Football can be a game of quick turnarounds.
Grambling State University head football coach Broderick Fobbs geared up his team for just such circumstances Wednesday night and Thursday morning as the Tigers practiced twice nearly within a 12-hour period.
GSU began Wednesday’s practice at 8:45 p.m. to escape temperatures that have prompted heat advisories throughout north Louisiana all week.
Then the G-Men braved the heat and hit the GSU practice field at 9:30 a.m. Thursday to continue acclimating for what seems to promise to be a warm start to the 2021 season.
“It’s one of those situations where you test them and see where their mind is and see what their conditioning level is,” Fobbs said following Thursday morning’s workout. “We had a quick turnaround from last night to this morning, which is really, really good for us. We’ve got to test them to see where they are because we’ve got to know what they’re made of.
“They showed they’re ready to go. We just have to keep going to get in shape and keep doing what we need to do. I thought they handled it pretty well (on Thursday). Toward the end it kind of tailed off, but being that this is the first week of training camp, it tends to tail off because they’re not really in full ‘football shape’ yet. So it will take a little time, but today was really good.”
After Thursday’s workout ended, Fobbs made quick business of making sure his team was taken care of, yelling at them to not linger on the field after he spoke to them.
“Get inside! Get out of the sun,” Fobbs shouted. “Go hit the ice! Relax! Cool down and rest! Take care of yourselves.”
On Tuesday night Fobbs said he felt the defense won the practice. After Wednesday night’s practice he felt it was the offense.
He said the whole team were winners for staying strong through Thursday’s workout.
“We don’t really score it when we don’t put pads on,” Fobbs said. “The defense had a better practice today, but that’s normal when you don’t have pads.”
Freshman Wesley Callaway out of Shreveport’s Southwood High School had a pair of long touchdown catches Wednesday night to spur on Grambling’s offensive performance.
“He can run … and he’s a walk-on,” Fobbs said. “He had a good night.”
Arcadia sophomore running back C.J. Russell also turned in a strong session on Wednesday night.
“We just have to stay healthy,” Fobbs said.
The Tigers will hit the practice field again Friday and Saturday morning before taking Sunday off as a rest day.
Photo: courtesy GSUTigers.com
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