Vols' McClendon is beyond strong

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- If Tennessee offensive lineman Jacques McClendon wasn't busy with football, he could probably make a living pulling fire engines.

Or another one of those cockamamie feats of strength you see performed in the wee hours on ESPN.

"I would say he's one of the strongest men in the United States," said Vols linebacker Rico McCoy. "He'd have to be. A 645-pound bench? It's crazy. I'm just happy he's on my side."

UT strength and conditioning coach Johnny Long was equally impressed with McClendon's brute strength.

"It's hard to roll (645 pounds)," Long said earlier this week. "Put it on the ground and it's hard to push it. To see Jacques with those numbers is really impressive at such a young age. Now comes the time to be smart and manage them."

That means, at least until next summer, there won't be any more bench-press records falling.

There won't even be any more 500-pound lifts for McClendon or fellow lineman Vladimir Richard, who also bench-pressed more than 600 pounds this summer.

"Jacques can probably hit 500 any day of the week, probably two or three times," Long said. "But I don't need him to do it right now. I need him to get ready for two-a-days."

And McClendon wasn't just lifting weights.

In addition to the usual conditioning and lifting, McClendon participated in yoga classes two to three times a week.

"That's mainly what we did with Jacques this offseason, work on his flexibility," Long said. "Two or three days a week, he was in yoga classes out here on the mat. He didn't like that too much at first, but now he's bought into it and seen the flexibility is what he really needed."

McClendon wasn't the only one participating in the yoga classes, either.

"I did it every time," defensive end Robert Ayers said. "It's the little things like stretching that helps you not cramp up in the fourth quarter or helps you run just a little bit faster."

In addition to stressing flexibility, Long also sat down with UT's training staff to work on a program that would help reduce knee and shoulder injuries, as well as rehab times should those injuries occur.

Several Vols had offseason surgeries after dealing with those kinds of injuries throughout the fall and spring.

"We did a lot of knee stability exercises, a lot of single-leg work this year," Long said. "It's a physical game."

Long mentioned several players who stood out during summer workouts besides McClendon and Richard.

He said sophomore safety Eric Berry has added 12-15 pounds of muscle and that Ayers impressed as well.

Long praised the efforts of defensive tackle Demonte' Bolden, McCoy, offensive tackle Chris Scott, linebacker Adam Myers-White and tight end Luke Stocker.

He also said defensive tackle Donald Langley was one of the team's most improved lifters.

"Lifting weights and playing football are two different things, obviously," Long said, "but I'm hoping he can take what he's done in the offseason and put it out there on the football field."

Ayers, who played some at defensive tackle last season, said he doesn't mind playing inside this season if asked by coaches.

But Ayers said he thinks that Victor Thomas, Chase Nelson and Langley have made the strides needed to contribute at tackle this fall.

"Those guys are going to be able to play, in my opinion," Ayers said. "If I have to, then I will (play tackle).

(Drew Edwards writes forThe Knoxville News Sentinel in Tennessee.)