Maryland?s football team was expected to spent part of Christmas Eve in an unlikely place: Alcatraz, the renowned island prison turned tourist attraction.
The Terrapins were expected to join players from Oregon State ? the team they will face in Friday?s Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park in San Francisco ? and visit the former home of notorious mobster Al Capone.
“Yeah, I?m not really excited to go anywhere near a prison. Those are places I try and stay away from,” Maryland senior safety J.J. Justice laughed as he told reporters. “But I think it will be cool. I?ve seen it in a couple movies before so I always thought it would be a cool place to go.”
The visit to the penitentiary known as “The Rock” is expected to be a highlight of Maryland?s bowl week, which began on Sunday with players boarding a bus that traveled across the Bay Bridge for a tour of the city.
“There?s a lot of history around here,” Maryland senior running back Lance Ball told reporters. “I?ve never been to the West Coast, so it?s something different for me. So far, I went out on Market Street and went down to the mall, but nothing serious.”
The Terrapins (6-6) arrived in San Francisco on Saturday night, and took the practice field at Laney College in Oakland to resume preparing for the Beavers (8-4) on Sunday.
Ball said the trip across the country caused players to be sluggish during practice, but he anticipates the Terrapins will improve as they adjust to the sunny weather and three-hour time change.
“Practice was a little slow,” Ball told reporters. “Guys were tired and kind of tight from the long trip. But overall I think it was pretty productive. We just have to pick it up.”
Maryland will not practice on Christmas Day, but will return to Laney College for their final on-field practice of the season. The Terrapins are expected to have a walk-through session at the team hotel on Thursday before playing the Beavers the next night in front of a national television audience on ESPN at 8:30 p.m.
Emerald Bowl
Maryland vs. Oregon State
» Kickoff: Friday, 8:30 p.m.
» Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco
» TV: ESPN
» Radio: 105.7 FM, 1300 AM
