The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/554771
BY TIM PEELER I f you really want to know who might break out and have bigger-than-expected roles in the coming football season, it's always smart to check in with the guy who had more contact with the players in the offseason than anyone else. And NC State third-year strength and conditioning coach Jason Veltkamp is happy to oblige, because he sees the mea- surable progress made by every player on the roster. He's been with them through winter workouts, spring practice and sum- mer conditioning. There's no doubt he likes what he sees from this year's team. BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER NC State Strength And Conditioning Coach Jason Veltkamp Has Molded The Roster To Fit Head Coach Dave Doeren's Wishes SEPTEMBER 2015 ■ 39 Veltkamp saw significant improvement in how NC State football players attacked this offseason from a year ago. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN "Last year, you could tell some of the guys were just trying to get through the hard runs and some of the chaos and curve- balls we threw at them," Veltkamp said. "This year, they really attacked it. We tried to put up better times, do more repetitions and do things they had never done before just because they wanted to. "Last year, they were just hoping the next rep was the last one. That's a big difference." The hard work paid off at the end of the season, when the Wolfpack won four of its final five games, including a win over Cen- tral Florida in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. Veltkamp hopes this year's work will pay off even more, with more consistent production, fewer injuries and a continued push to get better throughout the season. Those goals are in line with head coach Dave Doeren's mission. "Like everyone else, we want our guys to be bigger, stronger, faster," Doeren said at the beginning of fall camp. "Our goal is to be able to move people on the lines of scrimmage, to be explosive in our skill positions and to be injury free. "You try to create as much as you can in the weight room." Starting in January, each player has an individual assessment and goal-setting ses- sion with Veltkamp and assistant strength