One of the many Georgia Southern football traditions since coach Erk Russell resurrected the program will soon be gone.

Coach Russell ironically named the drainage area around the Eagle’s practice facility off Tillman Rd. A proper bridge was built in 1997 under then head coach Paul Johnson and the tradition has continued even though the practice fields aren’t used much since the Tippens facility was built. Recently it was announced that the practice field will be gone as a development will begin in the next year or two.

Tuesday afternoon the Eagles walked across the bridge for what could be the final year of the tradition as they competed in full pads for the first time this preseason.

“This is a special year as we celebrate our football founder Erk Russell’s 100th birthday,” said coach Clay Helton. “To go over to eagle Creek today to celebrate that foundation and what is a pillar of our program was very special. You can feel coach Russell’s presence out there in everything we did. Putting the team before yourself and being united started with him.”

Helton was able to sit the newcomers down and explain to them the importance of Eagle Creek and the traditions started by coach Russell. Josh Dallas has made the walk across Eagle Creek numerous times but admits there is something even more special as he will be doing it for the last time this season.

“We have all been counting the days until we were able to cross the bridge and to honor coach Russell,” Dallas said. “Everything that coach Russell started is the foundation for our program. Coach Helton talks about him almost every day and I think it can be found in our culture of TDU which is toughness and united. With over 40 newcomers it is a race to try and install our culture and this walk to Eagle Creek is definitely one of them they need to learn.”

Helton has said for a variety of reasons the Eagles plan on making more practices then usual over at Beautiful Eagle Creek this year.

“It gives us a chance to honor our program but it also a great opportunity to get outside your comfort zone,” Helton said. “We practice at the Tippens Facility and Paulson Stadium but when you go to an away game you are going to a different setting. To be able to change the setting and ride the yellow buses over there for a physical practice is something we have done before but plan on doing a little more this season.”

In addition to holding the practice at Eagle Creek it was also the first day in full pads for the Eagles and Helton was impressed by what he saw.

“What stood out to me was how fast and violent they played,” Helton said. “The name of this game is speed and violence and I think this is going to be a physical football team with a lot of team speed. I thought the offensive line and defensive line led the way in the trenches. It was a short yardage, tight red-zone type of day and we even made the quarterback live a little bit. We do need to pick up our assignments a little and I hope we learn more at our scrimmage Saturday.”

The Eagles will scrimmage Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Prior to that they will hold fan day at Paulson Stadium beginning at 3:30. A full rundown of events can be seen at gseagles.com