Camp Experiences..

[Angry Pope]

Pure camp: AFC

July 13, 2007

From the best pranks to dealing with the heat, players relate their camp experiences in their own words:


WR DERRICK MASON, Baltimore Ravens

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: In Tennessee, we once had a player bring a toothbrush and toothpaste. That was it. He didn't even bring any clothes. He said he was a kicker and that's all he needed.

Hardest worker: Me.

Laziest player: It's always the kicker. They don't do anything.

Best way to cope with boredom: We have a video game tournament.

Most memorable rookie initiation: In Tennessee, we made the rookies get rid of their hair. Not only did we shave their heads, but we took off one half of a mustache or one eyebrow.

All-time worst rookie singer: Mark Clayton. He had to sing the Oklahoma fight song, and he was terrible.

Most senseless activity: The neck drill. They tell you to turn it to the left and then to the right, and it lasts about two seconds. You can do that walking out to practice.

WR JOSH REED, Buffalo Bills

Best prank: I used to leave my room open when I'd go shower. When I go into my room to get dressed, Coy Wire jumps out of my closet. When I asked him a couple of years later how long he was hiding, he said he was in there for about an hour. I almost called the cops on him, actually.

Laziest player: Aaron Schobel. Laziest during camp, laziest during the regular season, laziest during the offseason.

Most memorable rookie initiation: The guys wanted to tape Mike Williams up and put him outside. It took the whole team to hold him down. I'm helping when one of them noticed I was a rookie, too. They grabbed me and wrapped me up with tape and put me outside with Mike. I tried to be a team player and help out, and I got burned.

WR T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH, Cincinnati Bengals

Best prank: Pour water on the rookies when they're sleeping. They're going to flip the mattress, but hopefully we've poured enough water that it went through.

Most memorable rookie initiation: Our rookie year, Chad Johnson had his car windows cracked. They put fire extinguisher powder, honey and toilet tissue all over the interior of his brand-new Lexus.

Unique off-field activity: We don't have any. Put this in there: Marvin Lewis doesn't give us time to have off-field activities.

Something, anything, you like about camp: Ice cream. Cookies and cream. And sometimes they have the rainbow sherbet. Another thing I like: the last day. I love the last day. That's better than the ice cream.

Most senseless activity: Two-a-days. They're uncalled for. Boxers don't spar twice a day. Sprinters in the Olympics, they don't train twice a day. Horses don't train twice a day, do they?

LB ANDRA DAVIS, CLEVELAND BROWNS

Strangest eating habits: The smaller guys get you. They seem to eat whatever they want and stay at their weight. They make the heavier guys mad.

All-time worst rookie singer: Probably me. I did a rap song I didn't quite know, so I was mumbling the words. Besides myself, D'Qwell Jackson. I'm not even sure what he was trying to sing -- it was that bad. He was trying, but he was so terrible that guys booed and told him to sit on down.

Most notorious rule breaker: It's so strict during training camp, any little thing can bite you. Better not doze off or be in the bathroom too long.

Best thing about holding camp at the team facility: The way our complex is set up makes it easy for fans to find a place to watch. That's cool right there. A lot of them can't afford to go to the games.

CB CHAMP BAILEY, Denver Broncos

Hardest worker: Nick Ferguson. He's a guy that just came off a leg injury and shouldn't even be out there, but he's out there acting like nothing's wrong. And he's like 39 years old.

Laziest player: I'd say myself. Not on the field. But when I'm off it, I don't want to do anything.

Camp comedian: Domonique Foxworth likes to joke a lot. He clowns on everybody. And it's random stuff. They mess with Dave Abrams, our head of security, about the clothes he wears. He looked like the Terminator today with his black shades on.

Camp food is ... Terrible. They try to tweak it, but it's the same stuff every year.

Most senseless activity: Tackling drills. I've been playing football for 20 years. If I don't know how to tackle by now, hell, I don't need to be out here.

