Trojans practice at 6:15 a.m., but you could’ve never guessed there was a time change
By Ben Malcolmson
USCRipsIt
An unusual 6:15 a.m. practice didn’t change much in terms of the Trojans’ energy Friday. Even with darkness still over the practice field and the lights on when practice began, the excitement was still there.
Coaches screamed, players sang happy birthday to Jeff Byers and head strength coach Chris Carlisle yelled out directions. And that was just during the stretching period at 6:15 a.m.
Less than a week after the Trojans played a game until 11 p.m., they were practicing at 6 a.m. Dew drenched the grass, the lights of the city skyline illuminated the horizon and the air was remarkably cool and crisp.
“I love practicing at 6:15 at night!” one coach jokingly blurted out.
By the looks of it, if you take out the dark sky, you would’ve never known the Trojans were practicing so early in the morning rather than their normal 4 p.m. practice. Hard hits still ruled the day, referees still came out, and equipment manager Tino Dominguez still blew his air horn between periods, probably much to the chagrin of all the sleeping students in the nearby dorms.
So, as the saying goes, the more things changed Friday, the more they simply stayed the same.
Pictures from the morning:
Did the Trojans practice at night? Nope, that’s just what it’s like in L.A. at 6 a.m.
The sun begins to rise as the sky turns from black to dark blue. The Trojans carry on with practice.
The Los Angeles skyline is still lit up as the morning awoke from its slumber.
A sequel to the smash hit “Friday Night Lights” will be released soon under the title “Friday Morning Lights.”
A magnificent sunrise provides the backdrop as Friday’s practice moved on.
Quarterback John David Booty takes snaps during 7-on-7 drills as the night turned to day.
The dawn’s light gives Friday’s practice a different look than normal.
The sun rises over the Trojan huddle during Friday’s practice.
Steam ascends off defensive lineman Sedrick Ellis’ head after he took his helmet off during a break in practice.
With long shadows covering the field, John David Booty makes a throw as Coach Carroll watches on.
As practice comes to a close, the field is blanketed by the morning sunlight.
• Ben Malcolmson is the Director of Online Media for USCRipsIt.com. You can contact him at Ben@USCRipsIt.com.
