LIVINGSTON – Visitors to football practice at Tiger Stadium have become more the rule than the exception as the University of West Alabama prepares for the 2012 football season.

Scouts from nine National Football League teams have visited UWA practices over the last couple of weeks to take a closer look at players who have the Tigers ranked No. 8 in USA Today’s College Football Magazine NCAA Division II preseason poll.

Former Arkansas, Louisville and Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino spent Thursday, Aug. 23 with Will Hall and his staff before taking in a two-hour practice. It was Petrino’s second visit to Livingston this summer.

“Coach Petrino came down and spent two days earlier this summer,” Hall said. “We talked a lot about game planning and the passing game.

“I have really enjoyed developing a relationship with him and so has the rest of our staff,” Hall said. “He is a really intelligent guy. Over the last 15 years I would argue that he is the top offensive mind in the game.”

For the first time since camp opened, UWA’s attention turned to the Sept. 1 season opener at Clark Atlanta, a team that Hall says is very talented.

“They fly around to the football,” UWA’s second-year head coach said. “We have to be ready to play when we go over there in a good environment for football. This will be a big game for us.”

After Friday’s practice, UWA will take both Saturday and Sunday off before game-week preparations begin on Monday.