woodbuck27
06-19-2006, 06:06 PM
BY TOM ROCK
Newsday Staff Writer
June 18, 2006
D'Brickashaw Ferguson already had experienced the fun parts of being a first-round pick: the glitzy suits and bright lights of draft day, the glowing testimonials and charming anecdotes about the origin of his unusual name.
This past week, the Freeport product experienced three days of the less-glamorous aspects of his new job: the grueling two-a-day practices and the head-spinning speed of the NFL game when a rookie is dropped into his first minicamp.
"It was definitely a learning experience," Ferguson said. "There were areas I didn't expect, areas I was surprised by, but I'm glad I at least have a taste of what is coming in about a month."
That's when the Jets next convene for the start of training camp July 28. It'll be no surprise to have Ferguson penciled into the starting offensive line when those workouts begin; that's the reason the Jets selected him with the No. 4 pick. But with Trey Teague's apparent broken ankle, Ferguson probably won't be the only rookie among the revamped front five. Center Nick Mangold, also drafted in the first round by the Jets this spring, likely will begin his first NFL camp at the top of the depth chart.
"I like their progress, both guys are working as hard as they can, but at the end of the day, they're rookies," Jets coach Eric Mangini said.
Read between Mangini's lines, and both have a lot to improve upon.
For Ferguson, that includes a better understanding of the playbook with schemes to decipher, techniques to master and philosophies to buy into.
Ferguson called it doing "more than just what is written." Ferguson said there were times during the three-day minicamp when he would look around and notice who else was on the field. "A lot of times you think about the different talent and skill levels of the players you're going against," he said. "In college, the most anyone's going to be is a four-year starter, but here you've got guys who are seven-year starters. You can learn a lot."
One resource will be veteran lineman Pete Kendall, who also is absorbing new data and studying the tweaks and twists that come with a new offensive coordinator. Kendall said he'll help Ferguson and Mangold as much as he is asked to, and his insight could go beyond X's and O's.
Kendall started as a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks in 1996, so he knows how it feels to jump from the college game directly to the NFL trenches.
"To me, I'd rather just go and play," Kendall said. "As overwhelming as it may seem at times, the only way to really learn is experience. You don't fully learn this game until you play it."
For the rookies, the learning began here.
Newsday Staff Writer
June 18, 2006
D'Brickashaw Ferguson already had experienced the fun parts of being a first-round pick: the glitzy suits and bright lights of draft day, the glowing testimonials and charming anecdotes about the origin of his unusual name.
This past week, the Freeport product experienced three days of the less-glamorous aspects of his new job: the grueling two-a-day practices and the head-spinning speed of the NFL game when a rookie is dropped into his first minicamp.
"It was definitely a learning experience," Ferguson said. "There were areas I didn't expect, areas I was surprised by, but I'm glad I at least have a taste of what is coming in about a month."
That's when the Jets next convene for the start of training camp July 28. It'll be no surprise to have Ferguson penciled into the starting offensive line when those workouts begin; that's the reason the Jets selected him with the No. 4 pick. But with Trey Teague's apparent broken ankle, Ferguson probably won't be the only rookie among the revamped front five. Center Nick Mangold, also drafted in the first round by the Jets this spring, likely will begin his first NFL camp at the top of the depth chart.
"I like their progress, both guys are working as hard as they can, but at the end of the day, they're rookies," Jets coach Eric Mangini said.
Read between Mangini's lines, and both have a lot to improve upon.
For Ferguson, that includes a better understanding of the playbook with schemes to decipher, techniques to master and philosophies to buy into.
Ferguson called it doing "more than just what is written." Ferguson said there were times during the three-day minicamp when he would look around and notice who else was on the field. "A lot of times you think about the different talent and skill levels of the players you're going against," he said. "In college, the most anyone's going to be is a four-year starter, but here you've got guys who are seven-year starters. You can learn a lot."
One resource will be veteran lineman Pete Kendall, who also is absorbing new data and studying the tweaks and twists that come with a new offensive coordinator. Kendall said he'll help Ferguson and Mangold as much as he is asked to, and his insight could go beyond X's and O's.
Kendall started as a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks in 1996, so he knows how it feels to jump from the college game directly to the NFL trenches.
"To me, I'd rather just go and play," Kendall said. "As overwhelming as it may seem at times, the only way to really learn is experience. You don't fully learn this game until you play it."
For the rookies, the learning began here.