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Friday, July 28, 2006, Afternoon
K.C. Chiefs Training Camp Daily Updates

Camp opened today at 3:45 p.m. with scorching temperatures that topped out at 97 degrees with 47 percent humidity. The wind was coming from the Southwest at 9mph, which helped cool things down a little bit.

The heat did not, however, keep fans away, as nearly 250 people attended the opening day of the 2006 Chiefs Summer Training Camp.

Offense

The million-dollar question at the onset of Chiefs Summer Training Camp was “Why did Willie Roaf retire?” Head Coach Herm Edwards addressed this in a press conference following his inaugural practice at River Falls. Edwards restated the information that President Carl Peterson revealed earlier in the day.

“At this point in time we are going to leave the options open.” An integral force on the offensive line, Roaf will be hard to replace, so the Chiefs are allowing him to come back if he changes his mind. But Edwards is also not the type of coach that talks about players that are not here. Instead he is intent to “coach the players that are here trying to win a job.”

Distractions of all sorts are prohibited from his practices; that means everything from the proximity of the media to fields, to the avoidance of certain questions during interviews. The subsequent topic at hand regarded Edwards’ feelings about the first day of camp.

Though the weather conditions were far hotter than average, Edwards felt that practice had a good tempo, but the players were a little sluggish. “We did get a lot of plays in today, though,” said the coach. Questions abounded concerning first-round draft choice Tamba Hali and how he was progressing, but all Edwards said is that Hali is “going to move around.”

Edwards finished with somewhat of a warning to his team: “You have to be an available player to make this squad. You are not going to make it by default.”

In an interview after practice, tackle Will Svitek assured the media that he is here to “help the Chiefs win.” Roaf will always be one of his role models, but Svitek says that the team needs to “prepare like he’s not going to be here.”

Fullback Ronnie Cruz commented on the departure of Tony Richardson and the impact that he had on Cruz. Cruz admired Richardson’s work ethic and his knowledge of the game: “He came to work at every practice and was an encyclopedia on the defense. He took me under his wing and taught me the role of a fullback.” Though Cruz’s transition for blocking for running back Larry Johnson is gradual, he is having tons of “fun” working with Johnson, “He is the man, and I’m here to take him where he needs to be.”

During the individual position drills, Edwards assumed the role of quarterback for the tight ends. Edwards, prone to jumping into drills and actively mentoring his players, joked that he will function as the “fifth quarterback” of the team if need be. 

Practice took on a whole new façade today as the Chiefs began with special teams practice, contrary to the normal warm-up drills. Wide receiver Dante Hall looked flawless as he never dropped a punt, but punter Dustin Colquitt seemed to just be warming up his leg. Special teams coach Mike Priefer emphasized the players to work on fundamentals. As the special teams unit performed on one field, the quarterbacks and the centers practiced hiking the ball together and the receivers warmed up their hands on the jugs.

After the horn sounded, the players quickly transitioned into full 11-on-11 formations. Quarterback Trent Green took the majority of the snaps, but the focus of this drill was evidently on the running game. 

The players then separated by specialty role and worked on position-specific drills. Quarterbacks eased through agility and footwork drills, while the running backs ran patterns without the ball, and the tight ends got extra attention from the defense-minded Edwards. The offensive line worked on blocking drills with pads and sleds.

The quarterbacks and wide receivers collaborated at practice on some passing drills. Patterns that were being executed featured a shortened passing game. Green, Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle took equal turns throwing to each receiver. The receivers ran routes on the outside of the field. On the other field, quarterback Casey Printers joined the running backs to practice alternate paths and courses of action.

The entire offensive unit intermixed for a 7-on-7 drill where Green threw most of the passes. Wide receivers Sammie Parker, Craphonso Thorpe and Jeris McIntyre completed passes and tight end Tony Gonzalez made a few catches as well. Wide receiver Eddie Kennison also connected with Green on a few passes. Some of the offensive players sported bright green jerseys serving as defensive stand-ins.

