The Tiger's National Championship win was no surprise to those who know LSU
Head coach Nick Saban of LSU celebrates after defeating Oklahoma 21-14 to win the National Championship at the Nokia Sugar Bowl on January 4, 2004 at the Louisiana 22 The Tigers' National Championship win was no surprise to those who know LSU by Kim Goss There was a time LSU fans had to flip all the way back to 1958 to remember their team winning a national championship, so only the diehards held out much hope for this year’s Tigers to repeat the feat. Despite the Tigers’ winning streak, the media had given this talented team relatively scant attention, choosing instead to focus on the BCS controversy between Oklahoma and USC.
But when the Tigers roared to a 21-14 victory against Oklahoma in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on January 4, they won the respect of an entire nation. From Oklahoma’s perspective, with a national championship on the line and pitted against a 12-1 team like the 2003 Tigers, the Sooners obviously hadn’t intended to take anything for granted. However, they could not have predicted that the Tigers would be able to shut down their offense, which had been averaging 45 points per game and was under the leadership of a quarterback who had won the Heisman Trophy. Nevertheless, matched up against LSU in the Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma was held to only 14 points and a mere 154 total yards offense. country.
And once you’ve seen LSU’s athletic facilities and gotten to know their strength coaches and athletic trainers, you’ll have to agree that this school really knows how to produce champions. The Tigers perform their offfield workouts in the LSU strength and conditioning facility. Located in Tiger Stadium, the weightroom is 10,000 square feet and contains all the combinations of Olympic barbells, lifting platforms, squat racks and benches necessary for building strong football programs.
The man in charge of making the A Strength Training Legacy If it’s true that a football team’s conditioning can be judged by the strength of its defense, then LSU’s conditioning program and sports medicine program must be considered among the best in the Corey Webster #13 of LSU carries the football after intercepting a pass by Oklahoma in the first quarter. The Tigers’ defense shut down the Sooners’ offense, which had been averaging 45 points Running back Justin Vincent #25 of LSU carries the football to score the team's second Tigers bigger, faster and stronger is Tommy Moffitt.
Currently in his fourth year as LSU’s strength and conditioning coordinator, Moffitt previously coached at the University of Miami (1994-97) and the University of Tennessee (19981999). Moffitt coached many of the athletes who went on to win 24 national championships for those schools (Tennessee in 1998 and Miami in 2001). His accomplishments earned him the 1999 Collegiate Football Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year awarded by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Society. Moffitt, a 1986 graduate of Tennessee Tech University, comes from Springfield, Tennessee. ”Our football players really work hard here and this year’s success is a direct result of all their labor,”
says Moffitt. “It all began last January when we started training. The intensity, effort and toughness that our guys exhibited was outstanding. It didn’t matter 1992 Moffitt what we threw at was also them, whatever awarded the we asked them National High to do, they did School Strength it.” Coach of the The Tigers Year Award. “It lift three days a was always a week, dream of mine emphasizing to coach at LSU explosive multiand now that joint movements dream has and strength become a development. reality. My wife Each spring the Tiger’s Tommy Moffitt is currently and I used to participate in a in his fourth year as LSU’s come here and “Fourth Quarter”
strength and conditioning watch the Tigers play, and I knew program that Baton consisting of four coordinator. Rouge and Tiger days of speed Stadium was something special.” improvement and agility drills. While at John Curtis Moffitt “This is where championships are met Gayle Hatch, a weightlifting won,” says Moffitt. “Our goal is to coach from Baton Rouge who compete for 60 minutes, and you can’t do it if you are not in shape!” Moffitt credits for most of his success.
Hatch was coached by the Moffitt began his coaching late Alvin Roy, and through him career at John Curtis Christian developed a total conditioning High School in New Orleans, program for football that Louisiana, where he was the emphasized plyometrics and the school’s strength coach, wrestling Olympic lifts. An LSU graduate, coach and assistant offensive line Roy was recruited by head football coach. During that time John coach Paul Dietzel to design the Curtis’ football team won four of weight training program that 18 football championships and helped LSU win the national four weightlifting state championship in 1958. championships in class 4A.
