IU Focuses on ‘Today’
8/9/2020 8:57:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The pandemic continues, rules change, infection rates rise, and Tom Allen and the Indiana football program remain in control-what-they-can-control mode.
What choice do they have?
On Saturday morning, the Big Ten released a statement that football programs will remain in the "acclimation period" of practice to ensure the conference is making "the right health and safety decisions for our student-athletes."
What does that mean?
Teams can only use helmets as protective pieces of equipment while practicing.
IU opened practice on Thursday. NCAA rules state the first two practice days will be conducted without pads. Teams can move to pads on the third day.
So the Hoosiers adjusted. Allen calls it "not blinking." It comes from the knowledge Hoosier officials have devised a medically comprehensive, scientifically-based plan to maximize safety and development.
"We're trying to do everything we can to protect our guys," Allen says. "The way we practice, the structure, the organization, the field use, keeping everybody spread out, doing a lot more small, smaller groups, more isolated, individual things as much as we can.
"At the same time, when we do come together, trying to maximize our field space. Utilizing all the rules and protocols we have to follow for certain number of guys either in a room or on a field or in a facility.
"We've spent hours, hours, hours planning practice. We've had to scrap certain plans, redo plans."
It happened again Saturday.
Allen's message remains clear even if the situation and prospects for the season do not.
"We're going to focus on one thing and that's today," Allen says. "I can't control tomorrow. I never have been able to control tomorrow, but more than ever we have to focus on today.
"Yeah, we're going to have a plan, but man, we had a lot of plans going into all this. Most of those plans have been scrapped. So, it's going to focus on the short term of today."
There's plenty to focus on. IU, coming off an 8-5 season, received a vote in this week's coaches' preseason poll. It also faces a new schedule as the Big Ten has gone to a conference-only format. The Hoosiers will face No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 7 Penn State, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 15 Michigan and No. 18 Minnesota in the opening six weeks.
No matter. Allen likes what he sees in what likely is his best IU team.
"There are a lot of positive things. Really good energy. Love our team. We've got a lot of hungry guys who really enjoy being around each other."
Saturday's Big Ten announcement emphasizes the difficulty of trying to have a season in the midst of a pandemic. Allen has addressed that with his players, as he has so many things.
The underlying theme -- life will knock you down. You can't control that. But you can control getting back up and moving forward.
"We have no control whatsoever on what happens across this country, what happens other places, but we can control our mindset, the way that we attack every single day," Allen says.
"Our one word for 2020 is 'Relentless.' We're going to relentlessly attack today and control the things that we can control, which is our focus, our effort and the way that we prepare.
"As for the staff, it's keeping our players safe and it's getting them prepared."
Consider what that means – IU will play likely the most challenging opening schedule in program history (that reaches back to 1885 if you're interested) under unprecedented pandemic limitations.
"You talk about all the time when you're challenging your players about how you can't shape the game," Allen says. "What does that mean? That means you can't take shortcuts. You have to prepare a certain way to play.
"Well that means for getting ready to play your season and so the things that we've missed, you can't just speed that up and say 'Okay, well we didn't get to do all this.' You have to make adjustments."
Specifically, Hoosiers players didn't have any 7-on-7 sessions or any of the workouts they normally do over the summer.
Still, if the season goes as planned, they have to be ready for the Sept. 4 opener at Wisconsin.
"The challenge is and the balance is how do you maximize reps, but also do a really, really good job of paying attention to the bodies of your players," Allen says.
Allen praises the thoroughness of new athletic performance coach Aaron Wellman, who spent four years directing the NFL's New York Giants' strength program before joining the Hoosiers.
"He was a part of a committee that studied the last five years of training camps and how you prevent injuries, how you get your teammate to peak performance during that time, how you maximize all those things," Allen says. "His expertise in that area has already been tremendously helpful. I'm going to really rely on him heavily to make sure because that's a big piece of getting your team physically ready to play."
As far as the team's mental preparation, Allen adds, "I feel good about that."
"Zoom meetings were extremely effective in allowing our players to maximize their knowledge of our (offensive, defensive and special teams) systems."
Several players have changed positions. Receiver David Ellis also will get time at running back. Defensive lineman Gavin McCabe is now on the offensive line. And defensive backs Jamar Johnson, Raheem Layne and Bryant Fitzgerald will showcase their versatility at multiple positions.
"We're still working David at running back," Allen says. "We know what he can do at receiver. He's just one of those guys you want to get the ball to. You'll see him in both spots, and obviously on special teams as a return man.
"There's a lot of versatility (in the secondary). Jamar Johnson can play all three safety positions, and that's important for us. Raheem is at safety right now. We know he can play corner. That flexibility is going to be really important.
"It's the same thing with Bryant Fitzgerald. He can play multiple positions in the secondary. That's going to be a big priority for us to maximize the flexibility of our guys skill sets and allow us to put the best guys on the field."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The pandemic continues, rules change, infection rates rise, and Tom Allen and the Indiana football program remain in control-what-they-can-control mode.