OT EPHRAIM SALAAM, Houston Texans

Strangest eating habits: Chester Pitts. I have never seen anyone eat something whole without any chewing and be OK. I'm still trying to figure it out.

Hardest worker: Mark Bruener, because he just had a birthday and is 70 ... no, he's 58 years old. He came into the league back in the early '60s, and for a guy that old, he works extremely hard. More power to him.

Most memorable rookie initiation: I saw a team strip a rookie down naked and tape him to the goal post. They left him out there. An hour and a half later he was still out there taped naked to the goal post with, like, baby powder and stuff rubbed on him.

Unique way to cope with the heat: Don't practice. That's it. Have a pulled something and convince somebody you need to stay inside.

Biggest suck-up: Mike Flanagan. Please, spell that in bold and capital letters.

MLB GARY BRACKETT, Indianapolis Colts

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: Dwight Freeney always brings a bunch of sea salt. It's what he has the chefs put on his food. He eats only sea salt because his dietitian says it helps his body recover better.

Best prank: One morning we woke up and found one of the staff members' golf carts on a raft in the middle of the lake. Somebody had to go out there and get it.

Best way to cope with boredom: We crack jokes on the rookies. Those guys are so wide-eyed and bushy-tailed that they're almost defenseless.

Camp comedian: Joseph Addai. He's a quiet guy, but you've got to be careful around the quiet guys. They're always thinking of a joke.

Biggest suck-up: Darrell Reid. He's just in trouble so much he knows he has to suck up to get back in the coaches' good graces.

DE PAUL SPICER, Jacksonville Jaguars

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: Big John Henderson and Marcus Stroud had massage chairs in front of their lockers.

Unique way to cope with the heat: Freezing jocks.

Best way to cope with boredom: We've got a bunch of people that like to think they're Madden champs. Maurice Jones-Drew and Freddy Taylor go at it all the time. We've also got some wannabe Forrest Gumps playing pingpong in the locker room: Nick Sorensen, Scott Starks, coach Del Rio, Rashean Mathis.

Most senseless activity: Our "slide and glides." Your guess is as good as mine as to what a slide and glide is. It's supposed to be a walk-through, but you've got guys trying to make the team in walk-throughs, so you can't really go slow because you're always going to have All-American practice players on the squad.

cont'd...

 

[Angry Pope]

cont'd...

WR EDDIE KENNISON, Kansas City Chiefs

Laziest player: The kickers. What a life those guys have.

Most memorable rookie initiation: A few years ago, we had a few rookies who didn't get breakfast for everybody when they were supposed to. We tied them up to the goal posts and poured Gatorade over them and left them out there for somebody else to untie.

Best way to cope with boredom: I use the video conferencing on my computer to talk to my wife and my kids. That keeps me going.

Something, anything, you like about camp: The day we get to break camp and come home.

Best thing about training out of town: It's a little cooler in River Falls than it is in Kansas City. But that's the only good thing.

Camp food is ... I live on it for a long time because I have to. But I'd rather not. It's not so much that it tastes bad, but it gets old.

DT VONNIE HOLLIDAY, Miami Dolphins

Hardest worker: Right now? Ronnie Brown. He knows people have a lot of expectations, and I think he got tired of hearing talk about his weight.

Camp comedian: Channing Crowder. That's an easy one. He's always clowning, always ragging on someone.

Biggest suck-up: Keith Traylor. He's now the suck-up guy. Unbelievable but true.

Something, anything, you like about camp: It really gets you away. There's no distractions, and all of your focus is on football.

Best thing about having camp at the team facility: It's the best. I know Miami has the heat, but to be here as opposed to flying to Wisconsin or somewhere, it's worth it. In this camp, you're in a hotel. I've got cable television. I've got room service. I've got a nice down comforter.

Most senseless activity: Two-a-days. Why? Why do we need two a day?

