Chris Whalen’s Random Life

So what is training camp anyway? What is its’ purpose? Well, it USED to be the time when players reported to get in shape. These days in the NFL, everyone pretty much comes into camp in shape. Otherwise why would a team be allowed to fine players $232 per pound per day they are over their target playing weight. That can add up prett fast! I know I’d be broke quick. This is the time for veterans to prove they can still play and less expensive rookies to show they have more performance per dollar in these heady days of the salary cap.

It is the purest sense of Darwinism on an athletic scale. If you play better than the next guy at your position, you make the team, otherwise you get a bus ticket. Let’s remember that the NFL is the ONLY major professional sports league where contracts are not guaranteed. You have to make the team to get paid…as it should be. Therefore, it does not matter who you are, what school you came from, how perfect you are physically – you can get beat out. And in the case of a tie, it is who counts less against the salary cap, kind of the perfect predator in the Darwin Athletic world. Make no mistake, this is a battle FOR A JOB! So when you see these guys doing essentially the same drills you see college and high school players doing, although better, it is all in an effort to show one or both of two things…I am better than the next guy…I fit your system better than the next guy. Draft picks are PROSPECTS, not instant stars, but in these salary cap days, often cheaper if they can prove themselves.

Football is the greatest team sport ever created. No one player can carry a team. Facing 11 other players on the other side of the ball is just too much for one person to overcome. And let’s face it, EVERY guy in the NFL is huge, in perfect shape, and is both strong and fast. The difference most times is minimal. The real question is who plays better. Training camp is the only time to show this. With physical skills so close it really comes down to other skills. Decision making (can they play the game, make the plays), and skills unique to each position. How well a quarterback throws, how well a linebacker separates from a block, etc. Coaches actually are evaluating some of this in drills, more in scrimmages and pre-season games; they are looking for skills and who will play for them and who is on his way out. This is all about PLAYER EVALUATION, no one gives a damn about winning a pre-season game. As a result, players have very few opportunities to stand out. Each player is so close it often only takes a great play or two to separate from the competition. How well they can make a play within the context of their system makes them better and therefore a keeper. I remember the stress involved. My Dad played in the NFL for a long time and every year there was the stress of whether or not he had done enough to make an impression, even as the All-Pro he was! No one’s job is safe.

Remember, in the NFL it is all about coaching and a system. A coach/GM gets the best players they can for the system, offensively and defensively, that they feel will make them successful. It all comes down to those learned skills, physical size is mainly just a tie-breaker. This is when a coach puts the system he wants to use for the year in (3-4 or 4-3, West Coast Offense, etc.) and then creates detail for each week’s game. This is pretty obvious when you hear coaches yelling during a drill, “If this was against Miami, Player X would have beaten you in this situation, and here’s why…”. There is a constant reminder about what this is all about – winning. And there is also a reminder of who they play and who on an individual level they have to prepare to beat. The system for the year is installed, and the players are indoctrinated. Again, it is much more about how well a player fits and makes adjustments within the team’s individual system than it is about pur athletic talent. Who will make the machine run the best in conjunction with the other parts? That is the question, not a 4.4. 40 or a 4.35.

So what is it like for players in an NFL training camp? Let’s take a look at my local (and favorite) team during double sessions, the New England Patriots.

First, each player participates in a fitness test to earn the right to practice with the team. Usually something brutal like 10 40-yard sprints under a certain time with 7-8 seconds rest in between sprints. But also these are guys I have seen bench press 225 lbs., 39 times in one set (the average at the combine last year, no they do not go for huge weights, just number of repetitions with each position using the same weight). The players are away from home, living literally in dormitories. Complete with cafeteria meal plan! Be very afraid when you see these guys eat!! It is really hot and humid typically, and the day starts with a sretch, weight room workout and morning practice at 9 AM. Practice runs 9-11 AM and 3-5 PM. Although, these days many teams are running sessions very early in the morning and early evening to beat the heat given the tragedies of last year. Now then, after lifting, make your way through the sea of die hard fans and kids waiting for you. This is after all the most accessible layers are to the general public all year (a really GREAT time to bring kids to get an autograph or show a young player how big these guys really are). Start with practicing kick off and kick off returns, then drills (one-on-one’s, hitting sleds, etc.), then scout team drills (defense with defense, offense with offense), and then scrimmage. More drills, punt returns/coverage, end of practice. 11 AM. By the way, this is the worst time to be an injured player – if you cannot practice, you ride the bike during this entire time! Ick! Typically now is the lunch break, autograph sessions, film and get ready for the next practice at 3 PM. Followed by more film. Pretty typical. You HAVE to be in shape or you might as well go home now! Two weeks of this, some initial cuts and welcome to your first pre-season game. You had better make a play to get noticed or call that career counselor! No pressure. Welcome to Athletic Darwinism. Play well to survive another day.