LAFAYETTE, La. - The Louisiana athletic complex sprang to life after almost two months of silence when 105 players reported to campus on Monday for the first practice of the 2013 preseason.
Third year head coach Mark Hudspeth had welcomed the players back to campus on Sunday, using the entire day for administrative tasks, including the taking of the annual team and position photos.
Once the photos were complete, the entire team moved to Moody Hall on the main campus for several hours of orientation, hearing talks from the various support groups - equipment, athletic training, strength & conditioning, academics and Sports Information - to learn how to do things the Cajun way.
With few exceptions, Monday proved to be a normal preseason camp day with the schedule being similar to the one that will be used through the end of camp on Aug. 23rd.
"The morning and afternoon sessions couldn't have been more different," Hudspeth said. "The morning was all about shaking off the rust and getting the veterans back into the groove. It was important to get them back on the field and back to executing.
"The practice with the new guys was an exploratory session where we hoped to find out what some of our guys could do. It was the first time that we saw them together on the field and could determine which guys could line up, who had ball skills and who could handle a stressful situation," Hudspeth added.
The squad had a 6:15 a.m. wake-up call with players heading to campus for treatment at 6:30 a.m. followed by breakfast, position meetings and then practice.
With the NCAA mandating that there be no contact during the first four days of practice, Hudspeth opted to split the squads in two. In the morning, the first and second units were on the field starting at 8:55 a.m. for the normal two-hour practice session. During that time, the rest of the squad was in the weight room under the supervision of strength coach Rusty Whitt, continuing the demanding strength and conditioning program that the squad had been taking part in on a voluntary basis all summer long.
Once the morning session ended shortly after 11 a.m., Coach Hudspeth, along with offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, defensive coordinator James Willis and approximately 35 student-athletes took part in the annual Football Media Day in the Alumni Center.
With approximately 30 media members present, coaches Hudspeth, Johnson and Willis, along with Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson, each made presentations and took questions from the media.
While the coaches were talking, the players were taking part in the meal for the day, which was donated by Sports Information restaurant partner Prejean's.
After almost an hour of questions and presentations, the media turned their focus on the Cajuns players, spending the next hour conducting one-on-one interviews. The media gathered information that they will use at various times during the course of preseason.
The entire team met back in the locker room shortly after 1:00 p.m. for more treatment from the athletic training staff followed by getting taped for the afternoon session.
Each of the players also spent time drinking extra water and Powerade so that they will be hydrated properly and able to practice daily in the August Louisiana heat.
"Preseason camp is very demanding," sophomore offensive tackle Mykhael Quave said. "You learn quickly how important it is to take it easy during your down time and try and get a quick nap in between practices.
"The structure of camp keeps you going all day so it is important to keep focused mentally. It isn't good if you start strong and finish weak. You have to start strong and then stay steady and practice long," Quave added.
Following another round of position meetings, the first and second units took to the weight room while the third and fourth teams, which are comprised primarily of all first year players, were on the practice field for the first time. The session could best be described as Cajun Football 101 as each of the student-athletes received a crash course in how they were expected to act and the tempo of practice at the collegiate level.
"We have some new guys who can help us," Hudspeth said.
Hudspeth singled out freshmen Elijah McGuire (RB), Devin Scott (WR) and Simeon Thomas (DB) for their effort in the first practice.
"McGuire really showed some ball skills and football savvy today while Scott has good speed and ball skills and Thomas can really cover a lot of ground quickly," Hudspeth said.
Both groups were finished just before 6:00 p.m. and headed to their third round of position meetings for the day.
With business concluded for the day, the coaching staff and players headed off to dinner and then the dorms where, following a snack at 10:00 p.m., lights out was scheduled for 11:00 p.m., just seven hours before the next wake up call.