Inside Penn State's Indoor Football Workouts
It's hot lifting weights while wearing a face mask, Penn State kicker Jordan Stout said, and Holuba Hall feels big and quieter with smaller workout groups.
But the energy is there, Stout said, and rising. And like his teammates, Stout is eager for that atmosphere to grow louder.
"I can't wait until we can finally be back with the entire team and all the coaching staff," Stout said.
Penn State is concluding its second week of voluntary football workouts, which are being conducted primarily at Holuba Hall, the team's indoor facility. They're highly controlled sessions, with small groups working through lifting stations in a directed order.
Most football players returned to campus June 8 and began the voluntary workouts June 15. Phase II of the return cycle began this week, with more players joining the workouts and coaches returning to their offices at the Lasch Football Building.
Penn State has not announced results from testing of returning student-athletes for COVID-19.
This week, Stout and fellow kicker Jake Pinegar conducted media calls during which they described the workout process. It sounds orderly and regulated, with players contributing as much noise and energy as they can.
Returning to campus and working out together has helped. Still, they're not going to call the situation normal, particularly for those true freshmen taking part in their first college lifts.
"For those guys, it’s got to be extremely different," Pinegar said. "Obviously with what's going on, it's not like a warm welcome back. It's a weird process, shifting back here and doing this. ... Our [training] staff has made it a pretty smooth transition. They're in good hands."
Earlier this week, Penn State President Eric Barron said that the return of student-athletes for voluntary workouts did not necessarily signal the certain return of fall sports. Barron stressed that the workouts are meant to help prepare athletes and prevent injuries should they play.
At Holuba Hall, players are required to wear masks or gaiters during all workouts. Sometimes Stout runs with the mask, which he called more helpful than you might expect.
Players are working out in small groups in a "very organized, step-by-step process," Pinegar said. Times are scheduled and adhered to, allowing for proper equipment cleaning between lifting groups.
"They need time to sanitize, spray, wipe and clean every little piece of Holuba Hall before another group is even allowed in there," Pinegar said. "There's a big time between [groups]."
Stout said the atmosphere in Holuba Hall has been upbeat as more players get into the swing of workouts. Players were apart for three months, so they're naturally getting "hyped up" during the sessions. And the training staff has tried to recreate the weight-room workout stations as best they can in the fieldhouse.
The guidelines stretch beyond those workouts, as players are told to wear masks off-campus, disinfect their rooms, change sheets and wash clothes regularly.
"They're preaching to us to do the obvious: Don't put yourself in those situations where you're putting yourself or your teammates at risk of the virus," Pinegar said.
