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Monday, August 3: Morning Practice

The fourth Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training Camp practice started off with a dark, cloudy sky and a temperature of 76 degrees. The wind was pretty limited at three miles-per-hour to west-northwest. Humidity was at 94 percent and a dewpoint of 65, but the weather cleared up soon after practice started.

There were approximately 180 fans at the Kansas City Chiefs fourth practice. The fans seem to be forming a pattern, and repeat attendees are taking the same positions in the bleachers and along the fences. So far, this was the smallest attendance record for the 2009 camp, but it has only just begun, and many more are expected to arrive in the days to come.

Extra, extra...

At 9:15 a.m. the horn went off, and the team met on field 2 for warm-ups and stretching. While the team was doing arm circle stretches, quarterback Matt Cassel and wide receiver Quinten Lawrence started the slow clap. The trend was short-lived, but it got a couple laughs out of the players.

While their teammates ran drills during practice, tight end Brad Cottam, running back Kolby Smith and linebacker Demorrio Williams were laying on the ground of field 3, pulling the giant cone-shaped dummies, that were fastened with a rope, 15 yards.

The team began cool-down stretches at 10:50 a.m.

The defensive backs took their turn signing autographs for excited fans after practice this morning. Cornerbacks Brandon Carr, Donald Washington, Travis Daniels and Ricardo Colclough and safeties Bernard Pollard, Mike Brown and Jarrad Page were a few of the players present during the signing period.

The Chiefs staff held a closed tryout after morning practice today. Media members were not allowed to enter the Ramer Field complex where the tryouts were taking place, but one player was seen passing balls, three players receiving balls and at least two linemen practicing drills. None of the players trying out were in pads. Team security turned away anyone who attempted to watch the tryouts from a distance, obviously trying to keep the identities of the players involved a secret.

Fans

Bennie Dick of Goddard, Kan. spoke with UWRF reporters today. “This camp is awesome! I really like (Head Coach) Todd Haley because he gets on these guys and yells a lot.” When asked about what his favorite part of camp was, Dick said that he enjoyed watching his favorite team while relaxing on the sidelines and getting to be so close to the players. “This is my second year here. I was here in 2006,” Dick explained. “I also took a picture with (running back) Larry Johnson at the CBE (College Basketball Experience) Tournament in Kansas City a while back, and he signed it for me here at camp!”

Aaron Taylor of River Falls watched in awe today as the Chiefs offense and defense ran full-contact drills. “This is sweet!” Taylor exclaimed. “I love watching the full-contact drills because it is amazing to see all these huge guys hitting each other.” Taylor is a member of the UWRF Student Senate Committee and isalso involved in the Theta Chi Fraternity on campus.

Kristin Glanz of Woodbury Minn. attended the early part of morning camp today. “This is my first time visiting Chiefs camp even though I’m a student at UWRF,” Glanz stated. “It’s pretty cool to see all of the people that come to cheer them on, all dressed in red.” A member of multiple student organizations on campus, Glanz brainstormed, “we need to get more UWRF students out here. The team most likely won’t be here next year, so we might not get this chance again.”

Brothers B.J. (21) and Zack Pickard (13) and their friend Natalie Hunter (19) from Eau Claire, Wis. joined their cousins Nate (13) and Nick Hoffman (13) from Manitowoc, Wis. to watch practice today. “I’m excited. It should be fun to watch. It is much more relaxed and not so much of a zoo like the Packers camp sometimes is,” stated B.J. He also added that even though they are from Wisconsin and they are Packer fans, it is okay to be Kansas City Chiefs fans because they are part of the AFC. Zack was hoping to get linebacker Zach Thomas’ autograph and Natalie was excited to learn more and watch quarterback Matt Cassel.

Fans Dale, Karen, and Crystal (14) Dickman from Birnamwood, Wis. were excited to be back at Summer Training Camp for about the14th time to watch the Chiefs. Karen mentioned that they originally came to see Joe Montana, former quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs (1993-1994) when he was traded from San Francisco in 1993. They also stated that Dave Krieg, another former quarterback (1992-1993), used to live about 25 miles away from them. "I always thought it was interesting to see the players here in River Falls, then on television, and you can say, 'I saw that person in training camp!'". Dale closed with, “We just hope they don’t leave.”

