University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Hit The Field In Full Pads
8/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 10, 2003
HOUSTON, Texas - For the first time this preseason the University of Houston football team donned full pads for one of their workouts, toiling in the heat and humidity for two hours this afternoon on the UH Practice Fields.
With the first day of two-a-days on the horizon tomorrow, UH head coach Art Briles talked about his team's performance on the afternoon.
"We have a chance to take ourselves further than we've been before," commented the first-year head coach. "We have to get hot. We have to get sweaty. We have to get the pads on (and) work in the pads. And we have to grow as a football team.
"So, that is what I like about (a practice in the heat). We have to go further than we've been yet. And now, we're just backing out of the driveway. We haven't left home. We have a journey in front of us."
The week ahead for Briles and his Cougars will present the toughest test yet, as Houston will begin two-a-days on Monday and practice seven times during the week before an afternoon scrimmage on Friday, August 15. Still, Briles likes where his team is on the eve of two-a-days.
"The morning session will be a learning session," added Briles, "and the afternoon will be a practice like today. The whole idea about going out and seeing who's the toughest, we're not into that. We're going out there to find out who's the best football player.
"We're focusing on becoming a better football team with better players."
The Cougars will have two entire weeks of two-a-days before settling into its normal season routine seven days out from the season opener. Houston will kick off the 2003 season, when they play host to cross-town rival Rice on August 30 in the annual Administaff Bayou Bucket at John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium.
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