Preseason practice reached the halfway point for the Ragin' Cajuns football team on Tuesday as the squad took part in a full day of activity, highlighted by a 135-minute practice in full pads.
Since returning to campus on August 1, the UL players have had relatively little free time in their daily schedule. Tuesday was no different.
"Our guys follow a very strict preseason schedule that is designed to get the most out of them each day and prepare them for the upcoming season," head coach Mark Hudspeth said. "We demand a lot out of each of them and their ability to meet those demands and overcome the obstacles that come with it helps them get ready for what they will see on Sept. 1 against Lamar."
The younger players on the team arrived on campus at 6:45 a.m. for a weight room session designed to help them continue to get bigger and stronger.
As part of the preseason structure, the Cajun players get a quick breakfast each morning at the Cox Communication Athletic Complex. The players can choose from fresh fruit and juice, muffins, breakfast sandwiches and other items designed to give them the fuel to get through the morning workout. Breakfast starts around 6:00 a.m. and ends when the first team meeting starts.
The rest of the team arrived before 7:45 a.m., giving them time for a quick breakfast before the 20-minute special teams meeting begins. When the special teams meetings end, the players break down by positions to meet with their individual positions coaches.
Position meetings ended at 9:00 a.m., giving the squad 10 minutes to get into their full uniform and head out to the practice field for the primary practice of the day.
When the practice ended at 11:30 a.m., Hudspeth took time to speak to the team about their performance and shared information about the schedule for the rest of the day and week. When released from practice, the players take 10 minutes to soak in tubs of iced water before heading back to main campus for lunch.
Tuesday's schedule had a little over two hours allotted between the end of practice and the first afternoon requirement, affording the players a little extra time to stop in the dorms and catch a quick nap. Players needed to be back to the locker room and dressed by 2:30 p.m.
The next round of meetings ensued, starting with special teams at 2:30 p.m. followed by position meetings at 2:50 p.m.
The format for the special teams and position meetings are similar as the UL coaches and players watch video from the previous practice and go over items that the players will be working on in the next practice.
The afternoon continued at 3:55 p.m. with the offense and defense getting together. While the offense met as a unit, the defense lifted. At 4:50, the units switched with the defense meeting and the offensive players taking over the weight room.
Between the team meeting and the weight room, the Cajuns players head back outside for an afternoon snack. On Tuesday, the snack consisted of pork chops, rice and a vegetable, and was donated to the program.
Eating properly is a key to Hudspeth's approach as he continually reminds the Cajuns how much they need to eat in order to get bigger and stronger. The weight of the players is tracked each day by the athletic training staff, allowing Hudspeth and his staff to make sure that the players are getting enough protein and carbohydrates. Players who are losing weight are asked to sign in each day with a graduate assistant coach at all meals to show that they are eating properly. At the other end of the spectrum, players who gain weight during camp are asked to refrain from eating excessive calories and fat.
By 5:50 p.m., the entire team was back on the practice field, taking part in a walk through that was scheduled to last for an hour. By 7:00 p.m., the team was ready to head off for dinner and then back to the dorms, having less than 12 hours before needing to be back on campus for day 14 of the preseason.
LAGNIAPPE: Unhappy with the consistent effort of the Cajuns at time during the morning practice, Hudspeth asked the group following practice if they knew who Tiny Jackson was?. . , No Cajun had heard of the individual, allowing Hudspeth drive home his point, "nobody has heard of him because he quit," Hudspeth said. "You have all heard of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen because they never quit.". . . fan reaction to the 2012 football poster has been so strong that as of Tuesday, all available copies had been picked up by UL fans, necessitating another printing which should arrive within the next week or so.