DE RICHARD SEYMOUR, New England Patriots

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: What was the thing Lawyer Milloy brought in? The thing you lean on and it rolls around? The Segway scooter.

Hardest worker: Rodney Harrison. He's been in the league 14 years, and he never slows down.

Camp comedian: Definitely Matt Light. He likes giving (Tom) Brady a hard time. One time he filled Brady's car with those packing peanuts.

Best way to cope with boredom: We make the rookies do skits and performances for us. We do it maybe once a week. Someone might have to imitate (strength coach) Mike Woicik in a workout or do an imitation of another player.

All-time worst rookie singer: They don't make rookies sing the fight song anymore. But my class had to. The running back who ended up in Denver, Cedric Cobbs, good Lord, he was bad.

WR LAVERANUES COLES, New York Jets

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: Camp is like jail, and you can't carry anything to jail.

Strangest eating habits: Victor Hobson. All he does is eat. You'll see him in the weight room, eating Rice Krispie treats while he's working out.

Most memorable rookie initiation: My rookie year, they made us get out of the shower with soap all over us. The vets came in the shower and said, "Shower's over, fools!"

Best way to cope with boredom: Imagining funny pictures of your head coach's face and drawing pictures on his face while you're in the dorm room.

Camp comedian: I would have to say me. I try to keep it light. Otherwise, we'd probably be lined up on top of the building, ready to jump.

Biggest suck-up: Jonathan Vilma. He's Little Penguin. (Head coach Eric Mangini's nickname is Penguin.) We call him Penguin Lite.

C JAKE GROVE, Oakland Raiders

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: Jarrod Cooper has brought some of his snakes. He's got a garage full of them at home.

Best prank: One year, they filled a guy's bed with water.

Coaches' favorite whipping boy: Paul McQuistan. Coach was on him every day rookie year. He asked Coach one day if the questions he was asking were rhetorical.

Most memorable rookie initiation: My own. They shaved my head into a mohawk. To spite them, I decided to keep it for about three months.

All-time worst rookie singer: Me. I never could get our college fight song quite right. It's called the Hokie Pokie.

Unique way to cope with the heat: Getting a tub full of ice water, with ice floating at the top. It's hard to get in there, but once you do, it feels pretty good -- and it's hard to get out.

DE BRETT KEISEL, Pittsburgh Steelers

Strangest eating habits: I don't want to say his name, but he would never use a plate or utensils. He'd throw the food on the tray and eat it with his hands, like a caveman.

Most memorable rookie initiation: At the end of camp, the rookies do a skit. Last year, we all nicknamed Scott Paxson T-Rex because he has huge legs and little teenie arms. He came out in a speedo and all painted green and started eating off the plate with his head.

Unique off-field activity: Toward the end of camp we have a softball game. Most of the older guys play in it, and most of the others sit up on a hill and watch.

Biggest suck-up: Casey Hampton or Hines Ward. They're always asking Coach if they can shine his shoes.

C NICK HARDWICK, San Diego Chargers

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: PlayStations, Xboxes. I bring my iPod. We live in a hotel, dude. You can't bring your pet iguana.

Strangest eating habits: All the O-linemen. You gotta eat. You sneak out to Taco Bell or Baja Fresh.

Best prank: I haven't really seen one, but I'm going to do one this year. I'm going to try to get Norv Turner.

Most memorable rookie initiation: All we have ever done is make guys buy air fresheners. It gets pretty bad -- between the camp food and Taco Bell.

Hardest worker: Eric Parker. He's the hardest worker any time of year.

Something, anything, you like about camp: No distractions ... hanging out with the guys ... farting.

Camp comedian: Everyone is a comedian.

Camp food is ... Our season food is the same as the camp food: awful. That's one thing this franchise needs to work on.

G BENJI OLSON, Tennessee Titans

Laziest player: You could probably say Albert Haynesworth. I think a lot of people would say that. He'll probably read this, and we'll probably get in a fight.

