Huskies Take Team-Bonding to Different Levels

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 6:50 PM ET

In recent weeks, we've seen photos of University of Washington football players in a rowing shell, in canoes, on a sailboat, on the golf course.

As the Huskies try to become relevant again in the pursuit of championships and playoff berths, they've been focused on team-bonding.

Last year was all about football recovery efforts from the depths after losing all but one starter. This one is about moving forward -- getting on the top side of .500, returning to the polls and making another run at the CFP postseason.

For the most part, the 2024 Huskies were a bunch of strangers. They're now making a concentrated effort to better know and trust each other.

"They like to be around each other," UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

Awesome today for our Leadership Council learning and growing together .#BeAPro #AllAboutTheW pic.twitter.com/doV9kVpezk
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) July 18, 2025

A prime example of this was last Wednesday night, when UW running back Jonah Coleman, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and cornerback Ephesians Prysock, plus Fisch, hurried back from Las Vegas and Big Ten Media Days to Montlake.

They held a sleepover, sleeping bags and all, in Husky Stadium. They asked for a movie to be shown on the Jumbotron, specifically John Wick. The plan was to go for a midnight run.

Earlier, a group Huskies filled every seat in an eight-man shell and went rowing around Lake Union, doing something that their UW crew counterparts make happen so effortlessly.

What @CoachJeddFisch said…

They LOVE being together . https://t.co/4wQllvvgTH pic.twitter.com/3KuVRas5Y7
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) July 24, 2025

The previous Huskies from 2023 and their national runner-up team had their own ways of pulling together, with former linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio sharing how those guys used to run up the steep and demanding Mailbox peak in the Cascade Mountains.

The current guys prefer lower elevation levels, but are aiming for increased football success with a more veteran, and hopefully for them, a more cohesive team.

"We're going to need all that talent and leadership because we know we're playing in the toughest conference in the country," Fisch said.

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This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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