HUNTINGTON Ƶ While Marshall is well into its second week of spring football practice, much of the focus in the first day of media availability was instead placed on winter workouts.
How did the Thundering Herd build a cultural and physical foundation in the weight room with more than 60 newcomers?
Coach Tony Gibson said the strength and conditioning staff made it a breeze.
Ƶ(Strength and conditioning) coach D (Dwight Galt) and his staff did a great job of getting these guys in and getting them stronger,Ƶ Gibson said. ƵWe had five or six morning runs where we put them through it at 6 a.m. They responded well to that. You can see our team getting closer as we got toward the end.
ƵI give credit to the strength staff for what theyƵve been able to do in these first few months with getting guys on the same page. I love their energy and effort. We just have to keep getting better.Ƶ
Cannon Lewis is familiar with GibsonƵs philosophies as a transfer from North Carolina State, where Gibson worked before coming to Huntington. Lewis also has some familiarity with Marshall as a hometown guy who played his high school ball at Cabell Midland. HeƵs the encyclopedia.
ƵItƵs bizarre, I was the guy getting screamed at last year,Ƶ Lewis said. ƵNow people ask me questions. I tell them what I know, but itƵs been a learning curve of getting everyone on the same page. WeƵve done a really good job of it. WeƵre staying over for meetings, getting together to go out to eat Ƶ everything to get everyone as close together and know one another as we can to get this thing going.Ƶ
Lewis felt that, as one of the new players, the winter phase was when he found himself able to become a bit of a leader and gel with his new team.
ƵWinter workouts Ƶ I like them,Ƶ Lewis said. ƵI was happy to be part of something. I felt like I hadnƵt played football for years when I went to the portal for a month and a half. Winter workouts are a great time to be around all the other guys on the strength staff and put in the work. It helped us come together.Ƶ
But for Marshall returners like Toby Payne and Jalen Slappy, it was an opportunity to compare it to how things went in the past.
Slappy, an offensive lineman, loves the new system. He pointed out that little details like stretching at the end of practice have helped him begin to cut down and build muscle, one of his spring goals, more effectively.
ƵI think our strength staff is really good,Ƶ Slappy said. ƵI like how much that they care about how hard we work and how hard we recover. We stretched at the end, and weƵve never done that before. We do a lot of stuff with this new coaching staff Ƶ they know how to get us to certain reps. WeƵre not doing as many reps, but weƵre still the same level of tiredness. They know what theyƵre doing, and I trust them.Ƶ
Slappy feels there is a connection between the conditioning phase of winter Ƶ saying Marshall was doing Olympic-style lifts and cleans up to four times a week Ƶ and what the Herd wants to accomplish, a tempo offense that demands three EƵs: explosiveness, endurance and efficiency.
ƵWeƵve tried tempos the past three years, and this is already the most up-tempo offense weƵve ever done,Ƶ Slappy said. ƵItƵs going to take some time, but weƵre still in a good start. WeƵre in the first day, but weƵve been practicing with tempo all through winter workouts Ƶ itƵs going to get there.
ƵThe strength program is totally different. We still do the conditioning things, but weƵre lifting 10 times more. WeƵre working on actually getting stronger and getting more explosive.Ƶ
Slappy is beginning to step up as one of the HerdƵs cultural leaders. Even on the first day in the open session, Slappy was helping rally teammates between reps.
The early coaching from new offensive line coach Bob McClain has Slappy thinking the offensive line has high potential.
ƵCoach McClain is a good coach,Ƶ Slappy said. ƵIƵve already had four or five offensive line coaches since IƵve been here, but coach McClain is a good coach. HeƵs old-school. HeƵs coached a lot of football for a long time. I respect him so much because he lets us know where weƵre going to be. HeƵs a true O-line coach Ƶ he knows what heƵs doing. IƵm glad coach Gibby brought him in.
ƵLast year, our O-line didnƵt play as physical as it could. We were more about getting stuff off. I think that me and everybody has to play more physical on the offensive line.Ƶ
Payne, a tight end, said heƵs put on 10 pounds since last season.
ƵI feel great,Ƶ Payne said. ƵSeeing new guys Ƶ how strong they are and seeing us from the beginning of January to now and how weƵve gotten stronger, itƵs awesome.
ƵI want to keep this weight that IƵm maintaining right now. I was a little light last year, so keeping that and working on my speed can help me a lot.Ƶ
After Day 1, Payne said he has enjoyed the pace of practices, as well as the new offense.
ƵI like how this practice schedule is set up Ƶ the offense is running. I felt like we did good today. Lots to improve, though,Ƶ Payne said.
Toughness is GibsonƵs bottom line.
ƵI hope itƵs the defensive and offensive mindset for this team,Ƶ Lewis said. ƵBut thatƵs 100% what it is. He holds us to a high standard. Whether itƵs mental toughness, physical toughness, body language Ƶ everything. ItƵs in the details. HeƵs going to stay on us, and he expects us to perform at the highest level.Ƶ
