Drew Kelson: The August Itch - How Football Season Still Shapes My Life

Drew Kelson was a member of the Longhorn football program from 2004 to 2007, helping Texas win the 2005 Big 12 and national championships during his sophomore season. Kelson has been a longtime member and contributor for Inside Texas, making weekly appearances on the Inside Texas Football YouTube channel. Ahead of the start of the season, Drew wrote about what makes August so special not just for current Longhorns preparing for the 2025 season, but former Longhorns as well.

August is when the real ones separate themselves.

It’s when the heat tests your body, the fatigue tests your mind, and the coaches test your will. I remember those days—pushing through every rep, every sprint, every meeting—knowing the season was right around the corner. Even now, twenty years later, I can feel that same switch flip in me when this month rolls around.

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I still honor my August rituals… I clean up my diet. I push my workouts harder. I schedule my annual physical, something I’ve done every August since I was a kid because that’s what you did before the season. And just like back then, I feel that itch to hit somebody… other than my teammates.

The season is almost here, and I’m locked in. The same anticipation I felt in 1991, when I first strapped on a helmet, still runs through me today. Football has been the heartbeat of my life for decades.

Why August Matters for Players

There’s a ton of work that goes into offseason, but August is different. The week after the first scrimmage might be the most pivotal of the season. The jitters are gone. The film doesn’t lie—you see exactly where you need to improve.

What makes this August even more demanding for Texas is the weight of expectation. The Longhorns are officially entering the season ranked No. 1 in both the preseason coaches’ poll and AP poll—a program-first moment that adds magnitude to every rep and meaning to every drill—especially if we want to finish the season at No. 1. Now, more than ever, there’s no room for error.

For some players, it’s about sharpening strengths they already knew they had. For others, it’s a wake-up call: meeting the minimum isn’t good enough anymore. Coaches are watching to see who can stretch themselves and sustain excellence—day in and day out.

If you’re a DB, maybe your focus is perfect alignment and communication before every snap. It sounds simple, but it’s the foundation. Next comes leverage—being exactly where you’re supposed to be when the ball is snapped, playing with violence, decisiveness, and conviction. Some assignments—like flipping your hips in coverage or shutting down a post route—don’t come with unlimited reps. You’ve got to nail them in the few chances you get, over and over, until your coaches know you can be trusted.

If you’re a linebacker, it’s about using the correct shoulder on every leverage point and understanding which routes to look for in zone coverage drops. If you’re a defensive tackle, it’s about never getting reached—and holding your gap with relentless consistency.

That’s what August—and this particular week—mean for players.

August Off the Field

Here’s the funny thing—August has become a time of reflection and relentless improvement for me, too. I find myself asking the same questions I used to face as a player:

Who deserves my best this fall?

How can I make a big play before the end of the year?

Where do I need to improve—in my family, my work, my friendships?

I don’t have to endure 100-degree practices anymore to prove something to myself, but the mindset hasn’t changed. I still push myself to get better every day.

As I wrote this, I was thinking about what today’s Longhorns are enduring. But I realized something: I’ve been living my own version of training camp for years—just in a different arena.

For me, August is about raising the bar—at home, at work, in life. I ask myself, “Who can I make better around me?” and “What big plays will I make this fall and winter to close out the year strong?”

The Game Never Leaves You

Football will never leave me. It shaped who I am, how I think, and how I work. It taught me to attack every challenge with focus—and to never get too comfortable.

So when I watch today’s Texas players grinding in the August heat, I don’t just feel proud—I feel connected. I know exactly what they’re going through. I know how much this month can change a season—and, in some ways, a life.

This is August. The season’s coming. This team is highly talented, with depth across the roster we simply haven’t seen before. And I can’t wait to see who ultimately emerges on August 30 in Columbus.

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What does August mean to you? Anything?

That’s my August. My memories. My connection to the grind.

What about you?

When you think about Texas Football in August—whether as a student, a fan, or someone who grew up watching the Horns—what moments, rituals, or feelings come flooding back? What are you anticipating most this fall/winter, and how are you preparing for it? Because if there’s one thing I know—it’s that the stories we carry in August have a way of shaping the season ahead.