During the summer months, especially, this is Dwight Galt’s team. With practice time and hands-on work with the head coach and assistants limited, the strength and conditioning coach sees the student-athletes most. So he has an insight into summer workouts that only few do.
Following Saturday’s Lift for Life event at the lacrosse stadium, proud of his team’s effort and energy put forth, Galt provided an off-season update. Here are some of his comments to local reporters:
On the incoming freshman class:
“We had (the freshmen) two weeks and we hit them full go right away from the beginning. We started Monday they lifted and worked out five days last week. Everybody else did three. They’re cranking it. They’re great kids.”
On Saquon Barkley:
"He’s shown quick. Saquon is about 6-foot tall, he’s 217 pounds, he’s got six percent body fat. In the preliminary testing, he did 315 for six in the bench and he was one of our fastest kids. I think he ran like a 4.47, so he’s got all the tools. Big, fast, strong, great worker. already shows good leadership. He’s very inquisitive and he wants to do whatever he’s got to do. He does extra already. No body does extra right now. Extra is something – everybody is just trying to get through what you asked us to to do. So he’s just been phenomenal and good leadership. All the guys are kind of following his lead from the freshman class.”
On Adam Breneman:
“I went ahead and ran him (in the 40-yard dash). We went in Holuba and ran him and he ran a 4.63 at 254 pounds. Basically him and Gesicki are very similar in a speed standpoint. He’s explosive. He’s fast, he’s strong, he cleaned 335. He’s back. So, really, really pleased to have him back. He’s running routes great. Hack is ecstatic to have him back.”
On Ben Kline:
“He’s a clock puncher. Every day he comes in - the same way he runs Lift for Life is the way he trains. He’s in great shape. We’re keeping him around 235. We’re trying to keep him at a body weight where he can play all three linebacker positions so he’s ready to go and ready to compete.”
On Kevin Reihner:
“Kevin has been great. What an unbelievable teammate. First thing that sticks out, he came in a little overweight, wasn’t really kind of used to the way we do it. I don’t want to speak about his previous institution but I have found out that is much different here than it is there from a preparation standpoint. He’s assimilated great. It’s a whole different work load for him. He’s a great kid and he jumped right in. He was a little behind but he’s caught up and he’s doing a great job and we’re real excited to see what he can do with the pads on. A great kid, though. A real good teammate.”
On Christian Hackenberg:
“Made some adjustments. I’m still lifting him like a running back. Christian is actually down a couple pounds. Anybody who knows him knows that he doesn’t have a reputation of being a big stiff guy. Christian is an excellent athlete. He ran a 4.75. He verticalled 32 inches. A very, very good athlete. He lost a couple pounds. He was 235, 36 last year. He’s 27, 28 right now. He really wants to focus on making sure, if he’s got to be mobile, he’s going to be mobile. So he’s crushing the speed and agility workouts. He’s in great shape from a conditioning standpoint and I feel really good about shoulder, hip, knee – all the stability pieces as well. … But his focus has been on his football too. He’s doing all that on his own. All the football stuff is what we call captain’s practice, player-led, and he’s been running that like a coach. He’s doing a great job of supervising, organizing and directing that.”
Following Saturday’s Lift for Life event at the lacrosse stadium, proud of his team’s effort and energy put forth, Galt provided an off-season update. Here are some of his comments to local reporters:
On the incoming freshman class:
“We had (the freshmen) two weeks and we hit them full go right away from the beginning. We started Monday they lifted and worked out five days last week. Everybody else did three. They’re cranking it. They’re great kids.”
On Saquon Barkley:
"He’s shown quick. Saquon is about 6-foot tall, he’s 217 pounds, he’s got six percent body fat. In the preliminary testing, he did 315 for six in the bench and he was one of our fastest kids. I think he ran like a 4.47, so he’s got all the tools. Big, fast, strong, great worker. already shows good leadership. He’s very inquisitive and he wants to do whatever he’s got to do. He does extra already. No body does extra right now. Extra is something – everybody is just trying to get through what you asked us to to do. So he’s just been phenomenal and good leadership. All the guys are kind of following his lead from the freshman class.”
On Adam Breneman:
“I went ahead and ran him (in the 40-yard dash). We went in Holuba and ran him and he ran a 4.63 at 254 pounds. Basically him and Gesicki are very similar in a speed standpoint. He’s explosive. He’s fast, he’s strong, he cleaned 335. He’s back. So, really, really pleased to have him back. He’s running routes great. Hack is ecstatic to have him back.”
On Ben Kline:
“He’s a clock puncher. Every day he comes in - the same way he runs Lift for Life is the way he trains. He’s in great shape. We’re keeping him around 235. We’re trying to keep him at a body weight where he can play all three linebacker positions so he’s ready to go and ready to compete.”
On Kevin Reihner:
“Kevin has been great. What an unbelievable teammate. First thing that sticks out, he came in a little overweight, wasn’t really kind of used to the way we do it. I don’t want to speak about his previous institution but I have found out that is much different here than it is there from a preparation standpoint. He’s assimilated great. It’s a whole different work load for him. He’s a great kid and he jumped right in. He was a little behind but he’s caught up and he’s doing a great job and we’re real excited to see what he can do with the pads on. A great kid, though. A real good teammate.”
On Christian Hackenberg:
“Made some adjustments. I’m still lifting him like a running back. Christian is actually down a couple pounds. Anybody who knows him knows that he doesn’t have a reputation of being a big stiff guy. Christian is an excellent athlete. He ran a 4.75. He verticalled 32 inches. A very, very good athlete. He lost a couple pounds. He was 235, 36 last year. He’s 27, 28 right now. He really wants to focus on making sure, if he’s got to be mobile, he’s going to be mobile. So he’s crushing the speed and agility workouts. He’s in great shape from a conditioning standpoint and I feel really good about shoulder, hip, knee – all the stability pieces as well. … But his focus has been on his football too. He’s doing all that on his own. All the football stuff is what we call captain’s practice, player-led, and he’s been running that like a coach. He’s doing a great job of supervising, organizing and directing that.”
VIDEO: Galt meets with media after 2015 Lift for Life
