azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Odeen Domingo
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 17, 2005 12:00 AM
PRESCOTT - Five days. The Cardinals, the city of Prescott and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University accomplished a feat in five days in what usually takes a year.
That is, construct an NFL training camp from scratch.
All parties involved did everything they could. Jane Bristol, Prescott economic development director, hammering nails and screwing in screws to build about 96 makeshift lockers for the players. About 12-15 Prescott firefighters were among 85 others who helped transform Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University dormitories into suitable housing for 6-foot-6, 300-pound NFL football players. The Cardinals made sure every training camp necessity was covered.
The team usually held training camp at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. But in the last week of July, there was an outbreak of flulike symptoms believed to be norovirus in parts of the campus.
NAU did its best to cleanse the campus. But after extensive investigations, the Cardinals felt it was too risky to hold training camp there, the last year of their contract with the university.
Players were to report to training camp July 31. It was July 25 and there was yet to be a training camp to which to report.
John Idzik, Cardinals senior director of football operations, said the team dispatched people across the state to look into potential sites. The organization settled on Prescott, a town of 33,938 and 2,000 feet lower than Flagstaff (about 7,000 feet above sea level). It picked Prescott, about an hour, 45-minute drive north of Phoenix mostly because it was familiar with the city. The Cardinals held their last week of training camp in Prescott last year and were to do that again this year. But the Cardinals needed to stay in Prescott for a whole month.
So they contacted Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University first because it had dormitories, classrooms and fields. And the university contacted the city of Prescott because it needed help. All parties finalized a deal, which included what the Cardinals needed from the city and the university and vice versa, Tuesday, July 26. And so it began. The Cardinals' 2005 training camp was built in five days.
"We didn't want to overanalyze," Idzik said. "We needed to start with the bare necessities and build off of that. There wasn't much sleep by a lot of us that whole week."
The Cardinals' staff had to be in constant communication with the university and city officials. Almost every level of the organization helped in breaking down everything they needed for their training camp and mapping out how the camp was going to run.
"No sleep at all," said Anthony Edwards, Cardinals director of player programs who is in his first year as training camp director. "I start basically close to 6 a.m. and stayed up at night around 1, 2, 2:30 a.m. just doing things that we need to get done. I'm a person that hates to leave something undone."
University and city officials did everything they could to meet the team's requirements.
"We were the ultimate concierge," said Burt Mullins, Embry-Riddle's events manager.
The local Home Depot supplied the wood and the tools for the lockers. The local Costco donated about 2,000 soap bars. The university's dining service, Chartwell, brought in five extra chefs from across the country to provide food with the right nutritional requirements for two weeks. Mullins said the total food bill was about $100,000. The university had Phoenix-based linen company Sodexho provide hundreds of queen and king-sized bed blankets and linens. The Cardinals provided the beds themselves. The university custodial staff washed and replaced about 15,000 towels and hundreds of blankets and linens a day.
City and university officials had to work with Cardinals turf manger Tim Peterson and his crew to see which fields were suitable to become improvised football fields. Peterson and his crew transformed soccer, softball and baseball fields into makeshift football fields.
Mic Fenech, Prescott city administrative services director, helped in securing the Quality Inn, which the team moved to after two weeks at Embry-Riddle.
"I know I burnt up a lot of cellphone minutes getting it done," Fenech said.
But the most important thing is the Cardinals organization, the city of Prescott and Embry-Riddle got it done. Training camp, which breaks Aug. 24, is 2 1/2weeks in and besides dealing with the ever-changing weather, things have went on without a hitch.
"It was very inspirational how people banded together to get things done," Idzik said. "Its remarkable. The bottom line was to lessen the impact on our coaches and players. This is a very critical time of the year for us. And they didn't miss a beat. And that was our goal. By and large it's been a normal training camp.
"We didn't have enough time to think. In all our NFL careers, this was a very unique experience. To pull it off in five days. We're going to look back and kind of chuckle about it . . . how did we do that?"
Player profile
David Macklin
Sixth-year cornerback from Penn State
Height/weight: 5-10/200.
Hometown: Newport News, Va.
Lining up across from some of the NFL's tallest players, Macklin makes up for his height deficiency with his game. He talks back to receivers who rip on "D-Mac" for being so small, and last season he had a career-high four interceptions.
His skill is good enough to hold down the starting spot at right cornerback. This year will be his second with the Cardinals.
Macklin Q&A
Q: What's it like playing against guys a few inches taller than you?
A: "Just everyday work for me, just go out there and compete and put my body in position to make plays. And that's what I focus on, drive to be successful."
