Ask almost any Stanford player about the program's rigorous offseason physical training regimen, and the usual response is a cringe mixed with a deep breath.
But ask defensive lineman Solomon Thomas about the work, and it's hard to detect more than a shrug.
"It was fun," Thomas said. "How can you not enjoy grinding with your teammates at 6 a.m.?"
Those early-morning human tug-of-wars, sprints, John Deere cart pulls, and muscle-searing slow-release pull-ups -- some of the hallmarks of the program that sports performance director Shannon Turley has used to build the foundation of Stanford's celebrated trench strength - -- that's Thomas' version of "fun.