Something, anything, you like about camp: Messing with the rookies.

Best prank: Every year, we give the rookie offensive linemen haircuts. The best one we ever did was on a guy named Marico Portis. We shaved a face on the back of his head, named the back of his head Rocko and even put a cigarette in Rocko's mouth. I remember sitting behind him in a meeting and laughing so hard I was crying.

Most memorable rookie initiation: Eugene Amano got his clothes thrown in the cold tub. The guy we had do it didn't check all the pockets, and Eugene's cell phone and wallet and stuff were in there. That was about as pissed off as I've seen anybody get.

 

[Crow]

That's some good shit right there.

Unique way to cope with the heat: Don't practice. That's it. Have a pulled something and convince somebody you need to stay inside.

Gotta love it.

 

[Crossbones]

Yeah that is some good stuff.

Pretty interesting and funny too.

 

[Angry Pope]

Pure camp: NFC

July 13, 2007

From the best pranks to dealing with the heat, players relate their camp experiences in their own words:

SS ADRIAN WILSON, Arizona Cardinals

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: A blanket. Like a personal blanket.

Strangest eating habits: That would have to be me. If I put something in my body that it doesn't recognize, I might have a bad day.

Hardest worker: Besides me? I'm going to have to say Anquan Boldin.

All-time worst rookie singer: Leonard Pope. He's terrible. You can't understand a word he's saying. The songs he sings are from like 1950.

Most notorious rule breaker: Oh, Edgerrin James, without a doubt. There is no rule for Edge. Edge does whatever he wants to do.

Unique way to cope with the heat: You can either skip camp and get fined $12,000 a day or you can take it like everybody else.

Best way to cope with boredom: You tell me. I haven't figured it out yet.

G KYNAN FORNEY, Atlanta Falcons

Unique way to cope with the heat: I learned this from a trainer a few years ago. You know that Lamaze breathing that pregnant women do? Two deep breaths, then blow it out. It sounds crazy, but it works for me.

Camp comedian: Demorrio Williams is the guy now. He's always coming up cracking on somebody. He's always got a funny joke.

Camp food is ... Great until after the first week. After the first week, it gets redundant.

All-time worst rookie singer: The most memorable rookie singer was our long snapper, Boone Stutz. He got up and sang the Folgers crystal coffee song. Towards the end of it, everybody starting singing, "The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup."

OT JORDAN GROSS, Carolina Panthers

Best prank: Last year, we weren't getting any rain days. One day late in camp, we all signed a petition for a mock rain day and handed it to coach Fox. Nothing happened, but we all got a big chuckle out of it.

Laziest player: It's got to be like a 14-way tie between all the offensive linemen.

Unique off-field activity: Our group date. We always go out on Wednesdays for dinner and a movie. During training camp, that's like a 10-day vacation.

Most notorious rule breaker: A few years ago, Kris Jenkins had an accident on a golf cart where he ran over (Panthers director of security) Gene Brown. We're not supposed to be driving golf carts, and that's why.

Biggest suck-up: Geoff Hangartner. He's one of the centers, so the coaches are always asking him questions, and he likes to answer them. Make sure you put his name in there. He'll like that.

TE DESMOND CLARK, Chicago Bears

Best prank: Olin Kreutz got Kyle Orton when he was a rookie. Olin got Kyle's helmet and brought it to him and said, "Hey, can you sign this for me? I've got some family coming, and they love collecting this stuff. Thanks." Kyle signed it, and then he had to wear it out to practice.

Unique way to cope with the heat: The best thing you can do is try to get out of as many reps as you can. "Hey, trainer, can you tape my ankle again? Because it's kind of loose."

Most memorable rookie initiation: Charles Tillman, when he was a rookie, ran into Big Ted, Ted Washington. Ted made him get in a dirty clothes basket on wheels, and while Ted was pushing him around, he made Tillman make car sounds: "Make sounds! Make 'em loud!"

