The truth about . . . USC's summer practice

At first glance, training camp seems long, hot and numbingly repetitious. And, for the most part, it is. But there's more.

With camp drawing to an end, let the USC players and coaches tell you about it.

Tailback Stafon Johnson: "It's real strenuous, doing the same thing over and over and over. It helps you but it takes a toll. Getting up early in the morning and going to bed late at night. You just try to keep yourself healthy."

Punter Greg Woidneck: "The worst thing is staying in the dorms. You get terrible beds, terrible rooms. It's just uncomfortable. The best thing is hanging around with your teammates."

Linebacker Rey Maualuga: "It's good to be with each other 24-7. Last night, we're all hanging out in our room. Everyone is playing cards, talking stories about freshman year. People in the NFL aren't doing this. They're going home to their wife and kids. We're in there having fun, playing dominoes, just laughing. That's something I enjoy."

Secondary coach Rocky Seto: "Its hard on the families. When I was single, no problem. I'd just sleep over. When you've got children, that's just hard. I'm here from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. In the season, there are some breaks. Thursday nights, Friday mornings, after the games. I just don't think everyone realizes the demands on the wives and children. We're just a bunch of boys, coaching, but they're the ones who really pay the price."

david.wharton@latimes.com