Kim Avery-Smith and her son Dyllan (12) from Joplin Mo. met up with her sister Natalie Avery and her two sons Christopher (12) and Brant (8) Avery-Kirksey from Warrensburg, Mo. for a vacation to visit their family in St. Paul, Minn., the Mall of America and Chiefs camp. Dyllan and Chris said their favorite player is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, and Brant mentioned his favorite Chiefs player used to be tight end Tony Gonzalez. When asked what he is most excited about, Dyllan stated, “…going to the playoffs!”

Husband and wife Brian and Kristina Gaines from Claremore, Okla. watched the beginning of practice on the side of field 3 with their daughter Brianna (11) whose birthday is today. Also joining them at practice were their three other children Bradley (17), Brandon (14) and Brooklyn (4) and Kristina’s mother Eloise Self. Brian and Kristina drove in two separate vehicles, allowing their children to bring some friends along, Adam (17), Zach (17), Kaleb (16), Staci (16) and Eva (16). Brian said he has been a Chiefs fan ever since Joe Montana, former quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs (1993-1994) was traded from San Francisco in 1993. Kristina then pointed out that Brian has a "KC Chiefs" tattoo on his left arm. “I hope they have a good year this year…we have been waiting for a long time,” stated Brian.

A special fan at the Chiefs fourth practice supported the Kansas City Chiefs second-year tight-end Brad Cottam. Cottams grandfather, Rodger French from Minneapolis was standing on the sidelines watching his grandson condition on an exercise bike. His long-time friend Ed Kruger, also from Minneapolis, accompanied French. “I’m not totally sure why he’s on the bike today, but I’m sure there’s a good reason,” said French. The two gentlemen haven’t really noticed a difference this year from last, but they enjoy watching techniques and seeing how all the players work together. “I like watching the practice, but of course my grandson is my favorite player, and I’m very proud of him,” commented French. As far as new quarterback Matt Cassel, both Kruger and French agree “he did well with the Patriots, so we’re excited to see how he does here.”

Lynell and Kevin O-Bryan from Monroe City, Mo. attended the Kansas City Chiefs fourth practice to make it their 12th year of traveling to camp. “We’re excited to see what all the new players are going to look like this year," Kevein said. "The practices seem different with the new coaches, and some of our old favorites are gone.” The pair is sad about the Chiefs moving to Missouri for their camp next year. Lynell commented, “We really like it here, and I’m afraid that the new stadium is just going to be too crowded. I enjoy coming  up here and seeing all the same families every year. The fans definitely won’t be able to get as close to the field as we can here.” As far as this next season goes, the couple is feeling good about the new players and coaching staff, but  Kevin stated, “They have a tough lineup this year so I’m expecting 5 or 6 wins.” Though there are some great new players on the field, Kevin is holding strong as a Len Dawson (quarterback) fan. After the two leave River Falls, they look forward to the season at Arrowhead Stadium. “The games at the stadium are so much fun. They really seem like college games with the energy and excitement going on,” says Lynell. In addition to being big fans of the Chiefs the men have also worked during the camp as security for Family Fun Day in past years. They used to bring their daughter, when she was younger, who also enjoyed watching the practice. “It was really cool," said Kevin, "Mitch Holthus (voice of the Chiefs) signed a picture for our daughter a few years ago, and that just made her day,”

One family at the Kansas City Chiefs fourth practice announced that though they are not excited that the Chiefs are going to be practicing in Missouri next year, they will still go and watch the team. Stacy Langfeidt along with her children Paige and Michael from Lincoln, Neb. are much like other families and have been traveling to Summer Training Camp for years. “We really enjoy having camp up here," said Langfeidt, "Even though we come every year, we really enjoy going to the Mall of America and visiting Hudson along with watching practice, of course.”  While getting their memorabilia signed by the players, Langfeidt said, “(Running back) Larry Johnson came over to Michael and put his pads and jersey on him. Michael thought that was just the coolest thing.”

