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ABILENE, Texas – Hal Mumme and the McMurry University football staff welcomed 99 players to training camp Wednesday in preparation for the 2010 season. The athletes began arriving on campus at 11 a.m. and concluded day one with a light, helmets-only practice at 8 p.m.

The team went through the necessary medical and NCAA compliance paper work and publicity questionnaires before meeting with Mumme at 6:30 p.m. and holding its first practice at Wilford Moore Stadium.

Other than a few drills at the beginning, the workout focused on the special teams unit. Mumme said he was pleased with the first day of workout.

“We weren't trying to do much out here tonight except get their legs moving in preparation for the next few days of camp,” said Mumme, the second-year head coach.

Most of the players were out on the field by 7:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. start  but junior quarterback Jake Mullin planned to make an entrance of his own. At about 15 minutes prior to practice, Mullin entered the field to the tune of “Wild Thing,” a song made famous by the popular baseball film “Major League.”

“I was just trying to loosen everybody up,” Mullin said. “Last year with the new coaching staff and I felt like everyone was tight, and I asked the coaches if I could do it, and they said yes. I just wanted everybody to be themselves because I think this is our year and it could be a big one for McMurry.”

Coming into Mumme's first season, 32 players showed up to the 2009 training camp that had played the previous year under head coach Donny Gray. After snapping a 17-game losing skid in 2009 under Mumme and finishing fifth in the American Southwest Conference, 53 returnees showed up Wednesday to prepare for the 2010 season.

“We've got an experience team. This year's team we've only got eight or nine seniors, but next year we're looking at closer to 30,” he said. “If you get seniors you get two things, you get a good football team and a good graduation. And this year, we're even looking at double the amount of seniors from last year.”

Practice resumes Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. with the team looking towards its first full-pads practice Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. and its first two-a-days workout Monday.