Mini Camp

Last weekend I went through my first mini camp as a Chief. Although technically a "rookie" mini-camp, I was one of five veteran players to be invited. It was a good opportunity to learn the new offense and show what I can do on the field. The camp consisted of two practices on Friday and then one practice on Saturday. Many of the guys at the camp were players competing to earn a contract as a Kansas City Chief. It reminded me of a few years ago when I signed as a free agent with Cincinnati. I could see how nervous some of the guys were and I remembered being the same way, but no matter how nervous you are, you have to just go out and play. You have to eliminate mistakes because the odds are already against you. You have to do everything right and go above and beyond what is asked of you. The camp had close to 80 guys and by the end of the day, probably only about 20 would be Kansas City Chiefs. The NFL is a very competitive business and it doesn't matter if you are a rookie or a seasoned vet. You are constantly being challenged by newcomers and evaluated by coaches and management. I felt the camp went very well for me. It was a long week having to do the camp after a full week of workouts, but I fought through it and feel confident in my performance. There were 3 other fullbacks at the camp and I believe that they will be taking four of us into training camp. This means that it will be very competitive at this position and I will have to be at my best, which is exactly what I intend on doing. During the camp, I had the opportunity to hear Coach Edwards give a speech for the first time. He is a very motivational guy and what I like about his approach is his no bullshit attitude. He seems to tell you how it is, what he expects you to do, and that it is up to you as an individual to either meet the expectations or be left behind. He also seems to be very fair, which can be a rarity these days.