BYU Football: What are the current players doing now?

[caption id="attachment_42709" align="aligncenter" width="3200"] (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***[/caption]rn With players being out of school and unable to have coach organized practice, BYU Football players still have to be training harder than ever. rnBetween spring football and fall camp there is a lot of question as to what players are doing. Some believe that they don't do much, that it is a break and sort of a train by yourself kind of period. Others assume that there is organized practice by the players all summer until the coaches are allowed to have contact with them again.rnrnThe truth of it is, we don't know EXACTLY what they do, but we have a pretty good idea of what goes on both on and off the fieldrnrnRight now, most players are just getting back to school after having the last week off completely from school and practice. Players are asked to get their finals done as early as possible to get home relax and come back ready to play once Spring Term begins.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Hardest%20Classes%20of%20the%20Year" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_42706" align="aligncenter" width="3200"] . (Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Classes rnBelieve it or not football players are pretty busy during the fall. It's almost as if traveling every other week across the country takes a toll on them or something...rnrnBecause of the crazy tough schedules, most players are asked to take tough classes during the summer. Without the same commitments to practice and games players are able to focus more on school. These classes include normally higher intensity 300/400 level classes that don't have as much access to a tutor. Looking back at my own major in broadcasting, I had to create two news story packages a week that required ON MINIMUM six or seven hours each outside of class to shoot and edit. During football season, this isn't really an option, but during the summer it is possible.rnrnI'm not familiar for sure with BYU's rules, but many schools actually require players to be enrolled during summer to get full scholarship opportunities. With players having to be there before the next school year starts, (the Utah game is actually before school is in session) many players would be left homeless if not covered by scholarship during fall camp.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Not%20Going%20too%20Hard" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_42708" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] (Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for CMT)[/caption]rn Science rnI am no scientist or athletic trainer, but I do coach a Jr. Olympic track team and have taken classes that have taught me about the science behind training. If a player goes three days (72 hours) without training, the muscle memory and mass begins to break down a bit and then the players slowly loses what they have gained. That is why often times if you are sick for three or more days, suddenly things seem to be a bit tougher than they should be despite being back to full health.rnrnIf a player works hard during spring ball and then takes two months off in the summer, that player is going to lose all if not more than all they gained during that practice time.rnrnAt the same time, there is also a peak or a breaking point of players. If a player trains hard for enough time without break there is a natural breaking point for them and they get injured and begin to perform bad. For that reason, sometimes you will see a runner in cross country post a time slower at the beginning of the season than they did at the end of the previous season. They are training to peak at the end of the season and that results in common running fans questioning why a runner got "worse".rnrnWith that muscle background we can now get into a bit more of the routine of current players.rnrn[nextslide teaser="Getting%20Down%20the%20Playbook" /]rnrn rnrn[caption id="attachment_42556" align="aligncenter" width="3200"] (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)[/caption]rn Freedom (sort of) rnPlayers while expected to be at daily workouts with the team and to play and compete in 7-on-7 games/drills with the team, players are also allowed to leave to train with other athletes. Zach Wilson for example will be training with John Beck this summer. This will allow Wilson to have more specific training and learn under one of the best quarterbacks at BYU since the turn of the century.rnrnFor most players however, they will have a mandatory weight lifting session in the morning before going to the class for the day. After class they will meet up again and work on more specific drills/training that are non contact and relatively easy on the body. For the receivers and defensive backs they will play a lot of 7-on-7 that will work on formations and getting down timing. They aren't running in pads and are at very low risk. Going back to the last section, these players while getting a bit stronger, are mainly just staying in shape so that once fall camp comes around they can begin to train hard again to peak at the right time. rnrn[caption id="attachment_39245" align="aligncenter" width="3600"] (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)[/caption]rn Summer Camps rnAlong with playing with their own team, many players go to other summer camps that work with athletes from across the region. Some of these are organized and some are more pick up games. If you go to Orem High School on a Saturday morning you will often find current and former players playing a pickup game on the field.rnrnOther players are asked to help out the coaches at BYU summer camps for kids and high school players. Although this is mainly for the camp attendees, the athletes are also able to be around the coaches and see things from their perspective while they teach classes to younger kids.rnrnOverall, the summer is a time of fun, but not too much fun. At the end of the day, BYU is playing Utah in 119 and that number is only going down. This includes not being able to take certain trips, do dangerous activities or even go out with friends if it can be questionable from the NCAA rules.

Lawless Republic

BYU Football: What are the current players doing now?

With players being out of school and unable to have coach organized practice, BYU Football players still have to be training harder than ever.

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