With all this talk about Miami’s facilities, it prompted me to go back and look up a recent article in Men’s Health magazine.
In September 2006, The Rock was on the cover and there was a spread about Miami alum in the NFL who return to train at The U.
For those who have the mag, it’s on pages 162-168 or click here to check it out online.
Pete Williams’ article talked about the Canes who return every off-season to train on their old stomping grounds. It focuses on how they root each other on, push their former teammates to work harder and how current strength and conditioning coach Andreu Swasey (pictured left) gets down and dirty, training with them.
For those too lazy to read the article, here are some highlights from the day Williams spent at The U’s training facility last spring:
>>> 6:25am on a late April morning and you have former teammates Frank Gore and Jon Vilma training intensely with Swasey.
“I understand where the Jets are coming from, but I’ve always gotten a good workout down here,” says Vilma. “This is what took me to the NFL.”
>>> By 7:00 am the lot is filling up. Within minutes over twenty former Canes and current NFLers are on campus to train. Even though their Miami playing days are over, they still line up and listen to Swasey as he barks comments. In this case, it’s 100-yard wind sprints.
After six sprints, players are gassed by nobody takes a knee. In Swasey’s world, the only “acceptable posture” is hands on hips. No bending over or showing fatigue.
>>> While training, Reggie Wayne shows Williams his “U” tattoo on his arm.
“Look at this. It’s like our own fraternity, our brand. When you get that tat, you’ve made it. You’re a brother. You’ve been through the blood, sweat and tears,” said Indianapolis’ top-notch receiver.
>>> By 10:30am, the parking lot looks like an exotic car show. Santana Moss rolls up in his Redskins’ colored Mercedes S550 the same time D.J. Williams parks his BMW 760Li. Further proof that if you want to get paid in the NFL, The U is a helluva stepping stone.
>>> Other notable names usually seen on campus but not around today? Ed Reed. Clinton Portis. Bubba Franks. Willis McGahee. Jeremy Shockey. Even Miami native Alex Rodriguez trains at The U instead of in New York with the Yankees.
>>> Edgerrin James sets up shop in the middle of the room next to Wayne, his former Colts teammate. Wayne is training with Moss while James and Williams and spotting each other. James is trash-talking a bit with Kenard Lang. They’re talking smack about a late season match up between their two new teams, Arizona and Denver.
“That’s a warm-up set, right?” Lang deadpans. “Please tell me that’s a warm-up set. You’d better do more than that if you want to get by me coming around the corner.”
“I’ll just stiff-arm your ass,” James quips back.
>>> When asked why he trains at Miami, James answered: “They are my fuel source. I goes back to being around successful people, having those healthy habits and doing the things it takes to maintain success.”
“If I’m around Reggie Wayne, Clinton Portis or Santana Moss, we look at each other eye-to-eye. They’re not going to suck up to me and I’m not going to suck up to them.”
>>> The session ends by 1:00pm and will resume the next morning. On his way out, Wayne tells the writer, “We’ll be ready. Teams are always waiting to see what kind of condition you’re in. If you’re in bad shape, be expected to stay in town next summer. But as long as I’m with Coach Swasey, I know I’m going to be in phenomenal shape.”
>>> Want to “Train Like a Cane” then click here and check out the Swasey Workout online.
>>> The Canes305 Message to future Miami recruits? Reread this article and decide what drives you. Do you want to be a part of this legacy or are you going to let ESPN reports about “run down facilities” sway you from being the next Hurricane great?
.:Canes305:.