Scott Keeler

dskeeler@greenvillenews.com

Visitors to Furman's new Pearce Horton Football Complex are introduced to the Paladins' rich football history the minute they walk through the doors.

There are three columns just inside the entrance that pay tribute to the only Furman players to have their jersey number retired — linebacker Jeff Blankenship and running backs Louis Ivory and Stanford Jennings. The Ivory column includes a bust of the Walter Payton award, which Ivory earned in 2000 as the top offensive player in NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS).

Also inside the main entrance is the 1988 Division I-AA national championship trophy, the Southern Conference championship trophy earned in 2013 and the 13 SoCon championship rings Furman has collected.

"It's pretty neat for our current players to come walk through here where they can kind of see the tradition and all," said Furman coach Bruce Fowler.

Fowler believes it also makes an impact on what he hopes are future Paladins.

"The recruiting aspect is obviously big," Fowler said. "When I came back here into the Southern Conference, most of the teams had added on to their facilities.

"These things -- in every aspect of your school, not just your athletic department -- are important to young people these days."

The tributes to the past don't end at the entrance. Every football coaches' office is named for a prior Furman football coach. The presidents box entrance features a mural of former school president John Johns and his wife Martha. The training room is named after longtime trainer Spear Sedgley, who died in 2010 of ALS.

Past all the bells and whistles are the meat and potatoes — a bigger locker room, training area and meeting spaces for specific player positions. There's also a main meeting room that can hold 130 players.

"Nowadays, you can watch watch practice (on film) within 20 minutes of coming off the field," Fowler said. "We spend probably less time on the field than we ever have and more time meeting.

"With the trend of more safety in football, you're going to see more and more of that. So having that technology and space to meet is a key thing."

The complex construction included new club level seating and an expanded press box.

The $12 million, 44,000-square foot complex was made possible thanks to a capstone gift by former Furman player and Athletic Hall of Famer Sonny Horton and his wife Keeter.

Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Charles Emert said he can't believe the changes he has seen during his time at Furman.

"Our old locker room (in Timmons Arena) was pretty cool, but it just wasn't what a lot of other colleges had for football," said Emert. "Every time I walk in the new facility, I'm just so thankful to be able to see it and experience it. It's really cool to have something just for football, and it means a lot to us."

While it didn't sway his collegiate decision, Emert did note the facility gap between Furman and other schools when he was being recruited while in high school.

"I'm from Statesboro, Georgia, so I grew up around Georgia Southern. Their facilities were top-notch, and a lot of other schools were like that, too," said Emert. "Furman's facilities were 'just OK.' "

After coming back to Furman to become head coach in 2011, Fowler didn't see many differences in facilities from when he left to join Bobby Johnson's staff at Vanderbilt in 2002.

Now to go along with the complex, the Paladins have a new artificial playing surface and updated lighting, scoreboard and sound systems.

"We've made some major changes in our facilities in the short time that I've been back," Fowler said. "I'm certainly appreciative of it from a football standpoint, but also think there's some real benefits to Furman as well."