Howard Using Old School Workouts to Develop Gridiron Grit

Chattanooga-(WDEF) Members of the Howard football team may have a future as the new Michelin Man.
As a part of the Hustlin’ Tigers conditioning program, head coach John Starr has his guys working out with big tires, which he hopes will make his guys as big as the famous Michelin Man.
Said Starr:”You’ll see them do various exercises. The biggest thing is you’ll see them working. You know one of the things our society has lost is work ethic. We’re trying to improve that within our group. When I was young, I always looked at construction workers. They were big guys. Big backs. Big biceps. And what did they do? They used a hammer, and they lifted heavy stuff, and that’s what we are trying to do.”
Said Howard senior Torry McComb:”It’s hard as hell. When you pull the tires though, man I promise you, I’ll be about to faint because your arms get so tight.”
Said Starr:”The thing is most of weight training is done on machines or a straight bar. When you are doing the hammer, you are hitting muscles that you can’t hit with those machines or you can’t get with a bar. Well we did a lot of what we call farmer’s walk. It’s getting the big buckets. The five gallon buckets.”
Said senior Chris Peace:”We have cow bells. Like the 50-pound bells. We walk with it like to our sides, so that drill is hard.”
Said Starr:”You know people would just be surprised at how much that helps your core and helps your overall strength. He has to hold with that grip. Having a strong grip is important in football.”
Said Peace:”It was fun because it pushed us all past the point we had never been to yet. So it was fun seeing my team develop and become better.”
Said McComb:”It’s getting us focused and prepared for battle. We bleed more and sweat more in practice to bleed less and sweat less in battle.”