Training Camp July 31st

[Jerhawk]

The days of Cheney seem like a million years ago.

I wonder how different the camps were with Holmgren vs Carroll.

I know you could get a lot closer.

Oh A LOT closer. The players and coaches would walk by on their way to and from the practice field and you were inches away from them. A simple chain link fence is all that separated you from them. We chatted with and got autographs from any player we desired (pretty much). Yes it was HOT but always worth it.

Holmgren didn't have music blaring and the pace was nowhere near as upbeat and intense as Carroll's Camps. He was a somber, looming presence that would blow his top and rip open a player or group heavily laced in profanities without warning if he saw something he didn't like. We would say "Mt. Holmgren's blowing his top!" He was feared, but also respected greatly.

He could just as easily be gentle with the fans and tease us lightheartedly as he could blow his fuse on a player or the team. It was unquestionably his way or the highway.

My favorite part was bumping into some of the players at the local watering holes. I drank a pitcher of beer with punter Jeff Feagles and he gave me some nice intel...Truly funny guy and a hell of a punter to boot (see what I did there?)

Training camp now looks and feels more like a sold out rock concert, and while it's still cool to go to, it will never have the charm and intimacy of Cheney, and I will forever miss that, not to mention the people we would hang out with (Les).

Awesome story man. Holmgren would go OFF at random, and it was hilarious. One time the entire team got into a scuffle after Alexander got tackled and roughed up, and Holgmren laid into the entire team.

Funny story, before I was old enough to drive, my mother was trying to parallel park, and one of the players walked behind our car during parking. She slammed on her brakes to not run him over. We looked back and it was Shaun Alexander. That would've been a horrible injury, considering it was before his MVP season

 

[TestMo1337]

Shead as a great defensive play where he just tipped the ball to himself for the INT.

 

[TestMo1337]

https://vimeo.com/176945183

1st Offense vs 1st Defense

 

[TestMo1337]

https://vimeo.com/176945620

Nice grab by Kenny Lawler on the sidelines.

 

[TestMo1337]

Nice little trick play by the 2nd string, lateral to Foxx who throws cross field to an open Zac Brooks.

 

[TestMo1337]

https://vimeo.com/176946087

Third team getting some reps.

Browner is playing against the TE in most formations.

 

[TestMo1337]

https://vimeo.com/176946259

Wilson finding Baldwin in traffic.

 

[TestMo1337]

Jimmy Graham is on the field playing some light catch with Willson in-between drills.

 

[TestMo1337]

Pete has stopped the scrimmage due to the Offense getting destroyed by the Defense. Trying to reset, this is the 2nd time he's done it.

 

[Hawkstorian]

At Cheney the offense and defense would be on different fields for most of practice. Holmgren would stand in the area between the two fields, but ALWAYS watching the offense. His back was to the defense the entire time.

 

[ZorntoLargent]

Looks like an outlet mall.

Yep, that's where the buses are to take you to the VMAC.

Not an outlet mall. Just a shopping center. Zero outlet stores.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

The days of Cheney seem like a million years ago.

I wonder how different the camps were with Holmgren vs Carroll.

I know you could get a lot closer.

Oh A LOT closer. The players and coaches would walk by on their way to and from the practice field and you were inches away from them. A simple chain link fence is all that separated you from them. We chatted with and got autographs from any player we desired (pretty much).......

Yeah I posted some pix on this site a number of years ago I got from the one training camp I attended in Cheney while visiting Spokane from SoCal in August of 2000. Most were of the guys signing on the other side of that fence as you described. Very enjoyable experience and nice to get up close and personal with some of the guys. Here's a couple to give folks an idea of what it was like:

 

[two dog]

The days of Cheney seem like a million years ago.

I wonder how different the camps were with Holmgren vs Carroll.

I know you could get a lot closer.

Oh A LOT closer. The players and coaches would walk by on their way to and from the practice field and you were inches away from them. A simple chain link fence is all that separated you from them. We chatted with and got autographs from any player we desired (pretty much).......

