Why a Marine was at Mishawaka Marian football practice
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Mishawaka Marian football coach Mike Davidson knows there will be a point in the season where his players are mentally exhausted.
Whether it is a week from now in the middle of training camp or in two months, in the middle of the 2022 season, it's going to come eventually.
Davidson, in his fifth season as Marian's head coach, is doing what he can to prepare for it now. For Wednesday's practice, Davidson had Sargent Ian Duba, from the South Bend Marine recruiting station, put the Knights through a combat fitness test.
The goal: to train his players to fight through any adversity they may be in.
"It's a challenge for them mentally," Davidson said. "I couldn't tell you the last time I had a football team run two laps. They are going to be pumping ammo boxes over their heads. What does that do for football? Nothing. But it is a mental challenge and also exposes the leaders."
Over the last four years, the Knights have relied on leadership to push them through one of the most successful stretches in program history. Marian has advanced to the northern 3A semistate game the last three seasons, falling short of a trip to Indianapolis on each occasion, including last year's heartbreaking 17-16 loss to Brebeuf Jesuit.
Guys like linebackers Setefano Sete and Mike Murphy, who commanded last year's team huddles, according to Davidson, are now gone. And he is searching for the next group of leaders before Marian's opening game against Mishawaka on Aug. 19.
"There is no other sport that relies on every person to do their job for the betterment of everyone else, every single play," Davidson said. "That trust they are going through today, that is what transfers to the football field."
Last year, Davidson said he brought in the Army National Guard to do something similar with his team. The Marines tradition was started under former head coach, Reggie Glon, a former serviceman himself. Sure enough, Davidson began taking notice of some of his players stepping up as leaders and encouragers while the team was timed running two track laps, or lifting ammo boxes continuously over their heads for two minutes.
"This will makes us build and bond more," senior lineman Kyle Denison said. You see everyone pushing each other. Nobody is in the back sitting.”
Denison has been through multiple of Marian's deep tourney runs. But this season is his last chance to reach Lucas Oil Stadium.
He, and Davidson, hope a practice like this will be beneficial in getting the Knights over the hump.
"There is going to be a moment in time where I can have that conversation, with the team or an individual, saying to go back to July," Davidson said. "We put them through this stuff and think about how you responded, how those guys rally around you and get back on the right track."
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Marines help Marian football grow mental toughness
