dustin Vaughn. “I’m going to have to get used to guys, but it's great for a receiver and quarterback. We were able to do some installs in minicamp, and to be able to come out here and do it again, I think we’re off to a good start. Again, all we’re doing is building from the process that we’ve doing thus far.”
The inaugural practice also had a special guest stop by — San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. He was excited by the prospects that the Commanders bring to the San Antonio area.
“We are ready,” Nirenberg said. “We are excited for some football here in San Antonio, spring football. These are some really passionate players who know their way around. It’s going to be serious football for serious fans in a burgeoning league with instant credibility. Hall of Famers from the NFL are organizing this league, coaching the players on the field, and we’re excited to see some real football.”
The Commanders will return to practice tomorrow. San Antonio will open the season a little over a month from now on Feb. 9.