Unique off-field activity: Muhsin Muhammad will get out there sometimes with his bow and practice shooting.

LB BRADIE JAMES, Dallas Cowboys

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: I don't know why guys bring motorcycles because we're in meetings and practice all day, every day. And when you do have free time, all you want to do is sleep -- not ride a motorcycle.

Coaches' favorite whipping boy: This is Wade's first season. I'm sure he'll find someone. But Wade is only going to be so mean.

Laziest player: That would be any of the offensive linemen. They're always trying to get out of doing something.

All-time worst rookie singer: Bobby Carpenter, hands down. He has the worst voice you've ever heard.

Camp food is ... Absolutely terrible. It was so bad in Oxnard that I bought a crockpot and started cooking for myself and a few of the guys. I would slow-cook some chicken or make some gumbo. I am from Louisiana, so I know how to cook.

C DOMINIC RAIOLA, Detroit Lions

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: I don't know about camp, but Ernie Sims once brought his snake to the locker room. It was a big yellow boa constrictor.

Strangest eating habits: Roy Williams. He has his own syrup and his own Cap'n Crunch in his locker. And he has them make his own pancakes in the morning because that's his deal -- pancakes.

Coaches' favorite whipping boy: The rookies. It doesn't matter which one.

All-time worst rookie singer: I tried to sing Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles." It didn't work out too well. First, I couldn't hit the notes, and second, I couldn't remember the words. And it's an easy song.

Best way to cope with boredom: I'm always waking people up because I can't rest during the day. And if I can't rest, I don't want anybody else resting. That's why I bring the bullhorn out.

C SCOTT WELLS, Green Bay Packers

Coaches' favorite whipping boy: I'd say it's Ty Knott, the quality control guy. He's kind of the "do"-guy, the yes man. He has to make sure all the meeting rooms have pens in them.

Best way to cope with boredom: Ask the coaches not to have so many meetings. It's like they think if we weren't meeting we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves.

Camp comedian: In the past, it was Grey Ruegamer. He used to show up with this beach cruiser bike that looked like the one in the Pee-wee Herman movie. He'd ride it from the dorms to practice. Here's this big 310-pound guy riding a beach cruiser. He looked like a giant dork.

Biggest suck-up: It has to be Tyson Walter. All through OTAs he's shown up for meetings with Starbucks coffee for (offensive line) coach (James) Campen and (assistant line) coach (Jerry) Fontenot.

cont'd....

 

[Angry Pope]

cont'd...

DE KENECHI UDEZE, Minnesota Vikings

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: Darrion Scott brought four phones to camp. I guess he's got a lot of people to talk to.

Strangest eating habits: Once again, Darrion Scott. He always asks people if something he wants to eat is good or bad for him, even when he knows it's bad, and waits for someone to tell him it's good.

Best prank: Probably the defensive line. We got Super Glue and glued the locks on bikes last year.

Hardest worker: Me. I'd have to toot my own horn on that.

Most memorable rookie initiation: Shaving off people's eyebrows. Even though mine grew back, I'm still against it. You shouldn't do that to anybody.

Unique way to cope with the heat: Pat Williams always waters down his belly. I like that one.

Camp comedian: Pat Williams. People laugh at what he says even if they don't understand him.

RB DEUCE MCALLISTER, New Orleans Saints

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: A guy had to bring his son to camp. He didn't have a baby sitter.

Best prank: Any time you hide the rookies' stuff and they have to wear the whirlpool shorts. Throw them in the ice chest or somewhere. They get all panicky about it.

Laziest player: I'd probably qualify as one of those guys.

Most memorable rookie initiation: Any time their hair gets cut off. If they fight it, they lose the armpits, eyebrows, everything.

Unique off-field activity: I think the kickers and the punters. They're talking about what bars they're going to go to. They talk about actual nightlife during camp. That doesn't happen a lot for the rest of us.