At about the half-way point of practice, one of the six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles in the nation pulled into the parking lot. As fans rushed over to the giant wiener,  the driver “Dijon John” filled fans in with Wienermobile facts. “Today is actually my day off," said the driver. "I just really like the Kansas City Chiefs and wanted to catch some of practice.Yesterday I was down in Madison (Wis.) doing some events, and now we’re up in this area preparing for more events at grocery stores in Hudson Wisc. and New Richmond Wisc.” One fan asked John where he got the Wiener brand clothing. “As a Hot-Dogger, we get all of our outfits ordered for us like a uniform. When I go to special places like this with the Wienermobile, I need to be representing the company both on and off the clock,” John answered. According to Dijon John, there is also a Little Link Mini Cooper that represents the Oscar Mayer Company as a mini-wiener. Though John did not have any hot dogs in the Wienermobile to hand out, he did have many Wiener Whistles which Oscar Mayer has been putting out since 1950. As far as the usability of the Wienermobile, Dijon John says, “it is easier to drive than a large SUV, and anyone with a regular driver's license can drive it. The longest trip we’ve taken with the Wienermobile was from Madison (Wis) to Grand Rapids, Mich., and we like to say we get about 100 smiles to the gallon, so its economical too!” In order to find out more information about the Wienermobile and the trips it has taken, go to www.hotdoggerblog.com.

Special Teams

At the sound of the horn, the team got together (minus the linemen) to work on kickoff situations on field 2. The players worked 3-on-3 to read leverage and coverage. A coach would holler out, “Kick right. Return right,” changing the directions each time. The blockers were told to block “over the top,” and some players needed the drill explained more than once. Rookie wide receiver Quinten Lawrence and rookie linebacker Corey Smith recquired a little extra attention. Later, safety Bernard Pollard and wide receiver Jeff Webb didn’t “run over the top” a few times, and the coaching staff at the drill let them hear it.

While the team was split by position, the kicker Ryan Succop  kicked balls off a tee between fields 2 and 3. Succop was kicking the ball toward the south end of the field to long snapper Tanner Purdum. Succop’s kicks were traveling from about the 45-yard line to the endzone.

Kicker Ryan Succop got four live kicks in today during the team’s field goal practice. His first kick from 39 yards away, hit the left upright and bounced back onto the field. Safety Bernard Pollard just about got to the kick from the left edge. Succop’s second attempt from 39 yards was drilled. Succop then knocked down kicks of 42 yards and 44 yards to end the session. On the 42-yard attempt, cornerback Brandon Carr was close to getting a hand on the ball .During the teams kickoff session, the returners taking the most reps were cornerbacks Maurice Leggett and Ricky Price and wide receivers Taurus Johnson and Rodney Wright.

Offense

The Jugs machines were once again firing at the beginning of practice. Drops have been a recurring problem in the first three practices.Today, there were four notable drops to report. Wide receivers Quinten Lawrence, Bobby Engram, Jeff Webb and Taurus Johnson each had drops during 1-0 drills. After Webb’s drop Head Coach Todd Haley yelled, “Catch the ball against air, please!”

Tackle Damion McIntosh was in full pads for the first time this season. McIntosh jumped right back in with the first-string. Head Coach Todd Haley commented later that is was good to have McIntosh back in pads. “He is working hard on his body,” Haley said. McIntosh had a huge pancake block of defensive end Alfonso Boone in 2-on-1 blocking.

Absent from practice were tight ends Brad Cottam and Tony Curtis. Head Coach Todd Haley was asked about their absences later. “I will only comment about the players that are practicing,” he said. Then Haley was asked whether either tight end was still on the roster, and he gave the same response.

Tight end Sean Ryan got some extra opportunities with the absences of Brad Cottam and Tony Curtis and made the most of it. Ryan made a spectacular, twisting sideline catch on a ball thrown by quarterback Matt Cassel. Head Coach Todd Haley commented on the catch later saying, “I thought that was a tremendous catch in traffic.”

Footwork drills seemed to be more prevalent today than in the last three practices. The quarterbacks and offensive line spent more time than usual working on footwork. The quarterbacks spent time taking snaps from center and working on different types of drops and handoff timing. The offensive line spent most of that session working on pulling in different directions and from different angles.

