James Stovall feels much better now.
He's looked that way, too.
The receiver position has become a dog-eat-dog one for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, with as many as nine players capable of making plays when called upon. There isn't time for a receiver to be lackadaisical or off his game from time to time, because there are too many other players ready to step in and take his place.
That helped Tuesday morning as the Mocs went through their second practice of preseason camp. Even with the 6:30 a.m. start time, the intensity was high on both sides of the ball, but notably at the position where the margin for error was the least. Every little detail matters.
Wide receiver James Stovall watches during the first day of football practice for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015, in Chattanooga.
Coach Russ Huesman watches his team during the first day of football practice for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015, in Chattanooga."You better be motivated at 6:30, because somebody is trying to take your job," receivers coach Will Healy said. "That's something we haven't had a ton of in the past, and those guys have responded well."
Two days into camp, Stovall has looked more like the player the Mocs landed twice. The Bradley Central High School standout committed to UTC in the fall of 2012 but ended up signing with Navy. After a season there, he chose to move home, closer to family, but dealt with some nagging injuries that slowed him last season.
"He's had two good days," Healy said. "I think the key with him is confidence, and he's got to stay healthy. Everything can change when you start adding on, but he's had two really good days."
So far, camp has gone well for the Mocs. They showed no signs of slowing down Tuesday, even after the quick turnaround. The first two practices have been in shorts and helmets, but the team will practice this morning at 7:45 in shoulder pads.
The first practice in full pads will be Friday.
"It's early, and you're installing things so you anticipate some mistakes," head coach Russ Huesman said. "That's the nature of the business as you install and do different things, but you hope on a daily basis that the same mistakes aren't made. You want people to learn from it, either by film or by coaching."
Stovall's first season with the Mocs didn't provide many chances for success, even as a former two-time Class 6A all-state selection who once caught 19 passes in a game. But the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder has performed well with the repetitions he's receiving now that he's fully healed from a shoulder injury that slowed him in 2014.
Now a sophomore on the field, Stovall looks fresh and ready to compete.
And confident.
"I feel a lot more confident," he said Tuesday. "It's been a confidence thing with me, but I've just had to realize that I can still make the team better. It helps that there's a lot of competition out there, because I like to compete. There's great players around me, and it's always a battle when we come out. We're just trying to compete to the best of our ability.
"It's going to be fun to see how the rest of camp goes."
30-minute delivery
The UTC athletic department will hold its annual "30 minutes or less" promotion today.
For football season tickets ordered by phone between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Coach Huesman, football players, spirit squad and athletic staff will deliver them within 30 minutes of the purchase or the order is free. The delivery area will include a five-mile radius of McKenzie Arena that includes the downtown, North Shore and Southside areas.
Ticket prices start at $50 for youth, alumni, faculty and staff. The only orders eligible for the promotion are season-ticket orders made over the phone. Call the ticket office at 266-6627 to take part in the promotion.
The athletic department has a goal to break the single-day sales record of 106, set in 2010.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.