NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Titans running back Dion Lewis has been so focused on football with his new team that he didn’t realize until a few days into training camp just how special the benches on each sideline really are.
Now he takes a couple of minutes whenever possible during practice to sit and cool off.
Literally.
“It’s great,” said Lewis, who spent the past three years with New England. “It’s real hot ... so whenever you use anything to make you cool down a little bit, I think it’s a great tool. It’s been here for the whole time, but I just realized it like probably last week. So definitely take advantage of that whenever I get a chance.”
Keeping football players cool during the sweltering days of training camp is critical, especially in the wake of the heat-related death of Minnesota offensive tackle Korey Stringer in August 2001 and the June death of Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair . An attorney for the McNair family says a preliminary death certificate indicates the cause of death was heatstroke. Old-fashioned tubs filled with water and bags of ice await NFL players, even for teams staying at their headquarters this time of year. A few minutes provides a quick, but very wet, recovery once practice is over. The Titans and New Orleans Saints both decided to give players a chance to cool off during practice, improving both safety and the workouts.
With a new coach in Mike Vrabel, the Titans put a bench on each side of their three practice fields, giving players a chance to recover when the temperature can feel like 90 degrees.