The offensive line and defensive front seven members were locked up in a 2-on-2 blocking drill. It was one of the most intense sessions of training camp thus far. The coaches were yelling, and the hitting was fierce. Head Coach Todd Haley yelled to get the drill started, “Lets go! Lets get woke up now!” The third group was slow getting the drill started, and quarterback Brodie Croyle got yelled at by Offensive Line Coach Bill Muir. “Quit wasting time! Call the god(dang) play!” he hollered. The third group continued to get some razzing. This time it was from Coach Haley. “You’re patty-caking over there.Come on, Bob (Tight End Coach Bob Bicknell). Get these guys off the ball. You’re the quietest group out here!”

The quarterbacks met on field 2 to throw balls at the target screen. Brodie Croyle was able to hit the middle target while rolling to his left one time. Croyle went 1-5 from the left. Tyler Thigpen went 0-5, and Matt Cassel went 0-3. Ingle Martin was able to hit the lower of the three targets, allowing him to go 1-5 from the left. Things were a little more positive looking when the quarterbacks moved to rolling to the right. Croyle hit the middle target twice, going 2-4. Thigpen continued to struggle from the right, going 0-4. Martin was able to hit both the upper and lower targets, finishing 2-3 from the right side. Cassel hit the middle target once, ending with a 1-5 record on the right.

During 7-on-7, quarterback Matt Cassel overthrew wide receiver Devard Darling due to the good coverage by cornerback Brandon Flowers. Cassel would later complete a pass to running back Larry Johnson for a small gain and another pass to wide receiver Bobby Engram who was quickly cleaned up by linebacker Zach Thomas. Safety Bernard Pollard would have had a huge tackle on running back Javarris Williams had the drill been being ran live. Quarterback Brodie Croyle threw a high ball to fullback Jed Collins, who was able to reach for the completion for a short gain. Later, however, Collins would let a nicely thrown Croyle pass soar right through his hands. Quarterback Tyler Thigpen threw a sideline pass to wide receiver Jeff Webb. Webb was able to get both feet down before falling out of bounds. Pollard was impressed, jumping up and down, hollering in excitement. Head Coach Todd Haley had seen the play as well, and said, “Good job, Webb.”  to the four-year receiver. Rookie receiver Quinten Lawrence jumped offside, and a coach hollered, “Get him out of there!” Wide receiver Bobby Engram  replaced Lawrence on the play. Cassel had a huge pass to wide receiver Mark Bradley, resulting in a 35 to 40-yard gain. Cassel’s next pass was a bit high to Darling, but the receiver was able to get some air and make the grab. A Croyle ball was almost picked off by linebacker Andy Studebaker. The ball went right through the hands of Studebaker, who cut off the receiver’s route. Studebaker was frustrated with himself, shouting obsceneties as he ran to the huddle. To end the 7-on-7 drill, Croyle had a completion to receiver Rodney Wright on the sideline.

During the team's 11-on-11 drill toward the end of practice, running back Jackie Battle had the ball knocked away from him after the whistle was blown. Head Coach Todd Haley screamed at Battle for the lack of focus. “Hold onto the football. You protect that thing all the way back to the huddle!” Haley shouted. Haley talked about the situation later in his press conference. “Those offensive guys have to protect the football at all times [like their life depends on it]. I am blowing the whistle for the defense.”

Defense

Before the official start of practice, the entire defensive squad was on the field, running various drills. The linebackers and defensive backs worked together on a drill that used five garbage bins to represent the offensive line. During the drill, Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast called out linebacker Turk McBride on something he did incorrectly. McBride switched from defensive end to linebacker this season in order to accommodate the Chiefs new 3-4 defense. Pendergast and McBride spent a few minutes discussing the drill.

Linebacker Derrick Johnson was in full pads and practicing this morning after sitting out the last two practices. Johnson worked with the linebackers for a bit before heading over to the stationary bikes to work out with his teammates that weren’t suited up. Johnson wouldn’t return to practice with his team the remainder of the morning. Defensive end Glenn Dorsey and linebacker Demorrio Williams weren’t in pads and were not participating in practice again today. Neither player has participated in a practice yet.

Rookie defensive end Alex Magee continued to see time with the first-string, as he has been all of training camp thus far. Magee was the Chiefs 67th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie sounded like he was losing his voice during the early drills of practice this morning. By mid-practice, Krumrie’s voice seemed to be almost full strength again as he hollered quite a bit at his defensive linemen throughout later drills.

