Petrino draws record crowd

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino helped kick off RazorRock in grand fashion on Monday afternoon as he spoke to a record crowd of more than 700 fans at the Little Rock Touchdown Club at the Embassy Suites.

Petrino shared stories of his childhood in Montana, outlining the various jobs he had as an adolescent and how that has shaped his coaching philosophy. From his summer jobs at the A&W to working the dock at a local dairy, Petrino learned the value of hard work at a young age. The Razorback head coach credited his parents for giving him the upbringing that taught him the value of hard work and the love of the game of football.

With the season opener less than a week away, Petrino also talked about his 2009 Razorback squad saying that he can’t remember a season opener that has been talked about as much as this one. He told the assembled crowd that the Razorbacks would be better in 2009, especially on the defensive side of the ball and in special teams. Petrino spent 40 minutes speaking and answering questions from the record crowd.

Petrino was joined at the Little Rock Touchdown Club by Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long. Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe also stopped by to personally welcome Coach Petrino to Little Rock.

The Little Rock Touchdown Club meeting was the first event of RazorRock, a week-long celebration designed to generate fan excitement and participation for the Razorbacks trip to Central Arkansas. More information on RazorRock is available on ArkansasRazorbacks.com and at www.razorrockrally.com.