Yeah I posted some pix on this site a number of years ago I got from the one training camp I attended in Cheney while visiting Spokane from SoCal in August of 2000. Most were of the guys signing on the other side of that fence as you described. Very enjoyable experience and nice to get up close and personal with some of the guys. Here's a couple to give folks an idea of what it was like:

See the height of that fence? I saw Kenny Easley, avoiding autograph seekers as he often did, walk
up to within about two steps then take a couple of speeded up steps and sort of levitate over it.
Just tucked his legs up and nonchalantly hopped over a, what, 42-44 inch fence.

I guess you had to see it but it impressed the hell out of me.

 

[two dog]

The days of Cheney seem like a million years ago.

I wonder how different the camps were with Holmgren vs Carroll.

I know you could get a lot closer.

Oh A LOT closer. The players and coaches would walk by on their way to and from the practice field and you were inches away from them. A simple chain link fence is all that separated you from them. We chatted with and got autographs from any player we desired (pretty much).......

Yeah I posted some pix on this site a number of years ago I got from the one training camp I attended in Cheney while visiting Spokane from SoCal in August of 2000. Most were of the guys signing on the other side of that fence as you described. Very enjoyable experience and nice to get up close and personal with some of the guys. Here's a couple to give folks an idea of what it was like:

See the height of that fence? I saw Kenny Easley, avoiding autograph seekers as he often did, walk
up to within about two steps then take a couple of speeded up steps and sort of levitate over it.
Just tucked his legs up and nonchalantly hopped over a, what, 42-44 inch fence.

I guess you had to see it but it impressed the hell out of me.

 

[ACFan]

More people taking back Kicks off the juggs machine. Bennett even tried, and he dropped it.

Richardson is taking some too. He's quick out to his acceleration.

Did Collins field any?, he never did it in college, but I bet he'd be awesome at it.

 

[GeekHawk]

<non-important stuff>

Mostly I want to know where you were when you got that pic of the sign that says "Winding road next 99 miles"...

 

[TestMo1337]

Yeah, Collins #36 took some at KR but the thing that Lockett and Richardson have (outside of great hands) were the first burst. They just take fewer steps to get up to speed and I don't see anyone other people that have that ability to explode off of the catch.

Apparently he did KR as Arkansas too.

 

[rcambaker]

You were sitting right behind us. My wife and daughter are in one of your pictures.

 

[TestMo1337]

My quick notes:

Defense owned the scrimmage; hands down. Same as yesterday; it's hard to judge the DL vs. OL but the guys off the edge (Cassius Marsh especially) looked fast coming down field.

The offense was only able to put up 4-plays of note; two Wilson to Baldwin passes in tight coverage across the middle, a nice cut-back by Christine Micheal and the Kenny Lawler catch on the side line (video above).

Any other positive play from the offense was really negated because the DL had to let up because they can't tackled the QB so the QB played on anyway.

No offensive player stood out more than Christine Michael. If Rawls can't go in Week 1, I am very confident that a "reborn" Michael is ready to take the load. He's playing smarter on his cut-back and he's not dropping the passes to him in the flat or on a screen pass. He still can't hold the ball in his left arms and is very quick to cover up the ball when running through traffic; means that he can't use it to shed defenders or stiff-arm.

Back-up QBs could not get anything going and couldn't even find the TEs on their outlet plays.

The DBs look great. Vetamur and I are wondering which of them will get traded away because they look great as a unit and depth-wise.

While Browner is no longer a CB, he matches up well against the TE when playing man or soft coverage; he loses contain if they don't line up straight up. He ends up cover an area where no one is a few times when he lined up as a SS or deep LB spot.

Cassius Marsh came to play; he lined up as a 3-point DE on both sides, stand-up LB from between the DT/DE, played some coverage LB across the TE and played almost every snap. He got swallowed up on run plays, but did exceptionally well in rushing the edge and just giving multiple looks.

Wilson (even when not throwing) would run up-field to every one who caught a ball half-way across the field. Was normally the first person to high-five that receiver.

Lane got the most reps opposite of Sherman when they played a base 4-3 defense; when going to Nickel Lane would move inside and Shead would move to outside CB against Sherman.

 

[TestMo1337]

You were sitting right behind us. My wife and daughter are in one of your pictures.

Noice. Post your thoughts if you get a chance.