Hoosiers Progressing Well Through Fall Camp

The Indiana Hoosiers got off to a sticky start in fall camp last week as the sweltering heat was a wake up call for players that practice is underway. As the weather has turned more fall-like the Hoosiers have gotten into the groove of practice.

“The first practice, we went out and it was really hot and humid. I think the guys got gassed early, we had a lot better energy Day 2. I thought we made a big jump on Day 3.” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said on Monday.

The third day of practice is usually when a team gets to put on shoulder pads and things start to get more physical. Something clicks in the players’ mind to step it up a notch.

“Day one is always kind of a knock the rust off day.” Offensive lineman Carter Smith said. “We do work a lot of technique over the summer, but putting pads on, going against a human, it’s always a little different. But I think once we threw the shoulder pads on everyone’s mood kind of shifted. And said, ‘All right, it’s time to roll off the ball. This is getting real.”

There will always be a ramp up to preseason practices in any sport. However, Cignetti and his staff have set the standard and have keys for every practice.

“That’s the key to the drill: get better every single day. Improve more with more guys doing their job consistently. Doing things that winning football teams do.” Cignetti said.

The players understand that standard as well.

“When it’s it’s fall camp every single day that we practice, it’s a game day.” All-American defensive lineman Mikail Kamara said. “One-on-ones. It’s game time, game speed. Good on good team periods is game speed, like everything we do during this next month, every single practice, it’s game day mentality.”

“Coach Cig’s main thing is just getting better every day.” Defensive back Amare Ferrell said. “Every single day, one one play at a time, one moment at a time. So that’s really our biggest focus, is getting better coming in every single day, getting better every single day.”

The Hoosiers will be back on the field for practice on Friday when Big Ten Network will be in Bloomington to preview the Hoosiers.