woodbuck27
06-04-2007, 01:54 PM
http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070604/PKR07/706040461/1989
Posted June 4, 2007
Mike Vandermause column: How important are OTA sessions?
By Mike Vandermause
Would you show up for work if it wasn't required?
That's essentially the question Green Bay Packers players face at this time of year when the team conducts "voluntary" practices.
Today will mark the third of the Packers' 12 organized team activity (OTA) sessions, and nearly everyone on the roster will put on helmets and shorts and go through drills.
Players won't receive any extra money or benefits. Technically, they don't have to show up at all until training camp starts in late July.
NFL rules stipulate that with the exception of one minicamp, teams can't force players to practice in the offseason.
Yeah, right. For most players, OTAs are about as voluntary as paying taxes.
"It's not that you have to be here," said starting center Scott Wells, "but it is expected."
That would suggest an unwritten code is at work. Unless a player has a good excuse, he better show up or risk falling out of favor with the coaches, or even his teammates.
"Everybody has a day or two they have to miss for emergencies or family matters or things of that sort," Wells said. "But when you do miss, you kind of feel bad … because you're letting down other people who are counting on you."
For the offensive linemen, it's important to build a strong sense of camaraderie and cohesiveness.
For rookies and veterans battling for roster spots, it makes sense to use every opportunity to impress the coaches and improve their chances of making the team.
For others, the love of the game compels them to show up. Linebacker Brady Poppinga, for example, can't fathom the notion of skipping practice, whether it's voluntary or not.
"Personally I wouldn't do that, I couldn't do that," he said. "You know why? I'd go crazy. I've got to play some football, man."
When asked whether he likes to be at practice in June, Poppinga replied: "No, I love to be here. I enjoy it, and I would try to be here no matter what would happen. If my wife had a baby or something, and I had to be with her, I'd still be with my wife, but it would be hard."
An established veteran like quarterback Brett Favre could skip every offseason practice and likely not miss a beat come training camp. But as a team leader, it's important to set a tone for the younger players.
Pro Bowl receiver Donald Driver, who is all but guaranteed a starting job, knows other players look up to him. Thus, he wouldn't think about missing voluntary workouts.
"If I lead the right way, they'll follow," Driver said.
Not everyone puts the same priority on offseason practice attendance.
Starting cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris didn't attend the OTAs last year, and Woodson is expected to follow his own offseason workout regimen again this year in Texas.
Coach Mike McCarthy no doubt would prefer perfect attendance.
"Is it important for everybody to be here when the team is here?" McCarthy said. "Yes it is, because it's important for when a team works, everybody works."
But McCarthy also knows there are exceptions, particularly when dealing with 94 players.
"I look at the big picture," said the coach.
"We are improving as a football team, and I've told our team over and over again, I'm very pleased with the individual improvement that we've had throughout the spring, particularly in the weight room, in the classroom."
The progress is impressive, considering it's a "voluntary" effort.
Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.
GO PACK GO !!
Posted June 4, 2007
Mike Vandermause column: How important are OTA sessions?
By Mike Vandermause
Would you show up for work if it wasn't required?
That's essentially the question Green Bay Packers players face at this time of year when the team conducts "voluntary" practices.
Today will mark the third of the Packers' 12 organized team activity (OTA) sessions, and nearly everyone on the roster will put on helmets and shorts and go through drills.
Players won't receive any extra money or benefits. Technically, they don't have to show up at all until training camp starts in late July.
NFL rules stipulate that with the exception of one minicamp, teams can't force players to practice in the offseason.
Yeah, right. For most players, OTAs are about as voluntary as paying taxes.
"It's not that you have to be here," said starting center Scott Wells, "but it is expected."
That would suggest an unwritten code is at work. Unless a player has a good excuse, he better show up or risk falling out of favor with the coaches, or even his teammates.
"Everybody has a day or two they have to miss for emergencies or family matters or things of that sort," Wells said. "But when you do miss, you kind of feel bad … because you're letting down other people who are counting on you."
For the offensive linemen, it's important to build a strong sense of camaraderie and cohesiveness.
For rookies and veterans battling for roster spots, it makes sense to use every opportunity to impress the coaches and improve their chances of making the team.
For others, the love of the game compels them to show up. Linebacker Brady Poppinga, for example, can't fathom the notion of skipping practice, whether it's voluntary or not.
"Personally I wouldn't do that, I couldn't do that," he said. "You know why? I'd go crazy. I've got to play some football, man."
When asked whether he likes to be at practice in June, Poppinga replied: "No, I love to be here. I enjoy it, and I would try to be here no matter what would happen. If my wife had a baby or something, and I had to be with her, I'd still be with my wife, but it would be hard."
An established veteran like quarterback Brett Favre could skip every offseason practice and likely not miss a beat come training camp. But as a team leader, it's important to set a tone for the younger players.
Pro Bowl receiver Donald Driver, who is all but guaranteed a starting job, knows other players look up to him. Thus, he wouldn't think about missing voluntary workouts.
"If I lead the right way, they'll follow," Driver said.
Not everyone puts the same priority on offseason practice attendance.
Starting cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris didn't attend the OTAs last year, and Woodson is expected to follow his own offseason workout regimen again this year in Texas.
Coach Mike McCarthy no doubt would prefer perfect attendance.
"Is it important for everybody to be here when the team is here?" McCarthy said. "Yes it is, because it's important for when a team works, everybody works."
But McCarthy also knows there are exceptions, particularly when dealing with 94 players.
"I look at the big picture," said the coach.
"We are improving as a football team, and I've told our team over and over again, I'm very pleased with the individual improvement that we've had throughout the spring, particularly in the weight room, in the classroom."
The progress is impressive, considering it's a "voluntary" effort.
Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.
GO PACK GO !!