HOUSTON -- Coach Dom Capers explained Sunday what's expected of the 97 Houston Texans who will begin two-a-day workouts Monday. Searing Texas heat showed them what it's going to feel like.

Capers opened his second camp as head coach of an expansion team by lecturing his team on the dedication they'll need for their first season.

Then he put them through 14 40-yard dashes to test their conditioning.

"If they're not used to the heat, they will be soon," linebacker Keith Mitchell said. "I heard they had 100 percent attendance at their minicamp so they should be used to it."

Mitchell signed with the Texans on Saturday. He's well aware of the heat facing his new team. He played college football at nearby Texas A&M.

"I missed the minicamps but it looks like they've worked hard," Mitchell said. "It seems like they all know their assignments."

Capers, who took expansion Carolina to the playoffs in its second season, knows the importance of training camp, especially for a team that has never played a game together.

"You can't make up this time," Capers said. "We are farther behind than every other team in the league because we haven't played a game. Today was a very important day for us.

"Ninety-nine percent of these guys are in shape. That's a credit to them. To have the kind of camp we need to have, you have to be in shape. You can't come in and play yourself into shape. We can't have a bad workout."

The Texans begin two-a-day workouts early Monday. Their second practice will be in the evening with 1,400 bleacher seats available for fans to see their first pro football team since the Oilers left after the 1996 season.

"I think it's neat that we'll have some fans out there," quarterback David Carr said. "Preseason is kind of a lonely feeling. The same guys walk out and the same guys walk back. This makes it more exciting."

Capers will schedule two-a-day workouts on alternate days. They'll work out once on Tuesday and then return to two workouts on Wednesday to help recover from the heat.

An air-conditioned practice field also is available for rainy days.

"This is something that you look for, a place where you won't miss any practice time," Capers said. "There's nothing worse than having a schedule planned and practice gets rained out."