University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Rally Their Way Through First Two-A-Day Session
August 10, 2009 | Football
Aug. 10, 2009
What a way to start a week.
Tennessee's two-a-day practice Monday got off to a grinding start through temperatures in the 90s and stifling humidity. Facing mental fatigue for the first time this fall camp, the Vols decided to turn up the volume -- both in intensity and music.
The result left head coach Lane Kiffin offering praise for the way his players rallied after five combined hours of practice to put on a finishing show of poise and determination.
"It was an extremely long day, obviously, which is great to have," Kiffin said. "It's tough and it's grueling and you end with a live goal-line period with a lot of crowd noise (music) -- it was really good to see.
"No penalties right there and it ended up being 11 plays with as loud as you can turn noise up. It's a game that takes a lot of concentration, so we practice the same way and as loud as it will be when we go on the road and are on the 2-yard line. It's good to see our guys respond and come back out after a little slow start, unfortunately, but we rallied them back up and finished strong."
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UT worked for nearly three hours in the morning, and then returned to Haslam Field for another two-plus hours in full pads as the sun was setting. But that's the master plan for this 2009 Vols edition as Week 2 moves toward its second day.
"To have to go through a whole practice -- as tough and hard as our practices are -- it's difficult to stay in there physically and keep up your mental stuff as well. But we try to train as hard as we can so that the game becomes easier.
"You can't simulate coming out and pounding your body as long as they did this morning and then coming back and doing it again. It's tough, but that's what it's supposed to be. Two-a-days aren't supposed to be easy. They don't give you many of them anymore, so when you have them you have to maximize them."
Tennessee returns for a single workout Tuesday before doubling up again Wednesday, part of nine scheduled practices for this week.
