Fresno State Football team recognized for successful season

FRESNO, Calif. -- Bulldog Stadium may have appeared empty, but it's full of expectations after a successful 2017 football season.

So many expectations, that Monday the City of Fresno honored the team with a proclamation: "Mayor Lee Brand and the Fresno City Councilmembers do hereby recognize and congratulate the 2017 Fresno State Football team."

"To be able to be recognized like today, really validates their commitment that they've had all year," said head football coach Jeff Tedford.

The city even declared April 2, 2018, "Jeff Tedford Day."

"It is just like any other day. It is nice of them to do and I am very appreciative of that," said Tedford.

Under Tedford, Fresno State turned around the team in just one season. They won 10 games, including the mountain west conference's west division and a hawaii bowl victory. That's more wins in than the past three seasons combined.

Tedford says the secret is teamwork.

"It is really the team, it is all about team, it is all about our staff and the hard work that our staff puts in and the hard work that our team puts in, that is what it is all about," said Tedford.

That same success goes beyond the end zone and into the classroom, with more than 62 players obtaining over a 3.0 GPA.

"We want them to win with integrity out in the football field, but it is so important to us that they win in the classroom and they are part of that next generation of leaders," said Fresno State President Joseph Castro.

It's also about helping players reach their full potential.

"The football is a big piece of it for sure, but even more than that it is about raising young men to be great fathers and husbands," said Tedford.

The bulldogs play their first game of the 2018/2019 season on September 1st.