Boyd Epley, the school's director of athletic performance, is known as the father of modern strength and conditioning. When he arrived at Nebraska in 1969, the football team didn't work out during the summer. Most teams didn't. The players who stayed on campus were those who needed to take summer school to stay eligible, but Epley instituted a summer program in the mid-'70s and had moderate participation. Last summer, Epley had 147 football players.
Players are in shape when they report now.
And they are in better shape than ever. Gone are the days when players ran a mile and called it conditioning. The logic was if he can run a mile, surely he can play an entire game. The logic was wrong. Football players don't need aerobic training.