Overseeing Summer Workouts
This time of year is what players like to refer to as Mandatory Optional Workouts. According to NCAA rules you can’t force players to be at workouts during this period of the year. I believe you are not even allowed to take role. However, as a player you are mislead if you think that skipping out on these workouts won’t affect your playing. Coaches are not allowed to be involved in the workouts, or even be in the weight room or on the field with players. So the question is who keeps track of guys and how do the coaches know what players are doing during the summer?
The supervisory job falls onto the shoulders of Coach Omer and his staff as well as the Leadership Council, which is comprised of one player from each position group. These are the guys the coaches will go to if they want to know how a particular player is doing during the summer.
As far as workouts go there are 3 workout sessions every day M-F so the players can work it into their school/work schedules. Coach Omer and Justin McClure over see these workouts and chart players progress. In the evening the players come back for 7 on 7, or Line Drills for the OL and DL. At this point Coach Omer can not be involved and must leave the field. The basic rule is that there is not allowed to be any footballs out when a coach is present.
During the 7 on 7 period the Leadership Council Member sets the Depth Chart for his position. These sessions are short and so we only run 1st and 2nd Team guys with a rare 3rd Team segment.
It is true that the coaches offices look out over the practice field but a lot of times these throwing sessions are held in the Indoor Practice Facility (IPF). Even when they are held outside coaches spend the spring recruiting and then they get some time off for family, then it’s time for fall camp. So they really don’t have the option of looking in on the guys.
In the end it is on the players to prepare. This is the most crucial part of the year. Players just spent the last three months busting their butt, and they will lose it all if they don’t train with the team during the summer. A lot of All-American potential has fallen by the way-side because guys take the summer off.
Thanks for the insight on the summer practices. It’s hard to believe guys with that kind of opportunity to play D1 college football would take a summer off – I just can’t fathom that. It would be a dream come true for many guys to just make it to that level, why would you want to waste it? I hope that kind of thing is the exception more than the rule.
A lot of these guys started in Little League and were the star. Going into Jr High they shined and were admired by all of the others. Some go on and shine in HS, and do it alot. It gets old. And then by the time they get to college they have been playing for 12 years, and life has been nothing else.
yes I agree it is awesome to be a college player. Especially first or even second string. But some guys have known nothing else, and need a break. I in no way want to insinuate they shouldn’t do their best, but I can understand the burn out.
I had a friend who ended up playing for the NFL cowboys, and he told me as a senior at they Y that he was very tired of it and didn’t really want to play anymore. Yet he went on to the cowboys and played quite a few years. It can become a job. But some retain the passion.
My wish is for each player to have as much fun playing as I do following as a fan. It’s always more fun when you’re a winner; that’s why you put in the off-season time. My hat’s off to any D1 athlete.
Jared,
Your first paragraph is RIGHT ON! However, I think the rest is a little off. Mostly what you see is that because guys have been the star all growing up because they were just naturally bigger or faster or more talented, they never had to work in order to be the best.
I can name (although I won’t) 4 guys I played with at BYU who could have been 1st round picks, but they were just lazy. They always skated by on natural ability and never learned the work ethic.
Then you take a guy like John Beck who put in every hour of every day to excel. Or take a guy like Ben Criddle who never took a day off or a play off and went from walk-on nobody to one of our best corners ever! Especially in the run game.
For those of us who really worked hard to get better and make our team better, it really pissed us off to see 4-5 starters every summer just being bums.
Can you tell us a little more about 7 on 7 drills? When you say “drill” is it like doing layup drills in basketball or do they run real plays where the opposing 7 don’t know what’s coming? Are they running plays, passing plays, short, long, all of the above?
What is the advantage of using 7 players for the drill as opposed to 11? Is it just that it’s easier to get a group that size when not everyone is attending practice?
How political is this system? What I’m wondering is if you could have a guy who is working hard and performing the best, but because the Leadership Council has a buddy or a favorite at that position that they want promote because of personality, rather than performance, they give reports that result in the buddy advancing on the depth chart. Have you seen this happen, or is this something that would never happen at BYU? I would suspect that it could and does happen, but that would also mean that your answer would be biased. Hmm…
At any rate, I just wonder if we have ever lost good talent due to personality clashes more so than good work ethic and skill as a result of leadership counciling.
Trey,
Politics among the players was never an issue while I was there and I would think/hope that it is not now. Just because your Leadership Council Member makes the depth chart doesn’t mean that everyone out there doesn’t know who the best two guys are at each position.
I hope that the players continue to be above such trivial, playground crap.
I would assume that spring practices also help establish the depth going into this time of year. Or else why work so hard to move up the depth chart in the spring. I could be wrong. I never played at the college level. Markell does that make sense?
Appleseed,
That is correct. I probably should have been more clear in that 99% of the time the depth chart coming out of spring (set by the coaches) is the depth chart the Council Members will use.
Keep in mind. Everyone knows who the starters are and the majority of the backups are all known too, so there is nothing real tricky about setting these depth charts.