In In an interview by Karl Dubois that appeared in the December 26, 2003 issue of The Advocate, a Baton Rouge newspaper, Moffitt acknowledged Hatch’s contributions. “What I’ve done is taken his theories and methodology for training weightlifters and adapted it for football,” says Moffitt. “He’s been a major influence in the things that I’ve done. I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for Coach Hatch.
Tiger Sports Medicine Football is a tough sport, and even the best-conditioned athletes are likely to get injured in due course. Whenever those injuries occur, LSU athletes receive the best of care at the Broussard Center for Athletic Training. The center is named after Martin J. Broussard, who served as an athletic trainer from 1948 to 1993 and as an assistant to the athletic director from 1993 to 2001. The 23,000-square-foot facility includes the largest hydrotherapy pools in the country, a full-service pharmacy, an on-site X-ray room and a full-service vision center.
John Burnside is one of nine graduate assistant athletic trainers The Tigers lift three days a week, emphasizing explosive multi-joint movements and strength development. at LSU. He attended Miami Southridge High School in Miami, Florida, where he says he became interested in his field from his association with strength coach Len Walencikowski, a BFS clinician who has been at Miami Southridge since 1979. From there, Burnside did his undergraduate work at the University of Central Florida, then applied to graduate school at LSU, working under Director of Sports Medicine Jack Marucci. “We have been fortunate this year in terms of keeping players healthy,” says Burnside.
“We’ve had pretty good success with everything we’ve done with treatment and in the strength room to keep athletes healthy, and across-the-board we’ve had a reduced number of injuries, both acute and overuse. Burnside says that all LSU freshmen are evaluated by the sports medicine staff for possible orthopedic, biomechanical and flexibility problems. Based on these assessments and a careful evaluation of the athlete’s injury history, the staff develops special testing and training programs. When rehabilitation is required, LSU is current with all the latest techniques.
During Burnside’s first year at LSU he worked with the track team, and it was through this experience that he was introduced to Dr. Michael Ripley, who taught him many Active Release techniques. Active Release is a “Our goal is to compete for sixty minutes, and you can’t do it if your not in shape,” says LSU’s strength and conditioning coordinator Tommy Moffitt. 26 LSU’s athletic training facility covers 23,000 square feet. Pictured is graduate assistant athletic trainer John Burnside performing Active Release, a soft tissue rehabilitation technique.
soft-tissue technique that is revolutionizing athletic training, allowing injured athletes to return to the game much faster than with traditional sports massage techniques. “Active Release differs from sports massage in that it allows me to get sport specific, duplicating the same mechanics that occur in sports,” says Burnside. “It also allows me to pinpoint certain areas that I couldn’t with sports massage. We often use Active Release and other forms of soft tissue manipulation in conjunction with a progressive resistance exercise program for the best results.”
Fantastic facilities, a skilled and knowledgeable sports medicine staff, the best rehabilitation methods and good communication with all departments and staff working with the athlete— that’s the LSU formula to develop champion athletes.
Great Expectations LSU’s academic program is as impressive as its athletic Power cleans are a core lift for the LSU Tigers.
The student body and the program. LSU opened in 1860 and city of Baton Rouge are strongly has graduated more than 170,000 behind LSU athletics, and on students. It offers bachelor’s January 24, 2004, 75,000 fans degrees in 71 major fields, master’s degrees in 75 major fields lined the streets in downtown Baton Rouge to and doctoral cheer their team degrees in 54 Nick Saban, head in the Parade of major fields. The football coach, had Champions. university is this to say about trying Coach Saban, named as one of who was named the nation’s 20 to repeat in 2004, “This Associated most beautiful year's accomplishPress Coach of campuses in ments are next year's the Year, Thomas Gaines’ expectations.
