There are moments this spring when practice resembles conditioning for Noah Cain.
He notices fatigue and feels the aches. Running so much can get tough on his body. But the senior understands the opportunity that comes from all of these repetitions.
Right now, Cain is one of LSU’s two available scholarship running backs. The other, early enrollee Trey Holly, never has played a college snap. While graduate student Josh Williams, senior John Emery and junior Armoni Goodwin wait to return to the field, LSU has to lean on Cain to get through spring practice.
Cain pushes through, both because the team needs him and he needs the playing time. He feels unsatisfied after three full seasons, and he has less time than he once did to give NFL teams more to evaluate. So he deals with the fatigue, knowing he has a chance to impress before the position gets crowded again.
“I’m never about to ask to get taken out because you never know if you’re going to get back in,” Cain said. “You’ve got to make the most of every opportunity you can get.”
Cain, a Baton Rouge native, came to LSU last year after rushing for 790 yards and 12 touchdowns at Penn State. His sophomore season had been wiped out by a foot injury. He entered a backfield without a frontrunner, and the position turned into a rotation. Cain led the running backs with 10 touchdowns as the primary short-yardage option, but he never broke out.
“I’m not satisfied with what I put on film yet,” he said.
After he returned, Cain met with director of athletic development Jake Flint, nutrition director Matt Frakes and running backs coach Frank Wilson. He told them what he wanted to accomplish this season. Together, they formed a strength and conditioning program and nutritional plan designed to change his body.
In the weight room, Cain has done more single-leg lifts that helped train lower-body muscles from his hips to his hamstrings. The exercises improved his balance, flexibility and explosiveness. A nutrition plan with an emphasis on protein, consistent hydration and whole foods gave him the fuel. And even away from the facility, where LSU has curated selections, Cain has called when he eats to know what works with his diet.
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