The total number of thrown helmets in 2022 wasn't specified, nor was it the biggest challenge LSU football faced in the first year of the Brian Kelly era, but it was notable this time around.
That's because the number was zero, and it was expected to remain that way, the head coach said.
“Collectively as a team, we couldn’t talk in these terms last year," Kelly said this week. "We were talking about how to practice."
It's all part of the process of turning around a program that had fallen into mediocrity in the two seasons after arguably the best season of college football ever and a dominating championship victory. Kelly had to first install his way of doing things before focusing on the bigger picture. The first step was his players not only working hard in practice, but learning how to do it the right way.
This time last year, the conversations couldn't be about perfecting technique, improving day by day, doing the little things correct to create bigger and better results down the road.
"We were talking about not going on one knee, not taking your helmet off, throwing your helmet," Kelly said. "We were talking much more about emotional control, guys trying to figure out where they were and what there place was. So you can imagine from my perspective and the coaches, it’s great when you can go out into a drill and just talk about competing and not about whether you won or lost a drill."
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Instilling those values was a major element behind the Tigers' run to the SEC Championship in Kelly's debut season, and what he hopes will be a continued upward trajectory in Year 2 and beyond.
“There’s no scoreboard out in spring practice," he continued. "There’s no winners, there’s no losers. What it’s really about is the total development of the individual and them understanding that you need more than just talent alone to win a national championship.”
The Tigers kicked off practice on Thursday, and then for another practice before a week off for Easter break. From there, it will be five more weeks of practices before culminating in a Spring Game on April 22, with a format that is still not set.
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