North Carolina State University Athletics
Time For Two-A-days
8/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 10, 2001
By Tony Haynes
Long before the NC State football team suits for its season opener against Indiana on September 6, it must first survive what will be perhaps the most demanding and challenging part of its season. Just the mere mention of the football phrase `two-a-days' is enough to make any player shiver with dread.
For the Wolfpack, those grueling two-a-day practices begin with an 8:30 workout on Saturday morning.
"Two-a-days is always a strenuous time," said safety Terrence Holt, who flaunted his superb conditioning during Friday's annual running text. "It's tough on your body, but it's always fun to get into planning for the season and getting the pads on getting back to hitting. I like that aspect of two-a-days."
Given the results of Friday's conditioning run, perhaps two-a-days won't be quite as difficult for a Wolfpack team that appears to be in tremendous shape collectively. Only a few players fell short of their time requirements during Friday's running test.
"We kind of expected it because they worked hard this summer," said head coach Chuck Amato. "We actually upped the standards from last year on the times. We're pleased. We could have actually dropped it a couple of more seconds and the same ones would have made it."
Offensive tackle Scott Kooistra and center Keegan Weir were held out of Friday's run. Both players are working their way back from injuries that occurred last season. Defensive back Julius Patterson also missed Friday's workout because of an illness.
Conditioning runs and two-a-days in 95 degree heat don't sound like pleasant propositions, but the hard work that's been put in by almost all of the players this summer will likely payoff over the next 10 days.
"It helps because they don't think about just surviving practice and they actually can get more out of a practice," Amato said. "It can get to a point sometimes when you're in the eighth day of two-a-days and it's been 98 degrees and the heat index is 105, and then it becomes about survival, which doesn't help you get better."
Saturday morning's workout will be the first full squad practice of the preseason. Now that the freshmen have gone through a series of orientation practices, the veterans are ready to show the young guys what college football is all about.
"Everybody is excited about putting the pads on again," said linebacker Brian Jamison. "All of the freshmen have come in here talking a lot so we can't wait to give them their first taste of college football."
