Rams Continue to Build Through First Three Days of Football Training Camp


WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Winston-Salem State football continued its preseason preparations Friday as the Rams completed their third day of training camp and took another step forward with their first practice in shells.

After opening camp in helmets, WSSU added shoulder pads for Day 3, allowing the coaching staff to increase the physicality of practice while continuing to emphasize fundamentals, technique and execution.

For first-year head coach Tory Woodbury, the early portion of camp has been about steady improvement and building on each practice.

"I've seen progression," Woodbury said. "It's what you want to see as a team: stacking days brick by brick."

Woodbury emphasized that the opening practices in helmets were designed to force players to focus on technique and perfecting their individual responsibilities before the intensity increased with the addition of shoulder pads.

"Once you get those shoulder pads on, you can get a little bit more aggressive," Woodbury said. "That's what I want to see. I want to see the aggression while, at the same time, keeping the technique together and finishing."

That increased physicality was noticeable throughout Friday's practice, with Woodbury pointing to the competitiveness across multiple position groups as one of the biggest positives of the day.

"What really stood out was the competitiveness on both sides of the ball," Woodbury said. "I think both sides really got after it today."

Woodbury highlighted the play of both the offensive and defensive fronts while also noting the effort from the defensive backs, running backs and linebackers.

"Overall, today was probably our best day of practice," Woodbury said. "Sometimes you can have a drop-off with the heat and once the pads come on, but they stepped up today. I'm super proud of them for that."

While the Rams continue to develop on the field, Woodbury also wants training camp to serve as an opportunity for the team to grow together away from football. With a roster continuing to learn one another and adjust to a new coaching staff, building chemistry remains an important part of the acclimation process.

"I want to see us continue to gel more off the field," Woodbury said. "They're still learning each other. I want them to continue to compete at a high level, get mentally strong and get stronger at the point of attack."

The intensity will continue to increase as WSSU moves deeper into camp. Woodbury made it clear that the coming practices will challenge the Rams both mentally and physically as they continue preparing for the 2026 season.

"It's going to do nothing but get harder over the next few days," Woodbury said. "We're really going to dive into it and push it to the limit mentally and physically."

Winston-Salem State will continue training camp through Aug. 16 as the Rams work toward their season opener on Aug. 29.

For Woodbury and the Rams, the focus remains simple: continue improving each day and keep stacking bricks.

"We've got to prepare for a big game," Woodbury said.