Fayetteville’s furnace

Hogs not letting extreme heat wither their desire to take field

University of Arkansas football players (left to right) Jacoby Walker, Keante Minor, Alonzo Highsmith and Coach Bobby Petrino fill up their plates during a team dinner Wednesday evening at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

— On the eve of what is projected to be a blast-furnace type of day to start fall football camp, the Arkansas Razorbacks enjoyed a team meal together in the air conditioning at the Broyles Athletic Complex.

A half-dozen players selected by Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino and the UA media relations staff chatted with reporters about the heat, the high expectations and other topics during the Wednesday meal.

“We’re not the only ones in the heat,” receiver Cobi Hamilton said. “I’m assuming Alabama and LSU are doing the same thing.”

Indeed, a record-breaking heat wave has covered much of the Deep South and the south central states the last couple of weeks. Heat indices in Arkansas have spiked above the 110-degree range recently, and today’s start to practice at the UA Intramural Fields is expected to feature a temperature around 102 degrees.

“With all the water and Gatorade we have, all the resources they have for us as far as a training staff, I think we’ll be fine,” safety Elton Ford said. “We’re well-conditioned athletes, and we know how to take care of our bodies.”

Center Travis Swanson said the team’s excitement level trumps the heat concerns at this point.

“No one ever drowned in sweat, so I think we’re going to be all right,” Swanson said.

“It’s going to be hot,” guard Alvin Bailey said. “There’s no getting around it. You just have to fight through it.”

The Razorbacks are believed to be completely assembled for the start of camp, with the exception of junior college linebacker Robert Atiga, who is expected to arrive Monday. Most of the roster has been on campus for at least one of the summer sessions.

The Arkansas veterans will catch a small break today. They practice at 6:30 this evening, when the temperature should be on a slow descent back into double digits. The new Razorbacks and inexperienced veterans will start camp in the scalding heat at 3 p.m.

“As far as the heat, I’ve been in Phoenix,” said junior college transfer linebacker Alonzo Highsmith Jr. “I’m used to the 100-degree weather. It’s a little different humidity-wise ... but the sun was still out, so I feel like I’ll be ready to go out and transition well.”

Freshman cornerback Kelvin Fisher, a native of Queen Creek, Ariz., pointed out how the temperatures soar in his home state too.

“Everywhere you go there’s going to be heat,” Fisher said. “You just go out there and practice hard.”

The Razorbacks will work on the intramural fields because of infrastructure work in advance of the start of the football operations center taking place around the practice fields, and forbidding field temperatures inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“That’ll be interesting,” Swanson said. “It’ll be fun though, change of venue. But we’re just ready to start it.”

A series of tents with an array of big portable fans in them have been put in place on the intramural fields, which are adjacent to the tennis facilities.

Hamilton said battling through the intense heat is an annual issue at fall camp.

“I think it will provide some toughness,” he said. “It will be a mind thing for sure. It’s going to bring us closer together.”

The Razorbacks veterans and newcomers will work separately for the first four practice days before coming together for an evening practice at 6 p.m. on Monday. Two weeks after that, camp will break with the start of school on Aug. 22.

Sports, Pages 19 on 08/04/2011