The decision the Council Members really make day to day is HOW MANY REPS each team will get.
Thanks for the answers. That makes a lot more sense and I could see how the politics would mitigated.
On the subject of favoritism amongst the players, I just can’t see it as a general rule. Great athletes love to play with other great athletes regardless of personality conflicts because winning resolves all interpersonal conflicts.
Markell-
If the Leadership Council is observing and running the summer workouts and 4-5 players who could be 1st Round Draft Picks are lazy, then why are they starting? Yes I know you want your best 22 on the field but if 4-5 are lazy & just getting by on natural ability then maybe they shouldn’t be playing. Maybe that’s why we were 10-3 last season; were there 4-5 Ute players who ere dogging it? I think not…that’s why they went undefeated last year! You just let the cat out of the bag so to speak…this is huge! Also, I hear that the Utes’ defense is supposed to be lights out this season so we better be prepared for them; finally, how can we go down to the LV Bowl & stink it up last year? That was inexcusable & not the way a Coach Mendenhall team usually plays. I don’t get it…please explain.
Walt:
I’m not Markell, but I think I know at least one of the player’s Markell is referring to (I recall reports a few summers ago that this particular star offensive player wasn’t participating in summer workouts with the team – plus there are many other indicators).
Just like there are high school players who excel in HS, but don’t have the work ethic to succeed in the NFL, there are players who have enough physical ability to excel in college, but don’t have the work ethic to make it in the NFL. In the recent past, BYU had an offensive star who had great natural ability and talent, who was one of the top college performers at his position, but who laid an egg at the NFL combine, and wasn’t drafted. He was BYU’s best at his position, despite his suspect work ethic. He just didn’t have enough natural ability to make it at the next level without working hard at it – very few (if any) do.
SoCalCoug-
Here is what Bill Russell (back to back NCAA championships 55-56: 55 undefeated game streak; 56 Olympic Gold Medal; 11 NBA titles in 13 years – 8 in a row) said about work:
“WHAT IT TAKES TO BE NO. 1”
“The first part’s easy! You arrange to be born with a lot of the tools. In my game, that means a good pair of hands and a good set of reflexes. Coming on at 6′9″ doesn’t hurt you too much either.
But, that’s only the beginning, because to get where you want to go, you’ve got to drive and push yourself relentlessly. You’ve got to want to win so badly that the thought of coming in second is simply intolerable. And, you’ve got to pay the price of winning. Paying the price, in anything you do, is spelled, ‘Work’, days and nights and years of work. And, it’s too bad that many men – men who are born with the basic talent – think of, ‘Work’, as a dirty word.
But, there’s another angle to being No. 1. Getting there is tough enough. Staying there is something else. It is, in fact, a lot like being a gunfighter. Day after day…80 grueling games a year…another hot hand comes on to try you. He’s watched and studied you ever since he was a kid, and he thinks he’s ready to take you on. And, the fact is that if you let up for a moment, he’ll do it. You lose that fine, competitive edge, mentally or physically, and you’re dead.
Forget about luck. You make your own luck. A year or so ago, a prominent football coach (Vince Lombardi) put it pretty well. He said, ‘There’s only one thing I believe about luck…it’s unlucky to be behind at the end of the game.’
And, that’s what it’s all about.”
WALT AND SOCALCOUG,
First off sorry it took so long to respond. I was gone to the High Sierras with the scouts all sweek.
There is not ONE particular player I had in mind when I wrote the post. I am not even sure who you are referring to SoCalCoug to be honest. I don’t remember a bunch of hoop-la about a player not making it.
Walt, I don’t think I let the Cat Out of the Bag. This “problem” is not unique to only BYU. There are plenty of lazy butts out there at all colleges including the U. Would it have made BYU better if more players worked their tail off? No doubt. Is that why Utah went to a BCS game and BYU didn’t? No.
Utah has been successful recently because they paly way better in the second half than they do in the first half. I don’t know if it is the Coaches adjustments att the half, or the players execution of those adjustments, but I bet if you looked at the points scored and allowed for Utah in the first and second half that the second half would be a huge margin in favor of Utah.
PS I loved that Bill Russell quote. I shared it with one of my high school players who needed to hear it. It came at the perfect time.
Markell-
As always, thanks for your expert insight. These Staff posts have really helped us gain greater understanding and pass the time from Spring Practice to August…we are almost there. Man, I guess it’s important to follow the NCAA rules…Bama & the Noles losing games is big. In addition, Markell, what will the impact be, if any, of losing Afutiti?
While you are addressing this, why not venture into these areas during the next month:
1. Academics: what it is like for a football player (or any SA for that matter) to keep his grades up; what role does the academic staff play in helping, how do athletes like Manasi fall below the minimum requirements, is there teacher favor football players, etc?
2. NCAA Violations: how tough is it not to accept gifts, or anything else from Boosters, stay out of the gray areas that could lead to infractions, rule violations, etc?
Finally, my prediction is that this year will be much (not exactly) like 84 was to 83 when few thought the team would be as good as the previous year.
GO COUGS!!!!
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