Jayson Foster audio
GSU senior Jayson Foster talks about the upcoming season. For Jayson Foster, Sept. 8 can’t get here soon enough.
That’s when Georgia Southern will officially commence the 2007 season, the senior standout’s final year with the Eagles.
“I’m ready to play right now,” Foster said at this week’s annual Southern Conference football rouser in Greenville, S.C. Eagles fans are equally anxious to see him compete, and first-year GSU coach Chris Hatcher said finding the best position for Foster is a priority.
Hatcher isn’t exactly sure how he’ll use one of the fastest and most feared players in the league, and the evaluating process will begin when fall camp starts Aug. 6. Foster could see time at running back, receiver, quarterback and return specialist.
“We’ve got to make sure we get him the ball,” Hatcher said.
Foster played everywhere in 2004 when he became only player in GSU history to account for a touchdown five different ways — rushing, passing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return — an achievement that earned him league freshman of the year honors.
He was the Eagles’ starting quarterback as a sophomore and was the only player in the Football Championship Subdivision to rush for a touchdown in all 12 games. That year he gained more than 2,300 yards of total offense, roughly 41 percent of the team’s total. He rushed for 1,481 yards, third-most by a quarterback in FCS history.
Despite limited playing time last season, when GSU switched from its notorious triple-option to a pro-style set and Foster moved to receiver, he finished with a team-high 1,287 all-purpose yards.
As for this year, he said he doesn’t care where he lines up.
“As long as we score some points,” said Foster, a preseason All-SoCon First-Team selection at receiver. “I think Coach Hatcher is going to do a good job moving me and other players around to see what’s the best fit for everyone.”
Foster would like to do everything possible to help the Eagles bounce back from last season’s 3-8 debacle, a dreadful year he doesn’t think about often.
“We are always going to remember our record, and of course you don’t want to have a season like that,” he said. “But we are really looking forward to this year. Last year is gone, and we just don’t want to have another 3-8 season. Right now everyone’s record is 0-0. Hopefully we can get 15 wins.”
Foster thinks the biggest question mark this year will be the offense as a unit and whether or not it will be able to score and keep up with the defense. The Hatch Attack, Hatcher’s signature pass-oriented offense, will be team’s third offense in three seasons, and the new coach made the transition easier for the players by trimming down the playbook and making things as simple as possible. Hatcher will expand the offense as fall camp and the season progresses.
“We got a chance to start over in the spring and got a new system in, so I wouldn’t even call him a new coach anymore,” Foster said. “He’s been there for us, and he’s ready to get into his first camp.”
The majority of the team has been present for voluntary workouts this summer, and Foster is more than eager to get fall practice underway.
“It’s a lot of excitement,” he said. “Everyone is starting from a clean slate, so you get a chance to prove yourself and make your way into the game. Coach Hatcher said he’s going to play the best players, so we should have a pretty exciting camp.”
That’s when Georgia Southern will officially commence the 2007 season, the senior standout’s final year with the Eagles.
“I’m ready to play right now,” Foster said at this week’s annual Southern Conference football rouser in Greenville, S.C. Eagles fans are equally anxious to see him compete, and first-year GSU coach Chris Hatcher said finding the best position for Foster is a priority.
Hatcher isn’t exactly sure how he’ll use one of the fastest and most feared players in the league, and the evaluating process will begin when fall camp starts Aug. 6. Foster could see time at running back, receiver, quarterback and return specialist.
“We’ve got to make sure we get him the ball,” Hatcher said.
Foster played everywhere in 2004 when he became only player in GSU history to account for a touchdown five different ways — rushing, passing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return — an achievement that earned him league freshman of the year honors.
He was the Eagles’ starting quarterback as a sophomore and was the only player in the Football Championship Subdivision to rush for a touchdown in all 12 games. That year he gained more than 2,300 yards of total offense, roughly 41 percent of the team’s total. He rushed for 1,481 yards, third-most by a quarterback in FCS history.
Despite limited playing time last season, when GSU switched from its notorious triple-option to a pro-style set and Foster moved to receiver, he finished with a team-high 1,287 all-purpose yards.
As for this year, he said he doesn’t care where he lines up.
“As long as we score some points,” said Foster, a preseason All-SoCon First-Team selection at receiver. “I think Coach Hatcher is going to do a good job moving me and other players around to see what’s the best fit for everyone.”
Foster would like to do everything possible to help the Eagles bounce back from last season’s 3-8 debacle, a dreadful year he doesn’t think about often.
“We are always going to remember our record, and of course you don’t want to have a season like that,” he said. “But we are really looking forward to this year. Last year is gone, and we just don’t want to have another 3-8 season. Right now everyone’s record is 0-0. Hopefully we can get 15 wins.”
Foster thinks the biggest question mark this year will be the offense as a unit and whether or not it will be able to score and keep up with the defense. The Hatch Attack, Hatcher’s signature pass-oriented offense, will be team’s third offense in three seasons, and the new coach made the transition easier for the players by trimming down the playbook and making things as simple as possible. Hatcher will expand the offense as fall camp and the season progresses.
“We got a chance to start over in the spring and got a new system in, so I wouldn’t even call him a new coach anymore,” Foster said. “He’s been there for us, and he’s ready to get into his first camp.”
The majority of the team has been present for voluntary workouts this summer, and Foster is more than eager to get fall practice underway.
“It’s a lot of excitement,” he said. “Everyone is starting from a clean slate, so you get a chance to prove yourself and make your way into the game. Coach Hatcher said he’s going to play the best players, so we should have a pretty exciting camp.”
