Football: Dressed For Success

[MeanGreen61]

Football: Dressed for success

Mean Green unveils new uniforms at cookout

11:21 PM CDT on Saturday, August 4, 2007

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

North Texas finished unveiling a new look for a new era in the history of its football program on Saturday night during the annual Mean Green Kickoff Cookout.

UNT will wear white pants both home and away to go with the white helmets the school introduced in late July. The Mean Green will wear white jerseys for away games and Kelly green jerseys for home games.

A crowd of 600 fans packed the Mean Green Athletic Center to see the jerseys introduced.

"It's very encouraging to have this many people come out," new UNT head coach Todd Dodge said. "It blows your mind, the type of support we are getting right now. It's very exciting."

Dodge said he designed the uniforms in January with the help of officials from Under Armour, the company that will provide the Mean Green's apparel.

UNT wore darker green jerseys in the past and decided to go with a new look after Dodge took over for former head coach Darrell Dickey in December. The reaction to the new look was positive, both from UNT's fans and players.

"I think they are pretty sweet," UNT quarterback Daniel Meager said. "It's the first time I have been in a newer style uniform. When I was in high school, we had a traditional style uniform and our previous uniforms here were more of a traditional style."

UNT's new uniforms look similar to what Dodge's teams at Southlake Carroll wore. Dodge said the comparison is a natural one because both schools have green and white as their colors.

Several UNT fans said they liked the look after it debuted at the end of the school's kickoff event for the season. UNT senior defensive end Blake Burruss and senior defensive back Aaron Weathers modeled the new uniforms.

"It's a good look for a new start to the program," UNT fan Jeff Baltzley said. "They are sharp looking. It will help in recruiting. Kids like the Under Armour look. It's on the cutting edge, just like where the program is headed."

UNT's kickoff event opened what will be a few key days for the Mean Green football program at the beginning of the Dodge era. The team's players will report today and practice for the first time at 3:30 p.m. on Monday.

The Mean Green will work out at 3:30 p.m. each day in the opening week of practice before a 10 a.m. scrimmage at Fouts Field on Aug. 11.

UNT officials said Saturday they were excited about what is to come this season after seeing so many fans at the school's kickoff event, where Dodge, UNT president Gretchen Bataille and athletic director Rick Villarreal all spoke of the potential they see in the program.

"We are excited," Villarreal said. "The turnout tonight is a sign of the excitement that is around the program and football season getting started. The great part is it is across the entire spectrum. We have young kids, fans who have been here for a long time, new fans, faculty and staff. There is a lot of renewed interest."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

[Harry]

I was there and would make this comment about Meager, he looked good. He has really filled out and put on some strength and size. He's not the scrawny kid running for his life from a couple of years ago. I couldn't help but think about how the past regime had so poorly handled his maturation into the program, how he was fed to the wolves. He's a junior now and I think he may surprise some people this Fall - I really do.