Wyoming Football has changed a lot since we first arrived on campus in June of 2015 and 2016. The program has developed an expectation of winning, hard work and a Cowboy Tough mentality. Although things like the facilities and faces on the team have changed, our expectations have stayed the same.
Today on Life in the Trenches we will be giving Cowboy fans a look into winter conditioning for the Cowboys and more specifically the offensive and defensive lineman.
Winter is a crucial time for our football team. We spend seven weeks getting bigger, faster and stronger for the upcoming season. Winter conditioning is the start of the 2019 season for us and our expectation for ourselves and the team is high. We want to make the most gains as possible before spring ball so we can compete and improve on the field.
During winter conditioning we are split into groups and these groups work out at 6 a.m., 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 2:30 pm. Splitting into smaller groups allows us to get more hands-on coaching from our strength staff. We focus on strength training and speed mechanics on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Then on Wednesday we have 6 a.m. team run where everyone on the team gets a workout in together.
We are fortunate to have, in our opinion, the best strength staff in the country. Coach Ben (Iannacchione), Coach E (Eric Donaval), Coach Kiefer (Bribiesca), Coach Will (Harrison) and our interns do an astounding job when it comes to getting us right for the season.
The competition stays fierce between the offensive and defensive lines even during the offseason. The trenches are a battle every snap and the lineman train like that every day. It does not matter if we are doing power cleans, squats or bench press, every rep is a competition between the offense and the defense. Both sides want to get the edge on each other going into spring ball.
Javaree Jackson is a teammate of ours and is heading into his junior season as a Cowboy. When asked about the relationship between the two lineman groups he said, "When we're off the field or not in the weight room, we're all cool, but when we get together everybody wants to be better than the next man."
Sounds like a harsh environment but that's really how it is. Jackson also said, "We all have the same goal at the end of the day, and that is to win the Mountain West Championship."
Keegan Cryder, who will be a sophomore offensive lineman in 2019, agreed by adding, "The more strength and explosiveness you can develop in the weight room the better. On the field, we use our bodies to displace defensive linemen to make holes and create a new line of scrimmage. The weight room goes hand in hand with our play on the field."
Our fans do not always see the day-to-day work that goes into the product you see Saturday's on the field.
"Fans might not understand the amount of work coaches and players put that goes into college football and how demanding it can be", said Coach Iannacchione. "Kids who are 18 to 22 are doing very technical training, practicing and playing at a high level. They are playing through injuries and surgeries all while trying to have a life in a place that is different from where they grew up."
This is all a part of what makes college football so great. Our team is comprised of people from all over the country with different cultures and backgrounds who come together to win football games. Competing with each other helps us grow closer and allows us to bond. We might talk trash and strive to be better than each other every day, but off the field we are all close friends. Winter conditioning is a great time for us to compete and grow closer as a team going into a new season.
The culture that we create during the offseason has a tremendous impact on all of that. Coach Iannacchione is a true believer in that and so are the rest of us. He said, "The way that we work right now, the way we focus on the details, and the way we execute will have a direct correlation to how we play next fall."
Gavin's Perspective
The competition does not only take place between offense and defense, the competition is fierce within the offensive line as well. We are some of the biggest, strongest, and in my opinion the most athletic position group on the team. We want to compete against each other to see who can lift the most, run the fastest, push the prowler quicker and just have bragging rights on each other. A prime example is how
Patrick Arnold thinks he can bench press more than me. He can do all the extra reps he wants but at the end of the day, when we load the bar up with weight, he just cannot keep up with me. I am a fair man however, and I let Patrick respond to how it felt being second strongest on the team.
Patrick said, "Gavin talks a big game, but when it comes to actually loading up the bar and lifting, he uses excuses like 'I don't need to prove anything.'"
Josiah's Perspective
Defensive linemen are clearly more athletic than offensive linemen, all you need to do is look at this year's NFL Combine. Anyway, winter conditioning is tough, and by no means are we taking a break right now. There is constant work to try and better ourselves both on the field and in the weight room. With that comes a lot of competition, we get caught up a lot in beating the guy next to us, whether it be an offensive guy or a defensive guy. But the truth is, as long as you are striving to be better than you were the day before you are headed in the right direction.
"Jojo (Josiah) is making up stories, and just because he went viral one time because of a dance doesn't mean D-Linemen are good athletes." Gavin said.
Next time we are going to take a look inside spring ball, as we are already a week into it, and try to show everybody how things switch up this time of year.
