River Falls Wrap: Day Two
Jul 27, 2007, 8:39:53 PM
VIDEO 7/27 - Camping with the Chiefs - Day 2 - Windows Media | Real Video
By Josh Looney
Breakdown: Chiefs players reported to the UWRF practice fields around 9:45 AM for their first on-field activities of training camp. With the players dressed in workout shorts and shirts, strength and conditioning coach Cedric Smith and his assistant Brent Salazar led the club through a regimented conditioning test.
The team was divided into groups based on position and ran a handful of running patterns that consisted of both sprints and position specific movements. Offensive lineman would simulate pulling down the line of scrimmage and drive up-field 10 yards while defensive backs back-peddled and sprinted out of breaks.
“It’s more of a workout than your prototypical conditioning test you might see at the college level,” Smith told me before the drills started. “It is, however, an intense workout nonetheless.”
Each set of patterns contained 10 repetitions and a total of four sets were performed. Players received 22 seconds of rest between reps; head coach Herm Edwards and his assistant coaches could be heard cheering on players as well as jokingly harassing them during periods of rest.
Herm Edwards kicked off his afternoon practice session at 3:45 PM. The hour-and-forty-minute helmets-only practice featured individual, team run, one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills. The practice concluded with 18 plays that pitted the offense and the defense against each other.
Tribute To Greensburg, Kansas: When Chiefs President Carl Peterson addressed the 2007 Chiefs as a group for the first time this season, he began his meeting with a three-minute video displaying the destruction and devastation left behind by the F-5 tornado that rocked Greensburg, Kansas last May.
To display a message of unified support for the residents of Greensburg; Chiefs players, coaches and staff members will be wearing navy hats displaying a red block letter “G” for the next two days at training camp. Members of the Chiefs family have also pledged donations that will go directing to the rebuilding efforts of the Greensburg High School football team.
LJ Update: Clearly one of the biggest stories thus far in training camp has been RB Larry Johnson’s decision not to report to training camp on time. Carl Peterson addressed the media’s inquiries in a 20-minute interview early in the afternoon. Peterson noted that both the club and the Johnson party still remained some distance apart in negotiations. Talks between the two sides are continuing.
With new rumors continuously circling through various media outlets, Peterson also dispelled any intentions of trading the two-time Pro Bowl runner.
“I have no intention whatsoever of trading Larry Johnson,” Peterson stated. “Like before there was a lot of speculation on that; I have had no teams – zero – call me with interest in trading for Larry.”
For the full-transcript of Peterson’s conversation with the media, check out the Q&A with GM Carl Peterson on KCChiefs.com.
New Faces In Camp: The Chiefs announced three-roster moves before Friday’s afternoon practice. The club’s fifth-round draft pick, K Justin Medlock, agreed to terms of a three-year contract, veteran CB Will Poole agreed to a two-year deal and DT Patrice Majondo-Mwamba (a naïve of the Republic of Congo) joined the squad as a national player exemption with a two-year contract. All three players participated in Friday’s practice.
Play Of The Day: Second-round draft pick DE Turk McBride looked particularly impressive throughout spring drills and continued to turn heads during his first day at an NFL training camp.
The versatile defensive lineman performed particularly well during one-on-one drills against the offensive line. Considered a litmus test for linemen on both sides of the ball, one-on-one drills are something fans traveling to practices in River Falls will want to keep an eye on. This intense drill brings to light rugged battles in the trenches that usually go unnoticed during team play.
Look Who’s Talking:
“I’m excited to be back in Kansas City. I’ve always had great fond memories of my six years that I spent there and there is nothing like Arrowhead Stadium. I love having the fans cheering for me instead of cheering against me.“
- LB Donnie Edwards on his thoughts about returning to the Chiefs
“I was joking with Coach saying that we started off with a little Buddy Ryan this morning with the conditioning test. It was all in good fun though and all the guys came out and got through it. The first practice today we think went pretty well. It’s warm out here and we don’t have the pads on yet, but we’ll start that tomorrow and keep on moving.“
- RB Michael Bennett on the club’s conditioning test conducted this morning
Look Ahead: Saturday marks the first day of two-a-days for the club as practices are scheduled for 9:00 AM and 3:45 PM. The afternoon session will be the first full-padded practice of 2007.
You Asked It: Submit your questions to River Falls Wrap, Chiefs Chatter and Camping With The Chiefs by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
J. Davis: “I was wondering why the Chiefs travel out of Kansas City to do the training camp?”
JL: There are several reasons that the Chiefs have made the trip northward each summer for the past 17 years. The Chiefs are believers in “old school football.” Holding training camp in a remote location enables an entire team from the support staff to the players to bond together and become one cohesive unit. For roughly three weeks the Chiefs will eat, drink and sleep football with minimal distractions while they work towards the ultimate goal of bringing the Lamar Hunt Trophy (AFC Championship) to Kansas City. The first-class facilities at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, coupled with Wisconsin’s mild summer climate and the close proximity to the Minnesota Vikings make River Falls a logical place to conduct an NFL training camp.
On a side note; 15 of the NFL’s 32 teams hold training camp outside their home city.
Questions?: Is there a question about training camp or the Chiefs that you want answered? A handful of questions will be answered daily in the River Falls Wrap. Chiefs insiders Rocco and Stuckey will also discuss submitted fan questions weekly in Chiefs Chatter.
Click here to ask your Camp Question?
Have a specific question for a specific player? One fan question will be selected daily and featured in the Fan’s Want To Know portion of Camping With The Chiefs, which airs every evening of training camp on KCChiefs.com.
www.kcchiefs.com
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Originally Posted by chief31
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