A preseason football camp may be one of the most taxing things across sports.

Under the hot summer sun, players drip sweat after repeatedly smacking into each other during long, physical practices.

There are progressive installations of offensive and defensive schemes to learn and master, film sessions to pay attention (stay awake) in, and one-on-one competitions, position battles and scrimmages to win.

Muscles grow sore; brains feel fatigue; injuries will happen.

Then players have to do it all over again in the next sun-up to sun-down workday.

But the Gophers program is mindful to mix in plenty of respites into its three-week grind each year. The list of activities is too long for players to remember them all while in the moment, but some experiences become core, top-of-mind memories

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