Players Back to Picking up the Weights, Setting Down the Potato Chips and Soda

The Hoosiers are back on campus and working out Image: Sammy Jacobs, Hoosier Huddle

Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

After three months apart from his players, Tom Allen only had a general idea of the strength and conditioning he’d be seeing upon his team’s return. While some players had access to a full weight room and personal trainers just as if they were on campus, others found themselves limited solely to bodyweight exercises. Despite these challenges that a virtual strength program brings, Allen expressed his happiness with his team on teleconference today.

“I thought that as a collective group, I thought they did a good job of staying in good shape. It's never quite the same when you're not with your teammates. It's never quite the same when you don't have a coach right there with you pushing you,” said Allen.

With David Ballou’s departure to Alabama, Allen and his staff were already expecting an uphill battle with learning the ins and outs of a new strength program. That was before the coronavirus cancelled the majority of the spring season and sent players packing for home after just four spring practices. Allen has been thrilled with how new coach Aaron Wellman has embraced this challenge.

“I think for me when the whole staff came back here and watched our groups work out yesterday and today, the consensus is first of all very impressed with our strength staff number one with the way they function and how detailed they are and how they do what they do.”

“Number two, as a collective group, they thought the guys looked good. They're working their tails off and that's why I'm so proud of them.”

Sure, there were slackers in the group, but that was to be expected. Even if players were working out at the same intensity as they do while at school, being away from the South End Zone’s nutrition center could cause for a delay in their development.

“Definitely you got some, I kind of explained it as the 10-80-10 principle. You probably have 10 percent that are training at an elite level, you have some of the team that is in good, solid shape and then you got a small group of guys that came back and had too many potato chips and soda. Overall, it was positive.” 

Now all focus shifts to the future. No matter how a player arrived on campus after the hiatus, it’s about preparing for what kind of shape they will be in this fall: even if what the season 2020 season will look like is still in question.

“Right now, we know that we're preparing our football team for the 2020 season. Amidst all the question marks and the things we don't know, the one thing that I do know is that we got a football team that cares and a football team that has high expectations for the 2020 season and a whole bunch of guys that are really hungry to get back on the field and play at a high level. That's been encouraging and our strength staff is realistic about where we are. We know we got a lot more work ahead of us, but they're definitely making good progress.”