For those wondering what the pursuit drill is, allow me to enlighten.  It is a brutal period of practice where the defensive squad must run like wild dogs from the sideline to their respective positions and then wait for Coach Mendenhall to call out a play.

The players must make the correct calls, depending on the formation, and execute the play to perfection.  Perfection is gauged by the players effort and movements.  If someone decides to take a play off or run at 85-90% the whole sequence in repeated, and repeated and repeated until done correctly.

During practice this period is the most dreaded, and to the fans in attendance we can see the pointing and laughing.  Its not encouraging, just aggravating.  Normally, if you have survived this portion of practice and can still breath without too much trouble your good.  For those players that have to repeat the drill again and again, your in for a long, hot and probably bad practice.  Things that seem to help the coaches understand that you are trying hard would be lots of noise, putting your head back and shaking it back and forth.  Oh never ever jog, miss going inside the cone or talk back to anyone.  Just take the punishment like the many numbers before you with humility.

Or you could attempt to hide under the video-camera tower like one cougar alum, who’s name happens to rhymes with Hawn Nua.  By the way he got caught because the happened to be filming from the opposite tower.  He didn’t have a very good rest of the week.