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Earlier yesterday BruinReportOnline.com's Tracy Pierson posted a story that the football team has been in San Diego since Sunday night for an "unprecedented" start to the fall camp. Since then the word has gotten out on the internets that the UCLA football team is reportedly training with the seals in San Diego. And now the word is officially out via what else ... Twitter:
#UCLA #Footballers + @us_navyseals for 3 days in SD to start 2013 Campaign #Team #Challenge #Commitment #ZeroDarkThirty #GetUrMindRight
— YARD STRENGTH INC. (@YARD_STRENGTH) August 6, 2013
I am sure we will hear more about this in the coming days via appropriate media channels. But it is worth noting that while this is certainly unprecedented for UCLA, it's not the first time a college football program has participated in special navy seals training program. Michigan head coach Brady Hoke who went over to the Wolverines from San Diego State had the Michigan players partake in special navy seals leadership training program. Northwestern's football team has also had special training with the navy seals. WATCH:
And, not just college football programs. Elite Olympic athletes have also taken part in special navy seals training program.
Will this special training program give our football program an edge heading into 2013 season? Well, as noted in the ESPN piece:
It's the ultimate boot camp. Those who have done it say SEALs training is tougher, psychologically and physically, than any other training they've done.
By taking them to their breaking point, and sometimes beyond, athletes also say it forges togetherness like no other sport-related experience, and helps them perform under pressure.
Those are pretty good arguments. But at the same time this upcoming year we are hoping to see a well drilled, fundamentally sound football team that will not hurt itself by making mistakes (don't forget how drive killing penalties was a big issue for this program this past season). Will this kind of training help Mora turn this year's squad into a focused, disciplined team which will not hurt itself with self-inflicted mistakes?
Guess we will find our answers this fall. That said Mora deserves credit for trying out an approach that is at least fresh in the Pac-12 conference. Let's hope it pays dividend by giving the Bruins an early edge, setting us up a for a big season in 2013.
GO BRUINS.