LSU Strength Coach Tommy Moffitt Says Tigers Would Need a Month Before Returning to Practice Field

Moffitt hoping as early as June, players will be allowed to start working out in the team facilities

As LSU's strength and conditioning coach, Tommy Moffitt has one primary goal, making sure the players are physically safe to practice and play in games. He's most recently been called the "MVP" by coach Ed Orgeron in response to the COVID-19 outbreak that forced LSU to shut down spring practice and send the players home.

As a result, it was up to Moffitt and his training staff to construct a series of workouts the players could use once home to stay in relatively good shape. On Monday night, Moffitt appeared on the "LSU Sixty," a radio show created by LSU sports during these unprecedented times.

On the show Moffitt talked about some of the challenges he and the team would face once practice was allowed. The most glaring statement was that Moffitt would likely need a month of workouts and training for the players before allowing them to return to the practice field.

"It’s my responsibility to make sure they’re in shape before we start any form of training camp," Moffitt said. "For me to do my job, I feel I would need at least a month to prepare."

While some coaches are hopeful teams will be able to hit the practice field by July, the more likely scenario is that training camp or practice won't be opened up until August at the earliest. Even if that were to happen, Moffitt would still need that month of July to prepare the players for the rigorous toll training camp would have on their bodies. 

As of now, LSU is expected to open it's season in Tiger Stadium on Sept. 5 against UT San Antonio but that grows more and more unlikely with Sports Illustrated's latest reporting claiming the one of the popular options is to push the season back to October.

Because there's so much uncertainty right now on when a possible return to the practice field will actually be, Moffitt said he and his staff are preparing for all scenarios, starting from June and running through August. Moffitt said the feedback he's been getting from the players on the workout plan's constructed for them has been very positive and is in constant contact with the players.

"I’m really happy with where they are,” Moffitt said. “It’s really neat to talk to them, and they share videos of the stuff they’re doing. We get videos of guys pushing cars or dad’s pickup truck up and down the driveway."

Moffitt said the hope is to get the players back in the team weight rooms by June but didn't go into detail on why he thought that was a realistic option. While some players are still in Baton Rouge, running the levees and following the workout plans, most are back in their hometowns.

"A friend who rides his bike on the levee every day told me, 'You wouldn't believe the number of football players I see every day running up and down the levee,'" Moffitt said. "So, it's been neat. I feel good about where our team is now."