David Distelhorst/FOR THE POST Ohio sophomore corner back Arden Banks takes a break during Wednesday's practice. The Bobcats are 0-1 going into Saturday's game against Northern Iowa.

Over five thousand students called Athens home at some time this summer. Most worked and took classes, some just laid around in the languid afternoons getting a tan. Not many carried their girlfriend up hills in The Ridges. In fact, at last count, only one did.

Mike Varone, the starting center on the Ohio football team, adopted an eccentric training procedure over the summer that involved carrying his girlfriend, Jennifer, up the hills of The Ridges.

"(My workout is) I carry people up hills -- linemen, my girlfriend - whoever is available," he said. "In the spring, I try linemen because they are around. But in the summer, I just carry Jennifer most of the time."

Varone lived with fellow lineman Chris Jackson this past summer. Jackson joined him on his excursions.

"If there was a hill, we took people up it," Varone said.

Working out kept Varone busy during the summer, while he also took a class. But, carrying people around The Ridges isn't the only unorthodox training he took up.

"I'd have someone sit in a car, put it in neutral and then I'd push for 30 to 50 yards," he said. "Then I'd have them stop because the car would begin to pick up momentum. I'd have him start it up so I could get a good push from the beginning."

Varone said the results of his summertime training are tremendous, giving credit to his improved strength to one man besides himself.

"I think if you don't mention Ethan Reeve (in regards to the team's overall improved strength), he's the key element of the team getting stronger. Every second of every day, he's thinking about making us stronger."

While Reeve gives every player a workout guide to follow over the summer, he doesn't take an active interest in what football players do in Athens over the summer, Head Coach Jim Grobe said.

"Coach Reeves gives everyone guidelines, but it isn't a sweatshop in the summer," he said. "We do have facilities available for them in the summer if they stay."

Grobe said that he has never asked players to stay in Athens in the summer, but usually their position coach will.

Defensive coordinator Brian Knorr said he would love to have his entire defense work out together in the summer, but financial constraints often belay that wish.

"We certainly encourage (staying in Athens)," Grobe said. "Unlike a lot of areas, it's tough because the kids need to work. It's hard to find employment for the entire team to stay down like most Division I teams - I'd say 95% of them - their kids stay there for the whole summer. We encourage kids to stay, but some of them have to go home and work."

Grobe said that this year, the team actually had more jobs open than they had players here, but that he doesn't mind if players go home to make money and work out.

"We build our program on family," Grobe said. "I try to let them go home. (When practice started) I couldn't tell the difference between the players that stayed and the players that went home."

The abundance of well-kept high school weight rooms is one reason Grobe said he doesn't mind if players don't stay over the summer. He added, however, that with as much leeway as he gives the team over its summer plans, if they don't show up in peak condition, they will end up in his "doghouse."

One such player who didn't make Grobe's doghouse is strong safety Chris London. London stayed in Athens all summer with some other players, including Raynald Ray, Trendale Perkins, Khalid Johnson and Joe Sellers.

"(Staying in Athens) helped me mentally and physically as far as getting me focused on what I need to do as far as getting me on the field," London said.

London said that he felt a sense of closeness with his teammates because they lived together and worked out together.

"(Working out together) brought us closer together because there is not a lot to do down here in the summer, so we did a lot of working out," he said.

Dontrell Jackson and Mike Patitucci, two of Ohio's freshman quarterbacks, came down to work out in the summer, and London said it was helpful to them and to the secondary to work out together.

"We played a little seven-on-seven, so we got to throw them in the mix really quick," he said.

With informal practicing, lifting, working and classes, London found himself pressed for time much like he did during the school year.

"It was hard juggling school and working out," he said. "You don't get much rest, but football is 365 days a year."