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IllustrateD volume 24, issue 4 41 f "Everything is a process. Each week you can see the guys rising to the challenge and one of the great things Coach Davis and I have noticed is leaders are emerg- ing. Guys are sick and tired of being sick and tired. You can see they're really taking it upon themselves to im- prove where they're at." Players saw the physical strides, too, and that helped them keeping pushing forward. So did the environment created and nurtured inside the facility. During speed testing — using equipment Carlisle says is even more advanced than what's used at the NFL Scouting Combine — there was constant pushing and encouraging. B.J. Knauf, unable to run because of an injury, stood near the 15-yard mark almost throughout the whole testing of his Level 3 skill group, yelling "dig, dig" to urge on teammates to race past the sensors. After watching a teammate clock a 1.50 — one of the fastest times of testing and one that'd qualify among the top 1 percent among players at his position at the Combine — Knauf joked he wanted to put his cleats on. Other teammates responded with praise, high fives, pats on the back. And then lined up ready to beat the mark, competitiveness working at its best. It was the same back inside the weight room, where players were gathered to soar in the vertical jump or dispersed among the bevy of machines to bench press. After Macarthy hit his PR in the bench press, Leroy Clark and DeAngelo Yancey were soon to follow, and then word spread that Knauf was getting ready to attempt a ridiculous amount for his max. A crowd gathered, even players from other levels. Offensive guard Jordan Roos hovered, "Let's go now! Let's go!" Macarthy told Knauf, "that's light weight right there," urging him on. Knauf started his hype-up process, slapping his thighs, taking deep breaths, getting situat- ed on the bench, talking a bit and then up the bar went, arms shaking slightly but intent on locking out, and soon, it was over. Carlisle's right arm shot into the air with an emphatic "yeah," adding, "that's impressive." Knauf sprung up, swung a fist in the air, got high fives and headed to the bell. "There's a lot of positive reinforcement and positive encouragement," said center Robert Kugler, visibly bulked up in his neck and shoulders, who got to ring the bell later in the week after a PR in the squat. "You can see guys are working as a team and we're coming to- gether and it's a good thing. … Guys have been putting up a lot of weight, and guys have been getting bigger and stronger, and I like where we're at right now. "We want to go into it where we look the part. Where we're a Big Ten team where we have the size to com- pete with teams and not just go in and hope to beat these guys, but to go in and compete with teams that are big, like Ohio State and Wisconsin. We're not al- ways going to be quite as big as them, but it gives you a better chance if you can match up a little bit in size." Players made strides thanks to not just the program in place — and the unique equipment, which includes a "force plate" that few other programs in the country have, Carlisle said — but also the support staff and comprehensive approach to it. Though the sports performance aspect is a big part of seeing progress in athletes, it's not the only piece. Carlisle and Davis work closely with director of sports medicine Doug Boersma and director of sports nutri- tion Rachel Clark to maximize athletes' potential. CERAMIC • ENGINEERED HARDWOOD LAMINATES • MARBLE CARPETING Specializing in • Homes • Businesses • Churches • Schools Where Contractors Buy Their Flooring Builders! Call our Contract Department and ask for our Contract Specialist 3437 State Road 26 E. 765-447-9393 800-403-6889 FAX 765-448-9978 Across from the Post Office GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS GO BOILERMAKERS