Q: Do the guys across from you ever talk smack?
A: "Yeah. That doesn't bother me. I talk smack to them. It's part of the game. I just have fun. I love to compete, that's why I think I have the edge over a lot of other guys."
Q: Is there a specific story regarding your height on the field?
A: "Just accepting the fact that somebody thinks they're going to have that advantage on me because of my height. That just plays into my hands. I'm going to out-think you. I'm going to out-work you. I'm going to out-play you when it comes down to it, and that's my edge and that's how I'm going to take the field every game."
Day at camp
The offense and defense worked against each other Tuesday, but hitting was at a minimum. The team focused on one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills and implemented plans for Saturday's game at Kansas City.
Eye opener
During one-on-one drills between receivers and cornerbacks, first-round pick Antrel Rolle matched up with receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald tried to shake Rolle by faking toward the sideline, then slanting inside, but Rolle didn't bite. Fitzgerald had a step on Rolle as the pass came in, but Rolle suddenly jumped in front of the pass, and both players had their hands on it. They jostled for possession, and the pass fell incomplete.
Rolle to start
It didn't take long for Rolle to advance up the depth chart at left cornerback. Coach Dennis Green said Rolle will start against Kansas City, and Robert Tate will move to nickel back. Rolle missed eight days of training camp before signing a contract and was listed as a backup on the depth chart the team released last week. Rolle showed he belongs with the starters, making four tackles, including three straight, and a touchdown-saving pass deflection in his first series of Saturday's win against the Dallas Cowboys.
Training room
SS Ernest Shazor (hamstring), C Alex Stepanovich (hand), DT DeVone Claybrooks (knee), TE Eric Edwards (pectoral tear), RB Troy Hambrick (foot), OT Oliver Ross (knee), RB James Jackson (right shoulder) and LB Gerald Hayes (knee) did not practice.
Green said the severity of Hayes' injury in unclear, but Hayes will undergo arthroscopic surgery and will not play the next two weeks. James Darling will fill in at starting middle linebacker.
Coming up
The Cardinals will practice twice at Pioneer Park today, 8:45-11:10 a.m. and 4-5:30 p.m. Call (602) 379-1714 or go to azcardinals.com for updates. - Odeen Domingo
Josh Weinfuss
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/0817cards0817.html
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 17, 2005 12:00 AM
PRESCOTT - Five days. The Cardinals, the city of Prescott and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University accomplished a feat in five days in what usually takes a year.
That is, construct an NFL training camp from scratch.
All parties involved did everything they could. Jane Bristol, Prescott economic development director, hammering nails and screwing in screws to build about 96 makeshift lockers for the players. About 12-15 Prescott firefighters were among 85 others who helped transform Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University dormitories into suitable housing for 6-foot-6, 300-pound NFL football players. The Cardinals made sure every training camp necessity was covered.
The team usually held training camp at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. But in the last week of July, there was an outbreak of flulike symptoms believed to be norovirus in parts of the campus.
NAU did its best to cleanse the campus. But after extensive investigations, the Cardinals felt it was too risky to hold training camp there, the last year of their contract with the university.
Players were to report to training camp July 31. It was July 25 and there was yet to be a training camp to which to report.
John Idzik, Cardinals senior director of football operations, said the team dispatched people across the state to look into potential sites. The organization settled on Prescott, a town of 33,938 and 2,000 feet lower than Flagstaff (about 7,000 feet above sea level). It picked Prescott, about an hour, 45-minute drive north of Phoenix mostly because it was familiar with the city. The Cardinals held their last week of training camp in Prescott last year and were to do that again this year. But the Cardinals needed to stay in Prescott for a whole month.
So they contacted Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University first because it had dormitories, classrooms and fields. And the university contacted the city of Prescott because it needed help. All parties finalized a deal, which included what the Cardinals needed from the city and the university and vice versa, Tuesday, July 26. And so it began. The Cardinals' 2005 training camp was built in five days.
"We didn't want to overanalyze," Idzik said. "We needed to start with the bare necessities and build off of that. There wasn't much sleep by a lot of us that whole week."
The Cardinals' staff had to be in constant communication with the university and city officials. Almost every level of the organization helped in breaking down everything they needed for their training camp and mapping out how the camp was going to run.
"No sleep at all," said Anthony Edwards, Cardinals director of player programs who is in his first year as training camp director. "I start basically close to 6 a.m. and stayed up at night around 1, 2, 2:30 a.m. just doing things that we need to get done. I'm a person that hates to leave something undone."
University and city officials did everything they could to meet the team's requirements.
