A Day in the Life of a Kentucky Football Player During Spring Training

With only a week left, Spring Practice has flown by without too much attention. Part of it is because of the basketball team. Part of it is because there isn't a Spring Game. But the biggest reason why is because we don't really know what the hell is being done during the month-long practice session. Last month I asked for those interested in covering football to apply, and the response was overwhelming. All of the applicants were exceptional, but nobody has the perspective quite like Thaddeus "Teddy" Kazunas. Kazunas spent the last two years playing for Mark Stoops as a walk-on tight end/wide receiver. Teddy knows the game and will be giving the BBN a look at the football program rarely seen before. Here's a look at Spring Football through his lens. ****************************************************************************************************************** We all have those cinematic images of pre-season football training. Denzel Washington getting into your face while you complain about up-downs, Sandra Bullock teaching you how to protect your quarterback, even Tim McGraw running onto the field asking you ‘why can’t you hold on to the ball?’ Although these are great representations of football training, I can attest to you what Coach Stoops has these players doing is far different. Let’s take a look at a normal schedule for a freshman football player during spring training. 5:00 am- You hear that dreaded sound of your iPad alarm going off, and you have one quick instant to get out of bed and make it to Nutter or feel the wrath of Coach Ed. 5:30 am- You have just changed into your workout gear, and head into the nutrition room to see Ms. Monica (mom) and eat much needed food before workouts. 5:50 am- You get into the weight room. Not 5:51 or 5:55…..5:50. You are always 10 minutes early for Coach Ed. 6:00 am- Your workout begins. Depending on the day, you will begin with a stretch. These stretches last about 30-45 minutes and includes stretching everything from ankles to hips to groins to chest. You will run quick sprints to get that hurt rate up, and you will run over hurdles to loosen up your legs. The stretch is almost more tiring than the workout. After stretching you break off into your rack with a group of 2-3 other players and complete your designated lift. I can still hear faint sounds of DMX in the background while people are breathing heavy and screaming to get their weight. 8:30 am- Your workout is over and you end it with the C-A-T-S jumping jacks, but you better not be the one to mess up because you don’t want to know what will happen. 8:45 am- You are back in the nutrition room to load on carbs and other vital nutrients provided generously by the lovely Ms. Monica. 9:00 am- This is your favorite time of day. Class doesn’t start for 3 hours, lifting is over, you had some great breakfast food, and now you get to relax. That is unless you play ping pong or go into the players lounge and play someone in 2k, then that game is just as intense as lifting. However, you can be like me and go sleep for 3 hours 11:45 am- Time to get up and walk those shaking exhausted legs to class. You have thoughts of skipping class, but then you remember the last person who got caught skipping class and you know it isn’t worth pushing a 225lb. sled 300 yards. 3:00 pm- After classes are complete you decide it is time to go splurge yourself for lunch (you had a tough morning you deserve it). Chick-fil-a sounds pretty nice, and you have 45 minutes to relax until you have CATS tutoring. 6:00 pm- You finally are finished with CATS and the rest of classes and now get to eat dinner at the Training Table. You get to the Training table to see the lovely Ms. Monica checking everyone’s plates, and you aren’t a big fan of your vegetables…don’t let her find that out. 7:30 pm- You get to start that homework that is due in your first class… 9:30 pm- You finish up you homework and have just enough time to watch an episode or two of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air before you start heading to bed. 10:30 pm- You set your alarm on your iPad for 5:00 am, and have to do it all over again.