Feeling ‘stronger than ever’: How Luke Day prepped Gamecocks for first season
Luke Day kept the Gamecocks on their toes this summer.
They hardly ever knew what to expect from their new strength coach. Sophomore defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway liked the excitement that came with the unknown. Jabari Ellis, a redshirt senior defensive lineman, said tackling new drills brought out his competitive side before practices officially started Aug. 6.
There was still a small semblance of routine. Defensive lineman Zacch Pickens said the toughest drill came on Mondays, when Day had players run back-and-forth from the end zones — while carrying a heavy bag .
“He put us through almost everything you can possibly put anybody through,” Pickens said. “I definitely feel like I’m in shape. I’m feeling stronger than ever.”
Tight end Nick Muse found it challenging to keep up with the pace of daunting lift stations. He’d lift for five minutes, get 10 seconds to breathe, then lift for another five minutes.
Muse said he was still a bit sore, even after a five-day break.
“He pushed us and pushed us to our depths,” Muse said. “We were thinking, ‘Woo, this might not be for us.’ You know, every college football player has went home and sai,d ‘Hmm, I don’t know if this is for me.’ He’s gotten the best out of everybody.”
Day came to Columbia after stints in various strength and conditioning roles with the Cincinnati Bengals, Marshall, Colorado, UCF and USF. He’s made a good impression with players, Shane Beamer and the other coaches on South Carolina’s staff who have noticed the impact Day had on the roster over the summer.
Day’s philosophy to strength coaching is built on more than exercise and agility. Tight ends coach Erik Kimrey said he’s been impressed with Day’s emotional intelligence. Kimrey is hoping to bring some of Day’s mental “adversity training” elements to the tight ends room this season.
Running backs coach Montario Hardesty said Day has become the Gamecocks’ life coach. Hardesty said he’s been briefed on some of the players’ love languages, how each of them are motivated and which players can be coached harder than others.
“He demands a lot from those guys, but he makes sure he pours it back in,” Hardesty said. “The biggest thing is an understanding of the guys, really being there. He’s not just there in the weight room. ... He’s made sure he’s there for them as a beacon of life.”
Building that trust wasn’t easy. Day was the third strength coach for senior Kingsley Enagbare, who said he was hesitant to put his faith in him at first. But Enagbare said this summer’s heartfelt moments — and some tough drills — helped Day win the Gamecocks over.
“It’s like a ‘Dang, should I trust him?’ type thing,” Enagbare said. “He preaches about love, just learning how to truly love the individual and each other. That really opened a lot of people’s eyes.”
What kind of heartfelt moments create such cohesion in a locker room? They were called “tasks of toughness.”
Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Alex Huntley said Day would take physical challenges and use them to explain how the team needs to create positive energy if a game isn’t going their way. Huntley said those tasks of toughness were the toughest part of summer workouts.
“If we could get through some of the stuff we were doing in the summer, we could really get through anything,” Huntley said. “We had a lot of rough patches this summer, but through work, we got through it. I think the mental toughness that the team has is what’s going to push us through.”
Heading into his last year as one of the Gamecocks’ leaders, Ellis said he’s never felt more ready for a football season, and it’s all thanks to Day’s mental preparation.
“I got there mentally by just understanding and knowing my worth,” Ellis said. “That’s the only difference. You’ve got to know your worth.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Feeling ‘stronger than ever’: How Luke Day prepped Gamecocks for first season."