"We were the ultimate concierge," said Burt Mullins, Embry-Riddle's events manager.
The local Home Depot supplied the wood and the tools for the lockers. The local Costco donated about 2,000 soap bars. The university's dining service, Chartwell, brought in five extra chefs from across the country to provide food with the right nutritional requirements for two weeks. Mullins said the total food bill was about $100,000. The university had Phoenix-based linen company Sodexho provide hundreds of queen and king-sized bed blankets and linens. The Cardinals provided the beds themselves. The university custodial staff washed and replaced about 15,000 towels and hundreds of blankets and linens a day.
City and university officials had to work with Cardinals turf manger Tim Peterson and his crew to see which fields were suitable to become improvised football fields. Peterson and his crew transformed soccer, softball and baseball fields into makeshift football fields.
Mic Fenech, Prescott city administrative services director, helped in securing the Quality Inn, which the team moved to after two weeks at Embry-Riddle.
"I know I burnt up a lot of cellphone minutes getting it done," Fenech said.
But the most important thing is the Cardinals organization, the city of Prescott and Embry-Riddle got it done. Training camp, which breaks Aug. 24, is 2 1/2weeks in and besides dealing with the ever-changing weather, things have went on without a hitch.
"It was very inspirational how people banded together to get things done," Idzik said. "Its remarkable. The bottom line was to lessen the impact on our coaches and players. This is a very critical time of the year for us. And they didn't miss a beat. And that was our goal. By and large it's been a normal training camp.
"We didn't have enough time to think. In all our NFL careers, this was a very unique experience. To pull it off in five days. We're going to look back and kind of chuckle about it . . . how did we do that?"
Player profile
David Macklin
Sixth-year cornerback from Penn State
Height/weight: 5-10/200.
Hometown: Newport News, Va.
Lining up across from some of the NFL's tallest players, Macklin makes up for his height deficiency with his game. He talks back to receivers who rip on "D-Mac" for being so small, and last season he had a career-high four interceptions.
His skill is good enough to hold down the starting spot at right cornerback. This year will be his second with the Cardinals.
Macklin Q&A
Q: What's it like playing against guys a few inches taller than you?
A: "Just everyday work for me, just go out there and compete and put my body in position to make plays. And that's what I focus on, drive to be successful."
Q: Do the guys across from you ever talk smack?
A: "Yeah. That doesn't bother me. I talk smack to them. It's part of the game. I just have fun. I love to compete, that's why I think I have the edge over a lot of other guys."
Q: Is there a specific story regarding your height on the field?
A: "Just accepting the fact that somebody thinks they're going to have that advantage on me because of my height. That just plays into my hands. I'm going to out-think you. I'm going to out-work you. I'm going to out-play you when it comes down to it, and that's my edge and that's how I'm going to take the field every game."
Day at camp
The offense and defense worked against each other Tuesday, but hitting was at a minimum. The team focused on one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills and implemented plans for Saturday's game at Kansas City.
Eye opener
During one-on-one drills between receivers and cornerbacks, first-round pick Antrel Rolle matched up with receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald tried to shake Rolle by faking toward the sideline, then slanting inside, but Rolle didn't bite. Fitzgerald had a step on Rolle as the pass came in, but Rolle suddenly jumped in front of the pass, and both players had their hands on it. They jostled for possession, and the pass fell incomplete.
Rolle to start
It didn't take long for Rolle to advance up the depth chart at left cornerback. Coach Dennis Green said Rolle will start against Kansas City, and Robert Tate will move to nickel back. Rolle missed eight days of training camp before signing a contract and was listed as a backup on the depth chart the team released last week. Rolle showed he belongs with the starters, making four tackles, including three straight, and a touchdown-saving pass deflection in his first series of Saturday's win against the Dallas Cowboys.
Training room
SS Ernest Shazor (hamstring), C Alex Stepanovich (hand), DT DeVone Claybrooks (knee), TE Eric Edwards (pectoral tear), RB Troy Hambrick (foot), OT Oliver Ross (knee), RB James Jackson (right shoulder) and LB Gerald Hayes (knee) did not practice.
Green said the severity of Hayes' injury in unclear, but Hayes will undergo arthroscopic surgery and will not play the next two weeks. James Darling will fill in at starting middle linebacker.
Coming up
The Cardinals will practice twice at Pioneer Park today, 8:45-11:10 a.m. and 4-5:30 p.m. Call (602) 379-1714 or go to azcardinals.com for updates. - Odeen Domingo
Josh Weinfuss
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/0817cards0817.html
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