Shaka Smart had his VCU team go through a Navy SEAL training to begin their preseason.

“I knew there was going to be a ‘hell week’ but I didn’t know we were going to working with a SEALs,” senior Brad Burgess said.

The idea for this September sweat session came after Rams strength and conditioning coach Daniel Roose did a two-week SEAL training class with John McGuire earlier this summer.

“The people in our program are all taking part,” head coach Shaka Smart said by phone Wednesday morning.