The hot weather reminds us that it is always hot in August when collegiate football players report. Yesteryear, however, it wasn’t as hot as it is today.
Years back, college players reported a month later. They returned on Labor Day weekend after spending the summer in manual labor jobs that helped get them in shape for football in those days before air conditioning became standard. It also kept them out of trouble.
If you were employed in construction work and then worked out after “quittin time,” that Spartan lifestyle meant you were compatible with an early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine.