Cardinals' Football Diary Day 2
August 05, 2006 | Football
Aug. 5, 2006
Louisville, Ky. - Assistant SID Rocco Gasparro provides an overview each day of football practice.
Today was a long day for the football players. It was Media and Fan Day. The players arrived at the complex this morning for brekfast at 7:00 a.m. and concluded very late.
I arrived at the complex and was amazed by the amount of fans already there. The numbers kept growing as 1,200 attended the pancake breafast and about 4,000-5,000 attended to get autographs. Later in the day, about 700 people attended the afternoon workout.
After the players signed autographs for the fans, I tortured them with Media Day. Actually our Media Day is quick. It really only takes about an hour to lineup for the team picture, take all their headshots and shots for their families and do interviews with the press.
The team took their photos in their black jersey, a popular favorite among fans, but the players were complaining it was too hot.
After Media Day, the players broke for lunch and had a little break before reporting back for 1:00 p.m. position meetings. Some players forgot to get their headshots so I had to round up a few before meetings.
The freshmen took the field at 2:30 p.m. to another throng of fans. It was great to see all the fans line both sides of the practice fields.
The Cardinals had a good practice with excellent focus and intensity as the sun baked the practice fields.
Senior captain Nate Harris made a couple of nice plays during pass skelton and Brian Brohm and Hunter Cantwell threw the football really well.
It was so hot out there this afternoon that players dropped 5-10 pounds apiece, but the training staff makes sure they put it all back by eating right and getting enough fluids.
The team just finished dinner around 7:00 p.m. and had to stick around for position meetings. They're pretty tired after two grueling practices and have to be back at school early in the morning for Sunday's 10:00 a.m. workout.