While the defense was working together on a drill that practiced getting off the line of scrimmage, a Nerf football was used for snaps. Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie hollered, “Let’s get out head out of our (butt), and let’s go.” as some of the defensive linemen were getting pushed off the line of scrimmage. Later, Krumrie commented on the “good tempo” he was seeing from the entire defensive squad during the drill.

After warm-ups and stretches, the defensive got together as a collective squad and ran a few patterns over the padded hurdles. Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast kept telling the defensive backs to make sure they “accelerate off,” and Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie kept telling the linemen to have “quick feet.” The defensive split after the hurdles. The defensive line hit on the stationary sled, and the linebackers worked on getting off the line of scrimmage, stuttering and then exploding. The defensive backs back-peddled and cut back up, practicing making interceptions.

While the defensive line worked on the single sled, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie shouted, “Tattoo that son of a (gun), and snap his head back. Fly back his (butt)!” Krumrie seemed to be pretty intense during this morning’s practice. Defensive end Alex Magee was having a hard time knowing how to place his arms when they were pinning the single sled. Krumrie had the rookie hit the sled multiple times until he was satistifed with Magee’s performance.

While running through the cone-shaped dummies, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie hollered, “Don’t frickin’ cruise. Stop cruising!” After the drill with the dummies, Krumrie had his men move to a new drill where they used a big, orange ball. The ball represented an offensive linemen. Krumrie would roll the ball to the them from both the left and the right, and the linemen would have to shove the ball back toward Krumrie and continue to accelerate off the yard line, representing the line of scrimmage.

The defensive line worked one-on-one against each other. One player was representing the offensive linemen, and the defensive player was trying to bust past the blocker, off the line of scrimmage. Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie was getting frustrated with the linemen when they weren’t keeping their elbows in. Defensive ends Alex Magee and Wallace Gilberry received the brunt of this frustration.

The defensive backs worked with the wide receivers on some one-on-one coverage of pass routes. After a while, the quarterbacks joined the backs and receivers to throw some balls on the routes. The last play of the drill was a highly praised interception by cornerback Brandon Flowers.

After a drill, linebacker Mike Vrabel, a 13-year veteran, was showing two-year linebacker Andy Studebaker how he should be using his arms during the drill. As the two walked away, joining the rest of the linebackers on field 1, Studebaker patted Vrabel on the back.

A session with the defensive lineman and the offensive lineman, running a 2-on-1 blocking drill was dominated by the defense. The stand-out of the drill was defensive end Alex Magee. Magee destroyed offensive linemen Mike Goff and Wade Smith on separate occasions. Linebackers Mike Vrabel and Tamba Hali were present for half the drill. Hali made an athletic move to shoot to the inside of Barry Richardson without being touched.

Todd Haley Press Conference

Head Coach Todd Haley opened his daily press conference with a statement, saying practice was alright. “I thought it went OK. This is the point in training camp where everyone is a little sore, but I thought we pushed through well,” he said. Haley was wearing a Dallas Texans hat. The Chiefs came into the league as the Texans and will wear the old jerseys for three games this season.

Haley was asked to comment on the progression of fifth-round pick offensive tackle Colin Brown. Haley said that Brown was learning on the run. “He dropped a bunch of weight to give himself a chance to compete, so he probably is feeling a little light and not as strong.” Haley was then asked what he thought of the line as whole. “I am encouraged by what I am seeing. It's only day three and way too early to make evaluations, but I like what I see so far,” Haley said.

Haley was adamant that his team must create some havoc in the backfield. “Whether that is to lead the league in sacks or just create some chaos in the back there, it has to happen, in my opinion, to play the kind of defense we want to play.”

2009 Staff

Students and staff covering the Chiefs this year.
Front, left to right: Amanda Kane (Fans, Seniors Day),
Renee Thony (Sidelines), Linda Abel (Fans, Kids' Days),
Jim Thies (Sports Information Director).
Back, left to right: Deb Toftness (Office Manager),
Kevin Harter (University Communications Director),
Steve Linzmeier (Sidelines), J. J. Mosher (Fans, Punt, Pass & Kick),
Jens Gunelson (Photographer). Not picture is
Brenda Bredahl (University Communications Writer/Editor).