Savannah, Ga.-- A hot Saturday morning was picking up steam just as Savannah State University finished its first football practice at Theodore A. Wright Stadium.

"I'm sure it's going to be hot at 7 p.m. at Southeastern University on Sept. 2," said Tigers head coach Aaron Kelton. "And I'm sure no game has ever been canceled because it was too hot."

SSU has four weeks to get ready for its season opener in Lakeland, Fla., and the anticipation for kickoff overshadowed Saturday's 91-degree heat index.

"It's super busy as you can imagine but this is what (coaches) always want to do," Kelton said. "This is the time of the year I want to be on the field and with my team. It's an exciting time because it's about our kids and their development, seeing them grow from one year to another – as people, as students, as football players, as men.

"As long as we're working toward those goals, we'll be in good shape."

Kelton led 102 players, donning helmets and shorts, onto the field for a two-hour practice Saturday. The 2022 season, his first with the Tigers, ended optimistically with victories over Fort Valley State (8-2 record) and Lane to even out a slow start and produce a 5-5 mark, 4-4 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

Along the journey, rising sophomore Jadon Adams emerged as the starting quarterback and the offense produced 72 points in the final two games.

"For me, I want to use everything I learned during my redshirt freshman year to become a better player," Adams said. "It's great to get back out here. It's fun. Everyone has been working all summer and they're ready to get back to the grind.

"First day of practice went well. There are things we have to work on, but we saw a lot of good things as well."

Senior kicker Kenneth Lockhart welcomed a special return to action. Lockhart, a second-team All-SIAC performer in 2021 as a punter, missed last season because an injury before 2022 spring workouts.

"I was on the sidelines doing my rehabs and cheering on my teammates last year. Now I'm 100 percent ready to go," said Lockhart, who averaged 42.0 yards a punt and also booted a career-long 51-yard field goal in 2021. "This is my last semester at Savannah State and I didn't want to leave with any regrets. I want to give everything I have on the field. I want to be a good teammate and have fun while I'm doing it."

Kelton said he'll have a watchful eye on the development of the offensive and defensive lines, particularly when full pads come on Thursday (Aug. 10).

"When you're good on the offensive and defensive lines, your team is good," Kelton said. "We'll always build our program from those two positions first. We have pieces at all positions so it's about just filling in where we need to be better."

Kelton wouldn't speculate about his team. A first day in helmets and shorts doesn't tell you much. Scrimmages on Aug. 19 and Aug. 26 should be revealing.

But Kelton said he learned enough last year about Savannah State University to be excited about this year's kickoff in Lakeland, regardless of the weather.

"What I really learned is we have a great group of guys," Kelton said. "We have tremendous support from the university and athletic department. I learned these guys want to win. Our goal is to win an SIAC championship, to get to the game and win the championship.

"It hasn't happened here in a long time. They're hungry to be successful."