What choice do they have?
On Saturday morning, the Big Ten released a statement that football programs will remain in the "acclimation period" of practice to ensure the conference is making "the right health and safety decisions for our student-athletes."
What does that mean?
Teams can only use helmets as protective pieces of equipment while practicing.
IU opened practice on Thursday. NCAA rules state the first two practice days will be conducted without pads. Teams can move to pads on the third day.
So the Hoosiers adjusted. Allen calls it "not blinking." It comes from the knowledge Hoosier officials have devised a medically comprehensive, scientifically-based plan to maximize safety and development.
"We're trying to do everything we can to protect our guys," Allen says. "The way we practice, the structure, the organization, the field use, keeping everybody spread out, doing a lot more small, smaller groups, more isolated, individual things as much as we can.
"At the same time, when we do come together, trying to maximize our field space. Utilizing all the rules and protocols we have to follow for certain number of guys either in a room or on a field or in a facility.
"We've spent hours, hours, hours planning practice. We've had to scrap certain plans, redo plans."
It happened again Saturday.
Allen's message remains clear even if the situation and prospects for the season do not.
"We're going to focus on one thing and that's today," Allen says. "I can't control tomorrow. I never have been able to control tomorrow, but more than ever we have to focus on today.
"Yeah, we're going to have a plan, but man, we had a lot of plans going into all this. Most of those plans have been scrapped. So, it's going to focus on the short term of today."
There's plenty to focus on. IU, coming off an 8-5 season, received a vote in this week's coaches' preseason poll. It also faces a new schedule as the Big Ten has gone to a conference-only format. The Hoosiers will face No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 7 Penn State, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 15 Michigan and No. 18 Minnesota in the opening six weeks.
No matter. Allen likes what he sees in what likely is his best IU team.
"There are a lot of positive things. Really good energy. Love our team. We've got a lot of hungry guys who really enjoy being around each other."
Saturday's Big Ten announcement emphasizes the difficulty of trying to have a season in the midst of a pandemic. Allen has addressed that with his players, as he has so many things.
The underlying theme -- life will knock you down. You can't control that. But you can control getting back up and moving forward.
"We have no control whatsoever on what happens across this country, what happens other places, but we can control our mindset, the way that we attack every single day," Allen says.
"Our one word for 2020 is 'Relentless.' We're going to relentlessly attack today and control the things that we can control, which is our focus, our effort and the way that we prepare.
"As for the staff, it's keeping our players safe and it's getting them prepared."
Consider what that means – IU will play likely the most challenging opening schedule in program history (that reaches back to 1885 if you're interested) under unprecedented pandemic limitations.
"You talk about all the time when you're challenging your players about how you can't shape the game," Allen says. "What does that mean? That means you can't take shortcuts. You have to prepare a certain way to play.
"Well that means for getting ready to play your season and so the things that we've missed, you can't just speed that up and say 'Okay, well we didn't get to do all this.' You have to make adjustments."
Specifically, Hoosiers players didn't have any 7-on-7 sessions or any of the workouts they normally do over the summer.
Still, if the season goes as planned, they have to be ready for the Sept. 4 opener at Wisconsin.
"The challenge is and the balance is how do you maximize reps, but also do a really, really good job of paying attention to the bodies of your players," Allen says.
Allen praises the thoroughness of new athletic performance coach Aaron Wellman, who spent four years directing the NFL's New York Giants' strength program before joining the Hoosiers.
"He was a part of a committee that studied the last five years of training camps and how you prevent injuries, how you get your teammate to peak performance during that time, how you maximize all those things," Allen says. "His expertise in that area has already been tremendously helpful. I'm going to really rely on him heavily to make sure because that's a big piece of getting your team physically ready to play."
As far as the team's mental preparation, Allen adds, "I feel good about that."
"Zoom meetings were extremely effective in allowing our players to maximize their knowledge of our (offensive, defensive and special teams) systems."
Several players have changed positions. Receiver David Ellis also will get time at running back. Defensive lineman Gavin McCabe is now on the offensive line. And defensive backs Jamar Johnson, Raheem Layne and Bryant Fitzgerald will showcase their versatility at multiple positions.
"We're still working David at running back," Allen says. "We know what he can do at receiver. He's just one of those guys you want to get the ball to. You'll see him in both spots, and obviously on special teams as a return man.
"There's a lot of versatility (in the secondary). Jamar Johnson can play all three safety positions, and that's important for us. Raheem is at safety right now. We know he can play corner. That flexibility is going to be really important.
"It's the same thing with Bryant Fitzgerald. He can play multiple positions in the secondary. That's going to be a big priority for us to maximize the flexibility of our guys skill sets and allow us to put the best guys on the field."
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