Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
While most teams use barbeques, trips to the movies, and video games to bond in the offseason, the Nevada football team takes their bonding to a sand volleyball court for afternoon tournaments.
"I don't know how and why it became such a big thing, but it has and it gets pretty competitive," defensive end Mundrae Clifton said. "I guess the urge to win comes into play. We probably play two or three times a week."
The game used to be a battle between the defensive line and offensive line, but the game has expanded to the receivers and running backs against the cornerbacks and linebackers. Sometimes, Clifton said, the squad will intermingle to facilitate individual battles.
When the team can't play volleyball, it moves to the basketball court for a game that resembles basketball only with tackling.
"Basketball's pretty big, but I don't think it's too structured because a lot of hitting is involved," Clifton said.
Clifton said when the season starts the team retreats to safer hobbies such as Texas Hold 'em poker to avoid players getting injured and hurting the team.
Watson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Missouri Tigers and the Big 12 Conference for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also covered college football recruiting for the Dallas Morning News.