Unique way to cope with the heat: When we went to the water park last year (coach Sean Payton surprised the team and canceled practice).

LB PISA TINOISAMOA, St. Louis Rams

Strangest eating habits: Any lineman. I mean, you'll see these guys cramping up, and then they go into the training room and eat some bad stuff. Whatever they eat, you don't want to eat.

Unique off-field activity: We went to a water park -- and we thought we had the day off. We were running around, jumping on the slides, racing down the slides. Then we found out we had to practice that evening.

Something, anything, you like about camp: The hitting. Hitting the rookies, actually. Welcome to the NFL.

Best way to cope with boredom: Sleep. The shorter naps are better.

Unique way to cope with the heat: Some of the linemen, they get down to wearing close to nothing in practice. They lift up their shirts with their bellies hanging out. It only grosses you out when you have to face them head-on because they're just slipping all over the place.

DE BRYANT YOUNG, San Francisco 49ers

Best way to cope with boredom: Bring a musical instrument to camp. I bring my bass guitar.

Camp comedian: Ronald Fields. He has a great sense of humor, is quick-witted and just enjoys life. He has something on everybody.

Biggest suck-up: I'm not going to say someone by name, but it's anyone who wants the ball -- any receiver, running back or tight end.

Unique off-field activity: When we had camp in Rocklin, we used to have a fishing derby. I always looked forward to that, and nothing has matched it since. It was a lot of fun -- and that's no fish story.

Most senseless activity: We used to do these up-down drills and roll and bounce back up and chase the ball. It was kind of senseless because very seldom do you get tossed around, roll on the ground, get up and run to the ball. At some point you just say, "Hey, that's not for this level."

OT WALTER JONES, Seattle Seahawks

Strangest thing a player has brought to camp: Last year, Chris Gray brought this freakin' thing that made weird animal noises. Guys would be sleeping, and he would go through the hallway scaring them.

Best prank: Somebody had a Chucky doll last year, and they would put it in the bathroom.

Biggest suck-up: Matt Hasselbeck. He's the quarterback. I don't need to say any more.

Most senseless activity: The chute drill. We've been doing it for so long, we just do it -- even if it is senseless. I'd rather push a truck. (The chute is a metal frame. Linemen get in their stances, fire out and have to stay low for 3 yards before exiting the chute.)

DT Chris Hovan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Best prank: Mike Alstott asked Chris Colmer to get him a Gatorade once, and the kid drew him a map to where the refrigerator was. So Mike and Dave Moore go out and take the wheels off his car, put the car up on blocks, draw a map to where the wheels are and leave it on the windshield of his car. The best I've ever seen.

Most notorious rule breaker: Simeon Rice, hands down. Simeon's just got his own set of rules, and that's what he follows.

Camp comedian: Mike Alstott. Right before curfew, he'll go around the training table and try to get a quick wrestling session going. If you're not paying attention, he'll put you in a full nelson.

Best thing about holding camp at Disney World: My family can come down and go to Disney World and Epcot and enjoy themselves while I sweat and work.

OT Jon Jansen, Washington Redskins

Strangest eating habits: That's got to be Randy Thomas. It's not necessarily strange -- it's that he eats the most. Even on the hottest days, nothing puts him down. Sometimes I wonder how he does that. I don't know where he puts it all without putting on weight. He's in great shape.

Most notorious rule breaker: C.P., Clinton Portis. He does whatever C.P. wants to do.

Biggest suck-up: I'd have to say our special teams coach, Danny Smith. I think he wants Joe's job.

Camp food is ... Awful. Everything is cooked the same way.

Best way to cope with boredom: Only two ways: sleep or mess around by playing jokes or trying to create some fun.

Camp comedian: Ethan Albright, our long snapper, because he has the most time on his hands. Those guys have time to search the Internet, so there's always something he can dig up on somebody.

 

[hawaiianboy]

Awesome thread...