Sunday, August 14, 2011

Hampton University hopes new locker room improves team chemistry

HAMPTON, VA -- Something happened this summer that Donovan Rose hadn't seen in more than 20 years at Hampton University. Football players attending a summer camp were shown the Pirates' locker room. That may not sound like a big deal, but it was a noteworthy happening for Rose, a 19-year HU assistant who is going into his third season as Hampton's head coach.

"Since I've been here, since 1991, we've never shown a recruit the locker room," Rose said. "Never."

If a recruit asked to see the formerly cramped quarters, with freshmen and walk-ons shepherded to a separate room, Rose said, "I would just change the subject: 'We don't have time,' or, 'Maybe we can come back a little later.' "

That's no longer the case. Rose presided over a tour of HU's newly refurbished locker room on Saturday, showing off rows of gleaming wood and lush blue-and-silver carpeting. Each player has a spacious cubicle, complete with a bar for hanging jerseys and hooks for helmets and a padded bench with a small locker underneath.

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