Tulane Green Wave Jerseys Part of Jon Sumrall's Detail-Orientated Approach
There are some unknowns about the Tulane Green Wave as they prepare for their season opener next week against Southeastern Louisiana. Among them, is who the starting quarterback will be.
However, if there is one thing you can be sure of, it is that the Green Wave will be prepared when they take the field next Thursday. Head coach Jon Sumrall will be sure of that given how detail-orientated he is in his approach.
Sumrall spoke glowingly of how great the locker room is, oozing with leadership despite so many new faces. Nearly half of the team’s starters landed with Tulane in January or after spring practice, but he is happy with where things are at.
He trusts the leaders on the team to help overcome whatever adversity the team faces. Sumrall will do his part to have the team prepared, including some minute details such as the color of jerseys worn during practice.
“I don’t want the quarterback throwing to a white jersey all week and then we go play and not wear white,” he said. “I don’t know if it really has an effect on you, but you might as well throw to the color you’re going to wear in the game.
"If we’re going to wear dark in a game, our offense will wear dark in practice that week. If we’re going to wear white in a game, our offense will wear white all week.”
That is an outside-the-box thought process that Sumrall shared. Normally, we see teams wear the same color practice jerseys throughout the season regardless of what will be worn on game day. Always looking for an edge, there could be something to that minor change in detail.
Interestingly, Sumrall will hold veto power over the jerseys. But, micromanaging the kits isn’t what he will be doing; he has other things to focus on when preparing for game day.
“I’m more worried about can we score touchdowns and make tackles, but we won’t ever go out in anything I’m not good with,” he said. “I love our uniform combinations. We’ve got great colors and great options.
"I love the powder blue. I like the white. I like it all. We might have one surprise this year, but I like all our stuff. Most importantly, I love the Angry Wave (insignia). It fits our culture, it fits New Orleans, it’s kind of fun and it’s different. It’s unique like New Orleans.”
Jersey combinations may not mean much to some people, but it is just another example of how much attention Sumrall pays to what is going on. If changing the colors of practice jerseys helps a quarterback make even one play during the regular season, it was a worthwhile adjustment.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.