Last week, the Arizona Wildcat football team reconvened from a month-long break from team activities to start the summer training session. First-year head coach Kevin Sumlin allowed his players some rest after they completed their spring semester finals, but the time has come for them to get focused on the upcoming year. The first day of team-oriented workouts officially began on June 4.
Given the restructuring of Arizona’s coaching staff, this summer will be the first go-around for the Wildcats strength and conditioning team under Sumlin. With the departure of former program leader Chris Allen, Arizona’s effort in the weight room and on the field will now be managed by one of Sumlin’s former Texas A&M colleagues, Brian Johnson.
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Given his experience playing at the collegiate level and in the NFL, Johnson has a vast body of football knowledge. After winning the national championship with LSU in 2003 and enjoying three years in the league, Johnson returned to the sidelines to become an assistant coach. Prior to working alongside Sumlin at Texas A&M, he spent two years with the San Francisco 49ers. His summer program – broken down weekly – will consist of three days in the weight room and two days of on-field activities, ranging from speed and agility drills to conditioning.
Although Sumlin and his position coaches aren’t allowed to offer direct on-field instruction during the summer, that doesn’t mean that football-oriented drills won’t take place. Player-run-practices (or PRPs) are typically how the Wildcats fine-tune their individual and team skills during the off-season. Veterans and leaders across the board will be tasked with putting together 7-on-7 activities and 11-on-11 team exercises and running each other through positional drills. Coaches might be watching from afar, but players will be in charge of their development and getting ready for the fall.
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As the summer progresses, be sure to check back for more information on how the Wildcats are gearing up for the 2018 season.
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