Scott Shafer kept his press conference short. The media only asked three questions before the Syracuse head coach hurried over to the fans waiting to meet him and get his autograph.

So far, Shafer said the community’s support has been tremendous. On Friday he got a chance to give something back to the nearly 2,500 fans in attendance. After watching a full practice with pads, hitting and lots of action, they then got to meet and greet the players and coaches.

Fans filled a chunk of bleachers and also lined the fence surrounding the practice field.

“Great turnout,” Shafer said. “We just appreciate the fans so much.”

Another benefit for Shafer was that he felt his players were more focused and driven while playing in front of a crowd. Along with the fact that it was the first practice with full contact, Shafer credited the team’s intensity to the fans.

“Looking over at the fans I think motivated the kids to push through what was a tough practice,” Shafer said.

So after his pithy interview, Shafer walked to the adjacent field. His players were already there, sitting down at long tables and getting their Sharpies ready.

Eager fans flocked around the field, lining up one-by-one to get their favorite players’ John Hancock. Shafer said Fanfest was the team’s first chance this year to connect to the fans.

“Everybody’s been so great in the community, and I really appreciate them,” Shafer said. “I really do.”

Published on August 10, 2013 at 3:08 am

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass