azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Rookies welcome individual attention
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
May. 18, 2004 12:00 AM
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With 14 students and 14 coaches, the student-teacher ratio during rookie camp is an educator's dream.
Ten Cardinals rookies and four other young players are participating in camp, which runs through next week. The camp involves more than just football practices, however. There are meetings, weightlifting sessions and seminars designed to help the players make the transition to the NFL.
"It's a whole rookie orientation," coach Dennis Green said, "learning how to play football, learning how to be in shape, but also learning what it means to be a real pro."
NFL rules prevented two rookies - offensive linemen Alex Stepanovich from Ohio State and Nick Leckey from Kansas State - from participating because their schools have not yet held graduation. But the five other draft picks are attending, and they see a benefit.
Darnell Dockett, a third-rounder from Florida State, and end Antonio Smith, a fifth-rounder from Oklahoma State, are the only defensive linemen. Michigan's John Navarre, a seventh-round pick, is the only quarterback. There are only two receivers: first-rounder Larry Fitzgerald from Pittsburgh and free agent Romby Bryant from Tulsa.
"Me being here taking the reps (repetitions) and going through the learning experience is definitely an advantage," Navarre said. "I'm going to take advantage of it the next few weeks."
Fitzgerald would rather be practicing than sitting at home, passing time until training camp begins Aug. 1.
"There are a lot of expectations here for me," said Fitzgerald, the third overall pick. "I wouldn't feel right, sitting at home and not doing anything."
The goal of the camp is to accelerate learning so the rookies will be able to contribute when training camp opens.
"I think there's a big difference between college and pro football," Green said. "The sooner the guys understand the differences and react to the differences, the sooner they can play."
More than 80 players will be at training camp, decreasing the amount of individual instruction a coach can give. That's why this camp is so valuable, Fitzgerald said.
"Training camp is not for learning anymore," he said. "That's where the foundation of your team is being built. You have to be on the same level as your teammates. Coaches don't have as much time to explain stuff to you."
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Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
May. 18, 2004 12:00 AM
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
With 14 students and 14 coaches, the student-teacher ratio during rookie camp is an educator's dream.
Ten Cardinals rookies and four other young players are participating in camp, which runs through next week. The camp involves more than just football practices, however. There are meetings, weightlifting sessions and seminars designed to help the players make the transition to the NFL.
"It's a whole rookie orientation," coach Dennis Green said, "learning how to play football, learning how to be in shape, but also learning what it means to be a real pro."
NFL rules prevented two rookies - offensive linemen Alex Stepanovich from Ohio State and Nick Leckey from Kansas State - from participating because their schools have not yet held graduation. But the five other draft picks are attending, and they see a benefit.
Darnell Dockett, a third-rounder from Florida State, and end Antonio Smith, a fifth-rounder from Oklahoma State, are the only defensive linemen. Michigan's John Navarre, a seventh-round pick, is the only quarterback. There are only two receivers: first-rounder Larry Fitzgerald from Pittsburgh and free agent Romby Bryant from Tulsa.
"Me being here taking the reps (repetitions) and going through the learning experience is definitely an advantage," Navarre said. "I'm going to take advantage of it the next few weeks."
Fitzgerald would rather be practicing than sitting at home, passing time until training camp begins Aug. 1.
"There are a lot of expectations here for me," said Fitzgerald, the third overall pick. "I wouldn't feel right, sitting at home and not doing anything."
The goal of the camp is to accelerate learning so the rookies will be able to contribute when training camp opens.
"I think there's a big difference between college and pro football," Green said. "The sooner the guys understand the differences and react to the differences, the sooner they can play."
More than 80 players will be at training camp, decreasing the amount of individual instruction a coach can give. That's why this camp is so valuable, Fitzgerald said.
"Training camp is not for learning anymore," he said. "That's where the foundation of your team is being built. You have to be on the same level as your teammates. Coaches don't have as much time to explain stuff to you."
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