CRAWFORD | Louisville's first practice was more sweat than sizzle -- and designed that way

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The first day of football practice is a little like the first day of school. Nobody’s turning in a final exam. But everyone’s taking notes on how you show up.

Louisville opened fall camp Wednesday morning under hot skies and higher expectations. The start time — just before 10 a.m. — was meant to help beat the heat.

It didn’t.

The heat in Louisville in late July is undefeated.

Still, there’s something about the first day that feels more important than the rest. Coaches often treat it like a declaration. Vince Lombardi liked to open by holding up a ball and saying, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Bear Bryant’s first practices were famously physical. Nick Saban zeroed in on the smallest details. Even Bill Belichick — now at North Carolina — always favored menta