Week 2

Behind the Scenes A Week of Training Camp

1st ... A Camp Update from Coach

Selection Sunday

Sunday night 36 players selected their jersey numbers for the season in a ceremony at Scott Stadium that will be repeated twice more during fall camp.

"When we first did it, I thought it was a bit unorthodox and it was strange to everybody. But what Coach Mendenhall did was really put a premium on your work in the off-season and what we have done to this point and it shows who the leadership is and who the leadership thinks deserves a jersey. It just makes the selection more special since we have to earn it every year. I think it makes it very personal since it comes from our leadership. It shows which guys have worked to earn the spot they’re at." – Eli Hanback

Shawn Smith relaxes in the locker room before practice.

Film School

"As the practice is shot, we’re capturing those cards as they come in about every 20 plays or so. Our staff is editing it to make sure everything matches up and at the end of practice it is consolidated down to one file. We then come back to the office and load that onto a server and the coaches and team can watch it in-house and also push it out to the players' iPads so they can watch it any time." – Luke Goldstein, Assistant Athletics Director for Video Services

The Weigh In

"We have weigh-in and weigh-out right around practice. The players are weighed twice a day. We measure how much sweat they lose during practice and that lets us know how much fluids they have to replace so they don’t start the next day dehydrated." – Randy Bird, Director of Sports Nutrition

Table Talks

"You go to a table to eat, so we’re feeding each other spiritually and mentally just wisdom or whatever we are studying or interested in. We’ll come to the table and everyone will share something from what they are learning throughout the day." - Bryce Hall on the locker room table talks players hold.

Fuel the Engine

Randy Bird passes out energy chews during a practice.

"There are four scheduled meals. We have breakfast right outside the locker room, then there is a full buffet lunch and a full buffet dinner and we have an evening snack that most people would view as a full meal. There are also snacks in the weight room all day. It is difficult for them to maintain weight. Guys can’t afford to lose weight during camp, so it is a constant battle to keep weight on them." – Randy Bird, Director of Sports Nutrition

Defensive lineman Samson Reed picks up an afternoon snack.

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall talks to the officials working the team's mid-week scrimmage at Scott Stadium.

The Big Chill

Bobby Haskins (left), Zane Zandier (center) and Tyler Fannin (right) relax in the ice bath following practice.

Shawn Griswold, the team's Director of Football Development & Performance, plans out an afternoon session in the weight room.

A Day Off and a Trip to the Lanes ...

“It was a great opportunity for all of our bodies to get a rest. It has been a tough camp for everyone. It’s a lot of fun. Little things like going bowling, you don’t really see it on game days but I think it really is part of the culture that we build. It is really part of the ‘Family First, Family Last and Family Always’ pillar.” - Quarterback Lindell Stone

... Followed by a Special Team Dinner

“Crab legs? I loved them. I’m a Maryland guy so I love crab and love seafood. That was a very pleasant surprise. It is exciting because our days on are tough. It (day off) was a great time to spend time with teammates which I think is great bonding which I believe helps us on the field.” – Linebacker Charles Snowden.

Managing It All

"We have three full-time staff and then eight students who work camp. They're here at 7 a.m. and some are back a night til 9 p.m. to help with the day's laundry. They're invaluable because we use three different fields for camp. It can be very challenging. Fortunately, we are able to use our small straight-line truck as our storage unit. It is basically a mobile road show. We can take that to all three facilities and keep everything in one spot and functioning." – Greg Klimas, Director of Equipment Room Operations

Inside Scoop

UVA website writer Jeff White interviews Reed Kellam after Monday's practice for an article on the team's jersey selection process.

Checking In

Defensive lineman Aaron Faumui takes time to check Instagram before practice.

Posers

Cornerback Bryce Hall (left) and linebacker Charles Snowden strike a pose before hitting the practice field.

Test Subjects

Offensive lineman Derek Devine returns his mouth guard following practice. Select players wear special mouth guards that contain an impact sensor to record how much force is delivered on a hit during practice. The data is being collected for a research study at the University.

Rest & Recovery

Freshman offensive lineman Zachary Teter uses a pair of air compression boots to assist with post-workout recovery.

The Kings of Pong

Kickers Brian Delaney (top), A.J. Mejia (left) and Nash Grifin (right) get in some time on the table. Griffin and Ben Hogg (center) are two of the team's top players and will battle for the team's heralded ping pong trophy.

“It is extremely competitive. There are a few top dogs but during fall camp everyone is excited to play and there can be long lines of people wanting to play. You can wait a half hour to get on the table. It’s a huge competitive advantage to be able to win to stay on the table. We have short breaks during the day, so ping pong is the perfect active, but not physically intensive, activity we can do.” – Punter Nash Griffin

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

"Hydration is critical. I love to see them walking around with a one-gallon jug of water that they finish by the end of the day. Any combination of water or Gatorade makes me smile." - Kelli Pugh, Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine

Watchful Eyes

NFL Scouts are regular visitors at UVA practices. Representatives from the Jaguars, Jets and Bronco took in Wednesday's practice at Scott Stadium.

Puppy Love

During a break in the day's schedule, running back Lamont Atkins enjoys some time with roommate PK Kier's puppy Rosé.

Tape Room

The training staff will go through approximately 1500 rolls of tape during the course of one practice week.

Social Awareness

Members of UVA's video services operation capture footage to be used for social media clips during the week.

A student manager cools off before Saturday's scrimmage.

Nap Time

“A good nap is mission critical for a fall camp practice. If you don’t get one before practice, you’re going to be tired and drowsy going into warm-ups. To get ahead, you have to take that nap. Find a comfy spot, a quiet place in the dark and just let the sleep take you. You don’t want to go too far on a nap. I’ve learned that through my years of experience. The sweet spot is about 10 to 45 minutes. You wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to go.” – Offensive lineman Ben Trent

The In-Between

Bronco Mendenhall finds time in his schedule to record a video message for the University Communications staff and later chats with ESPN reporter David Hale after a practice.

Life in the Fast Lane

Associate AD for Football Administration Gerry Capone is constantly on the move during Fall Camp. He relies on his scooter to quickly move around Grounds and between practice sites.

Student Support

Several dozen undergrads and interns end their summers early to assist with the logistics of training camp. They work to assist the full-time staff with equipment, video services, hydration, nutrition and other duties.

Outfitted with a camera, running back PK Kier assisted with the telling of this week's recap through some of his photos.

“I had a lot of fun. Everybody likes getting flicked up so everybody was always asking me to take their picture. They act differently when you have a camera with you. Marketing is something I want to do in the future and marketing includes pictures, so this is something that interests me.” – Running back PK Kier.

Coverage Links ...

Video: WR Terrell Jana • Training Camp Notebook • Reed Kellam Honored at Jersey Ceremony

Week Recap No. 1

UVA Football Twitter • UVA Football Instagram • Purchase Tickets

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