Aug. 30, 2005
Baylor senior linebacker Colin Allred and junior quarterback Shawn Bell were selected by their teammates as captains for the 2005 football season, Bears' coach Guy Morriss announced following Tuesday's two-hour half-pad workout on the grass practice fields. In addition to the permanent captains, the staff will select game-day captains based on performance each week.
"I'm very pleased with the two young men who were elected team captains," said Morriss. "I believe they'll do a great job leading this team."
Allred, a fifth-year senior from Dallas, earned 2004 second-team Academic All-Big 12 honors as a junior. He ranked sixth on the squad in tackles a year ago with 42 stops, 25 of which were solos, and had five tackles for losses totaling 10 yards to stand No. 7 (tie). Twenty-four of his 42 tackles came in the season's final four games a year ago, including a career-best nine tackles in the Bears' 35-34 overtime upset win over 16th-ranked Texas A&M.
"Colin's the guy that will speak at the right time," Morriss said. "When he does raise his voice, people know he's got something to say and he means what he says. He not only backs it up from a physical standpoint, but with his work ethic and the type of person that he is. He has all the intangibles that go with being a leader."
A China Spring, Texas, native, Bell will make his sixth career start under center in Saturday's season-opener at SMU and only his second against an unranked opponent. He etched his name in Baylor history a year ago by leading the Bears to their first win over Texas A&M since 1985, 35-34, in overtime at Waco. Bell earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors from The Dallas Morning News after completing a school-record 32 passes for 262 yards with a school-record tying four touchdowns against the Aggies, all of which were career-highs, as were his 50 attempts. For the season, he hit 60.2 percent of his passes for 544 yards and six touchdowns.
"Shawn is a hard-working guy, a take-control kind of guy," said Morriss. "I believe his teammates respect his work ethic and as a leader of this offense.
Baylor will return to practice Wednesday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. on the grass practice fields in preparation for Saturday's season-opener at SMU. All practices are open to the public and media.
"It was a really good practice (today)," said Morriss. "The tempo was good and I felt the concentration was good. We got a lot of work done."
Notes: True freshman wide receiver David Gettis continues to wait on a decision on his eligibility status from the NCAA Clearinghouse, Morriss said ... Senior wide receivers Ryan Jeffrey (broken left hand) and J Fields (hamstring) missed Tuesday's workout as did freshman linebacker Justin Osinde (season-ending knee injury), senior offensive tackle Hunter Herring (knee) and junior offensive tackle Travis Farst (kneecap) ... All five are expected to miss Saturday's opener at SMU according to the team's medical staff ... Both season and single-game tickets for Baylor's five-game home schedule are on sale through the school's Athletic Ticket Office (1-800-BAYLOR-U).
