With the summer strength and conditioning program in full swing for the Vandal football team, the Vandals are in a much different spot than they were a year ago.
Parker Wilson | Argonaut
The defensive line gets into position and anxiously awaits the snap to charge quarter back Chad Chalich.
Not only is Paul Petrino going into his second season as the head coach of the Vandals, but unlike his first season, the Vandals will be a member of the Sun Belt. Along with a brand new conference the Vandals also have something many of the players lacked a year ago–experience.
“We had a lot of kids who came in and played at the division I level for the first time, both junior college kids and freshmen–so our strength has improved a ton in the off-season and we are continuing to improve strength, as well as mental toughness and conditioning to win in the fourth quarter,” Idaho Strength and Conditioning Coach Jake Scharnhorst said.
“The coaches can also be around them now in the summer–which is another NCAA rule change,” Scharnhorst said.
As a part of the mandatory workout program the team works out four days a week directly under Scharnhorst and his staff’s supervision, and on top of that the players also work out three days a week on their own, Scharnhorst said. All but two walk- ons are participating in the summer program, he added.
The biggest focus of the summer program is to continue building on the mental toughness and team camaraderie and with all but two walk-ons present for the summer workouts, this eight week program is introducing many of the junior college transfers and incoming freshmen to the program–they will get an idea of what to expect when they come back for the fall: everything from what’s expected in the weight room to how to tackle the rigors of being a Division I student athlete.
Scharnhorst also believes that the added mental and physical toughness that the team is working on this summer should help keep as many players out of the training room as possible, but if that was to happen there are plenty of players ready to step in, he said.
“We have more depth this year and that competition will make the team better. We need guys to know that if they’re not getting it done in here or on the field that the guy behind them will be going right in,” Scharnhorst said.
The summer strength program is drastically different from the in-season program, especially for the players who travel and play a lot.
“The time in the weight room is cut down in-season, really we are looking at keeping building our strength and power in here. The total time in the weight room is cut down compared to the summer,” Scharnhorst said. “The NCAA limits how many hours they can have per week.”
In-season the NCAA mandated a 20-hour-a-week limit on practicing limits what the team can do in the weight room. However with redshirted players, this is a little different. Since many of them are not busy travelling with the team or playing, they can spend extra time in the weight room.
With this added time in the summer, Scharnhorst and his staff have placed an emphasis on plyometrics, speed and conditioning over the summer along with improving the physical and mental strength of Petrino’s squad.
Although Scharnhorst understands that no matter what these players do during their off time, nothing can duplicate how hard the players can push themselves when they are surrounded by their coaches and teammates, he still expects the players to come in ready to go.
“So what are you doing in that time? Are you getting better or are you taking two steps back?” Scharnhorst said.
Senior defensive end Maxx Forde may have answered that question better than anyone else as he spent part of that time off down in Arizona training at the EXOS Athletic Training Facility. The very facility that many current NFL players used as their center of choice as they prepared for the NFL Combine and NFL Draft. NFL players included New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan and Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Christian Ponder, both of which were selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and have spent time this summer working out at. Needless to say, Forde was in good hands.
“He’s weighing just over 270 pounds, his conditioning is great already. He’s done a great job working on his own in that time off,” Scharnhorst said of Forde. “He’s gotten better in his time off, which is the biggest thing. We train and winter offseason and spring ball, but once we hit dead week and finals they get some time off before summer training starts.”
Along with Forde, Scharnhorst pointed out Richard Montgomery as the player who may have made the biggest strides from the end of the fall season to know.
“He has improved night and day from last year. He was a good player last year but he’s going to be way better this year,” Scharnhorst said.
Along with Montgomery and Forde, wide receiver Dezmon Epps, defensive linemen Tueni Lupeamanu and Quinton Bradley, linebacker Tony Lashley, and recent junior college transfer Irving Steele are all players that Scharnhorst pointed out as players who have made big strides in the weight room that should help translate onto the field this fall.
Joshua Gamez can be reached at [email protected]