You have summed up his The Campus as a to have special opinion of his Work of Art. team and his Academic character, you have to expectations for excellence is also have a special attitude, the future: an integral part of you have to have a “This is the the Head Coach special commitment type of team Nick Saban’s and willingness to do a everyone hopes football program. they have an When he arrived lot of things that some opportunity to at LSU four years aren't willing to do.” coach. What ago, 47 of his I’m thinking is players had under how are we a 2.0 grade point going to get this done next year, average.
On this year’s team there because this year’s accomplishare only three under 2.0, and during the fall semester 39 football ments are next year’s expectations.” BFS players finished with a 3.0 and three had a perfect 4.0!
B BFS FS VI VID DEOS EOS Priced at $29 each on VHS or $39 each on DVD please specify when ordering Each Video contains the most complete and detailed information available on video.
NOW ON DVD & VHS DVD Chapter Setup makes it easy to get the specific information you want at a click of the button. TWO VOLUME SET OVER 2-1/2 Hours Long! D V D & V H S A R E THE SAME PRICE! Speed All Core Lifts Flexibility Auxiliary Lifts Plyometrics Agility & More! Technique secrets How to Record Lifts The BFS All-Sport Video Our Total Program Video covers basic information on virtually every subject.
DVD HAS EXTRA CHAPTERS NOT IN THE VHS TAPE Power Clean & Variations 322036-57 min.
Upper Body Plyometrics 322047 - 17 min.
With proper coaching and instruction virtually every athlete can improve their Clean, an essential core lift. This video shows you how.
From medicine ball workouts to pushups with plyometric boxes, this video covers many different upper body workouts. Great for all programs.
Bench & Variations 322037 - 28 min.
Speed with Stefan Fernholm 322045 - 57 min.
Although this might seem like a simple lift, there are many tricks and techniques to learn about the Bench. Includes info on the Towel Bench.
Squat & Variations 322035 - 70 min. Coach Shepard reveals every coaching tool, technique and trick that he has accumulated in 40 years of training, coaching and doing hundreds of BFS clinics. This video is truly amazing.
Auxiliary Lifts322040 - 37 min. Information on choosing and doing auxiliary lifts. Inclines, Straight Leg Dead Lifts, Neck work, the Glute Ham and more!
Dead Lift & Hex/Trap Bar 322038 - 25 min A great motivational lift as well as being a core lift. Learn how the Hex/Trap Bar can build strength for jumping power. See Deadlift competition from a BFS clinic.
Flexibility 322050 - 25 min. Flexibility is the key to speed, injury prevention and longevity. This is an essential part of any program. Includes the BFS 1-2-34 Flexibility Program for easy effective stretching.
BFS Sets & Reps #322039 - 63 min. See how to record your lifts correctly. Teach everyone how to break 8 or more records every week with the BFS Total Program!
BFS In-Season Training #322041 - 39 min. BFS In-Season Training Program in detail. With lifts, technique and more. Featuring NBA Center, Felton Spencer.
The world’s fastest big man. At 6’1” 270 lbs. Stefan runs an amazing 4.3 forty. Also includes the BFS 7-point sprint program.
Speed for Football with Kevin Devine 322044 - 57 min. The NFL’s fastest man shows his secrets for obtaining a remarkable 4.23 forty speed. Focused on speed for football players.
Weightroom Safety #322078.....24 min. Protect your athletes and yourself with this informative safety video. Show this the first day. Liability protection is a must!
The Total Program for Women #322080 - 58 min. The Total BFS Program designed for women features several talented female junior high and senior high athletes.
The Readiness Program #322055 - 58 min. The BFS Program for junior high ages and beginning athletes focus is on technique & starting out right.
The BFS Dot Drill 322060 - 22 min. Five dots placed like a five on a dice make up the foundation for the BFS Dot Drill. This agility drill is great for warm-ups, speed work and injury prevention.
Plyos & Box Jumping 322046 - 60 min. Transfer power from the weight room onto the field with explosive power developed with plyometrics. Includes field plyos and box jumping routines. The demonstrations are exceptional.
From BFS Magazine — Spring 2004. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
