Kenny Dillingham’s thinking behind nursery rhymes at practice shown in all-access video

On the outside, Kenny Dillingham blasting nursery rhymes at a recent practice might have been puzzling. But there is a method to his madness.

During the early morning hours of training camp, the tiredness of players can snowball into a lack of energy. For a team chasing a Big 12 championship, lapses in energy cannot happen.

Dillingham’s mindset is that each player needs to bring the energy and that they cannot rely on music to provide that.

“The music isn’t providing the juice,” Dillingham said in a behind-the-scenes visit captured by The Play Callers Club. “That’s when you override the music, you have to bring the juice.”

Dillingham’s goal was simple: take every ounce of manufactured energy out of the facility so that the players have no choice but to get themselves ready to play.

“Do you look like you’re awake or do we need to pull it out of you?” Dillingham said. “All of that is so important for a team that plays with an edge.”

Dillingham’s mantra is simple: find a way to have your best day, be self-motivated.

“The environment shouldn’t set the temp,” Dillingham said. “We should be the team that turns the thermostat any way we want.”

Believe it or not, Dillingham likes to have fun and joke around. One of his classics was asking freshman lineman Niniva Nicholson what the capital of Alaska was.

“Juneau (you don’t know) the capital of Alaska? Juneau?” Dillingham said jokingly.

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