Allen says he notices a difference in his players this spring
What a difference a year makes.
This time last season, the Indiana football team was done with spring practice due to the Covid-19 global pandemic.
There were no more drills.
No getting newer players acclimated to the playbook and veteran players.
And, perhaps, most importantly, there was no strength and conditioning work being done with Aaron Wellman, the strength coach for the Hoosiers.
For players like offensive lineman Caleb Jones, the latter was the hardest part.
Meeting with the media recently, Jones said he has taken personal steps to ensure this season ends differently for him and the Hoosiers, as the 6-foot-8, 355-pound offensive tackle noted he is down 40 pounds from January. He added he is at a manageable weight but wants to get between 345 and 350 by the time the season opens Sept. 4 at Iowa.
"The COVID offseason was definitely one of the toughest off seasons I’ve ever had as a player,” Jones said. “Not having the structure that you’re used to during my off seasons here, it definitely threw everybody off. It threw me off, as well, trying to make sure I was getting the work done. It was just a real tough offseason, but this year is a lot different. We’ve got structure, we’ve got a great strength staff, our coaching staff is here, and we’re really trying to get better out here," he said.
Fast forward to 2021 and all that has changed, and head coach Tom Allen says he has seen quite a difference in his players and the way they look on and off the field.
Allen told the media this week that he had previously alluded to challenges in both the offensive and defensive line rooms without calling players out.
"The guys when you say you're left to yourself to do what you do naturally, those guys, usually don't run. They're glad to go lift, but it is hard for them to want to go run on their own. We were worried about that group during the pandemic, and when they came back, it was a tough time to get some of these guys back to where they were going to be in shape and not have injuries as a result of not being in shape or having excess weight that is not good weight. Caleb is a big man and his weight can go up really fast in a negative way. So encouraging and a big part of the focus for myself, and he has executed the plan. You had those guys that gained bad weight and the thinner guys who, if they aren't eating properly, easily lose weight. Those are the two groups we struggled with. To see Caleb own that and the momentum that creates in a positive way, now you see all the benefits of our nutrition staff, Coach Wellman and our strength staff and all they do," Allen said.
Allen said he has seen a noticeable difference in several players this spring.
"You take last year to now and last year we weren't together. I knew when I talked to you guys before the season began, I knew how excited I was to get our team with our strength staff consecutive days and watching their diets and getting themselves squared away and doing things you need to take care of yourself and perform at a high level, I wanted to see that. We made such a huge emphasis on it. The guys have bought in and trust it," Allen said.
One player Allen singled out was tight end Peyton Hendershot.
"Peyton has an incredible progression from where he was a few months ago and that is attributed to Coach Wellman and his staff," Allen said.
Allen mentioned that, to him, the way the players have bought in and the job Wellman and his staff have done developing players is what LEO is all about.
"It takes all of us. When I talk about LEO, it is so much bigger than what some people think it is. How does an organization work together? I have this behind the scene role and I play a massive role in the development of our guys and that to me is LEO. Guys that no one ever sees are behind the scenes making sure our guys are getting their bodies right. It takes a lot to work together to get to that point and develop. I feel like, to me, that is where you take this whole football team and that is what I am most excited about. I am fired up about the next four months where the guys change their bodies even more to go from where they are now to where they need to be to start the 2021 season. Good Lord willing we will have full set of opportunities for guys to work and develop and maximize our strength staff, nutrition staff and develop into the players I know they want to be," Allen said.
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