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Cal takes intense approach to Friday practices
The Cal Bears are trying something new this year in order to better prepare for Saturday's: full speed Friday practices. Now, the players aren't wearing pads, but the Cal coaches believe that going full speed on Friday's and resting on Thursday's is a better routine
"Thursday is the no-sweat day where we give them complete rest," said Cal's strength and conditioning coach Damon Harrington.
Harrington believes that ramping up the speed on Friday's, even if it isn't a full contact practice, is great for his players.
"It's not a lot," Harrington said, "but it's enough to fire up the nervous system in preparation for Saturday."
"That's what we do," said junior running back Khalfani Muhammad, of the new system "Two days before is when you want to get all your rest in. The day before you want to do your fine-tuning. Warm up the engine, let it know that tomorrow's the day."
The Oregon Ducks are one of the few schools believe in Friday practices, which was installed under former head coach Chip Kelly.
"Pretty much to a man, all the guys who had been in different systems said that's the best they felt at the end of the year," said cornerbacks coach John Lovett, who worked with Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles the past two years.
If it's good enough for Chip Kelly, it's good enough for Cal.
(h/t San Jose Mercury News)
