University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Mindful of Heat Stress During Hot August Days
August 16, 2005 | Football
Aug. 16, 2005
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The sound of three horn blasts in a row on a hot day can be a good thing -- a very good thing.
Because around the Tennessee football practice field, those three horns signal break time per the instructions of UT head athletic trainer Keith Clements. And those breaks are not a suggestion, they are mandatory.
"Typically, we gauge our breaks off the weather," Clements said during Tuesday's two-hour practice at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. "We evaluate the temperature and humidity each day and plan accordingly. Obviously, this week has been hot with the heat index into triple digits. I think it topped out around 105 Monday.
Tennessee took its first break Tuesday at 4:12 p.m., with temperatures hovering in the low 90s and heat indexes again climbing above 100 degrees. The setting has been much the same of late, but Clements says the strict regimen along with summer conditioning has the Vols stepping lively thus far.
"We get them under the tent, get them in the fans and the misters. They get in the shade, get some ice towels on them, get their helmets off and get plenty of fluids inside of them.
"During this sort of hot weather, our guys lose a lot of salt. We spend a lot of time replenishing the salt they lose through sweating with things like Gatorade and Pediolite, which reduces the amount of cramping we might have and I.V.s we have to administer."
Clements says the first break usually lasts 8-10 minutes, with a five-minute recess later the next hour.
"So far, Johnny Long and his staff have done a great job getting the guys in shape. And my athletic training staff has done a great job hydrating them. We just progress forward and handle each day on an individual basis."
ESPN CAMERAS TO SHOW VOLS' WEDNESDAY PRACTICE
Tennessee's Wednesday morning practice -- the team's first at Haslam Field after 21/2 weeks in the Lindsey Nelson Stadium outfield -- can be viewed by Vol fans later in the day on ESPN. The sports network is taping UT's sunrise workout and condensing it into a one-hour telecast.
Air time is noon Eastern, with later reairings on ESPNU, the network's all-college sports station.
"Our players will be excited about going to our practice field, I know that," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "I'm not sure what they know about ESPN being here but it shouldn't affect the way we go about our work."
Mark May, Jerry Punch and Trevor Matich will be dissecting UT's early-season form and speaking with the Tennessee coaching staff during the workout. ESPN's cameras were in Blacksburg, Va., Monday for Virginia Tech's practice and move to Baton Rouge, La., Friday for an LSU workout.
Later airings of the Tennessee practice session on ESPNU are (all times Eastern): Wednesday at 8 p.m.; Thursday at 8 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.; Friday at 1:30 a.m., 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Aug. 20 at midnight; and Aug. 25 at 2 p.m.
CAMPBELL ADJUSTING WELL TO GRADUATE ASSISTANT ROLE
Shep Campbell is the newest member of the Tennessee football coaching staff. He accepted the position of graduate assistant, working mainly with John Chavis and the Tennessee defensive staff.
The 28-year-old comes to Knoxville after spending the 2004 season as wide receivers coach at Division II Arkansas-Monticello. A native of Fayetteville, Ark., Campbell had accepted the defensive coordinator's position at Hamburg (Ark.) High School for the 2005 season when the opportunity in Knoxville presented itself.
"I was only there a month when this spot opened up," Campbell said of this high school job. "But it is a good opportunity for me to come to a program like Tennessee. I'm familiar with the SEC and it's a great league to coach in."
Campbell played defensive back for three years at Central Arkansas before finishing his arts and sciences degree in 2001 at the University of Arkansas. His father, Louis, is in his eighth year as director of football operations for the Razorbacks and his brother, Steadman, is a defensive graduate assistant at Alabama.
"Shep has done an excellent job for us, particularly in light he came here the day before we began fall practice," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "He was in two-a-days at a good high school in Arkansas and the next day he packed his bags and moved to Tennessee.
"He comes from great stock. His dad and I are great friends and have been for a long time. I have great respect for his dad as a coach and Shep had nothing but sterling recommendations from the people he had worked for and been around."
Campbell has held two previous graduate assistant posts, serving at Baylor in 2002 and at East Carolina in 2003.
