UTEP battles elevation in Ruidoso during training camp

RUIDOSO, N.M. – UTEP football players are dealing with more than just trying to learn the playbook at training camp in Ruidoso.

The town sits at approximately 7,000 feet, almost twice the elevation of El Paso.

Getting in shape is rarely fun. And it’s even tougher when it’s difficult to breathe. But players say they are slowly acclimating.

“I think my worst day was like day three or four when we started to put on the pads, but yeah, I think I’m getting better each day,” said linebacker Alvin Jones, who led the team in tackles last season.

Still, it wasn’t tough to find a Miner or two huffing and puffing on the field Wednesday after each drill. But players know it will only make them better down the line.

“It’s the tough part. The air is a lot more thin here, so we just gotta keep working,” said Treyvon Hughes, a sophomore linebacker. “Hopefully, when we get back, we’ll be more conditioned.”

And if you think the quarterbacks had it easy, think again.

“I come from the central part of California, so no elevation there,” said Fresno State quarterback transfer Zack Greenlee. “Coming up here is a little different. I notice I’m a little winded during some of the drills, and it’s something I’m not used to, but it’s pretty cool actually to see that when you get up here the air is different.”

However, some believe the problem of elevation might be overstated, at least according to the coaching staff.

“Like I tell the kids, we aren’t out here running a marathon, we are playing football,” said defensive coordinator Tom Mason. “Elevation is really more mental than anything right now.”

Whether a real challenge or one that’s simply in their heads, it hasn’t stopped the Miners from giving it all they’ve got in Ruidoso during training camp.

“The first day was pretty rough,” said linebacker Nick Usher. “But going on in camp it was pretty good, and I felt better every day and pushed harder and harder every day just trying to get my lungs ready.”