The tradition continued Monday morning as after finishing practice seniors from the Georgia Southern football team had their annual “baptism” in Beautiful Eagle Creek to commemorate the start of their senior seasons.

“I don’t know if there is any other place that does anything like this,” said Eagle senior running back Logan Wright. “It’s a one in a kind experience. I don’t know how many schools out there have a creek like this, but it is truly special.”

“It made it more special because it makes me think about all the players who came before me and how they loved it,” said Wright. “I was never able to get in because I wasn’t a senior but now I can and I feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself, and pau homage to those who came before me.”

After missing the preseason tradition last year due to COVID precautions Eagle head coach Chad Lunsford joined this year’s 26 seniors along with the new coaching staff by wading into the waist-high water of Eagle Creek.

“I just feel like it’s different than anything else in the country,” said Lunsford. “When you start talking about our yellow school buses and then you talk about coming out here to Eagle Creek and getting our seniors in there during camp and paying tribute to our seniors and to those who came before us.”

“Establishing that we are going to continue this tradition for years to come is special,” said Lunsford. “It’s about establishing tradition and then building on it. I know some people may think it’s dumb or stupid, but they don’t get to do this, we do.”

The Eagles wrap up practice this week with a scrimmage at Paulson Stadium beginning at 9:30. The scrimmage is free to attend and is open to the public.