BYU football: Cougars hoping hard work pays off
"I feel refreshed and ready to go," Hall said. "I feel a little out of shape, though. I think I ate too many tacos."
Hall and his teammates are making a final push in the weight room and on the practice field before reporting for fall camp on Aug. 1, with official practices beginning on Aug. 2. The Cougars open the season Aug. 30 against Northern Iowa.
Nearly all of BYU's players have remained in Provo for the summer to stay in shape and hone their football skills. With just weeks remaining until fall camp starts, there is a sense of urgency in the air.
"A couple of weeks ago, the coaches told us that if we were going to take a vacation, now's the time to do it," Hall said. "We knew we needed to come back July 7 ready to work. Vacations are over. We've got to bear down and really focus on having a successful season. That's the mindset of the team. I can't wait until fall camp. I want to play football again. I love that time of year, being around the guys. It can't come fast enough."
"The coaches expect us to be there (for workouts) and so do your teammates," Hall said. "If I go to workouts and a receiver or lineman isn't there, we'll call them to find out where they are. Attendance has been awesome. We have a chance to have a special year, and we all understand that. I'm thinking about the season every day and the potential of what we can accomplish. We're very motivated. As soon as spring ball ended, coach (Bronco) Mendenhall told us we needed to get better over the summer."
The Cougars have posted back-to-back 11-2 seasons and claimed consecutive Mountain West Conference championships. Now they have their sights on earning a Bowl Championship Series berth.
"Coach Mendenhall reminded us every day last spring that it took a lot to get here and it's going to take a lot more to get to the next level," said defensive lineman Jan Jorgensen. Since the end of spring ball in mid-April, BYU players have worked out under the supervision of strength and conditioning coach Jay Omer four times a week. NCAA rules state that Omer, who ensures that each player under his watch is in tip-top shape for the upcoming season, is the only member of the coaching staff who can observe these workouts. No footballs can be used as part of the drills.
Skill-position players also get together on their own for 7-on-7 drills, but no coaches, not even Omer, can be present for those.
Recent comments
kind of like you're preparing for northern Iowa? should be a high…
RE: silly yewts | July 17, 2008 at 4:16 p.m.
Blah, blah, blah.
This article appears in the Dnews every year…AZ Cougar | July 17, 2008 at 8:51 a.m.
PACTEN- I get the feeling you're really not a Pac Ten fan. If you…
Texas Cougar | July 16, 2008 at 9:23 p.m.