In the end of practice, during 11-on-11 drills, Printers threw two interceptions: one was recovered by linebacker William Kershaw and the other was snatched by cornerback Chris Johnson. The emphasis on the running game was definitely prominent in these drills, though. Only one long-bomb pass was attempted, and if the ball was thrown at all, the passes were typically short distance. Green took most of the snaps with Larry Johnson garnering most of the balls. When Green hit Gonzalez with a pass, safety Sammy Knight made an acrobatic move, leaping on his back. Second-string quarterback Huard only got in for a few plays, working with Quentin Griffin, Nate Curry, Jeff Webb, Darrell Hill and Jason Dunn. When Croyle got in Webb, Scott McCready, Kyle Brown and Chris Hannon were his receivers, while Griffin once again served as his running back. 

Defense

On the first day of training camp, the Wisconsin sun decided to come out and join the Kansas City Chief players at Ramer Sports Complex.

The Chiefs started out with special teams where many defensive players were involved.  Starting right defensive end Jared Allen took the right offensive guard position and proved how valuable he is to the Chiefs’ efforts. 

Following special teams, both the offense and defense split up into specialty positions.

The defensive linemen located in the northwest corner of practice field one and began running short sprints out of their defensive positions. The first team included Allen at right defensive end, Lional Dalton at right defensive tackle, Jimmy Wilkerson at left defensive tackle, and rookie Tamba Hali at left defensive end in place of Eric Hicks.

Shortly after drills started, defensive tackle Ryan Sims was subbed back into the first string, replacing Wilkerson.

 Veteran defensive tackle John Browning appeared to take a back seat through most of practice, often lining up with either the second or third team. Browning strayed away from his tackle spot and made quite a few plays from defensive end.

The line then progressed to running slide drills and rope drills, with the players seeming to feel the heat as the drills appeared to get slow down. 

Linebackers took the opposite corner of the field and participated in running and catching drills.  Kendrell Bell and Keyaron Fox were complimented by the coaching staff the most for their alertness and catching abilities. Second year veteran Derrick Johnson played behind the scenes for the first day of practice, overshadowed by the play of Bell and the defensive line. Bell and Johnson can be penciled in as starters on the outside while Kawika Mitchell is handling the middle. 

The defensive secondary took the middle of practice field one and practiced drop-backs.   Due to the excused absence of Ty Law, Lenny Walls took the right cornerback spot.  Patrick Surtain played his usual left cornerback position and looked to be in great shape. Sammy Knight and Greg Wesley took care of the safety positions. Benny Sapp made his appearance at corner by replacing Surtain in multiple drills. Rookie safety Bernard Pollard also got his shot when he replaced Knight. 

After individuals, the defense combined to play against a make-shift offense. No balls were thrown as corners were instructed to drop back into coverage and lineman to burst through an imaginary offensive line. During play, Cunningham discussed assignments for when the football is thrown into the flats.

The offense and defense finally combined and ran light contact plays. Safety Jarrad Page made a great play to deflect a Brodie Croyle pass intended for tight end Jason Dunn.

Cunningham vented his displeasure towards his troops by yelling, “Get your heads out of your butts!”  The cause for the disgust was a play where running back Larry Johnson burst through a hole and torched past the secondary. 

Allen wowed the crowd by diving for quarterback Trent Green, hitting the ground and then doing a backwards flip to get back onto his feet. 

Overall, the defense has the same look as it did last season, minus Hicks.  Law will definitely be an upgrade once he gets into camp.

Fans

Hot, hot, hot was the biggest remark from fans as they were asked how opening day was going. The next order of concern was, Where is the giant, Willie Roaf? Sadly, fans had to be informed that their beloved All-Pro left-tackle had retired after 14 seasons in the NFL.

When the Vikings played the Chiefs in Super Bowl III, Mark Schlatter, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, got a lot of nasty looks from his friends for being the only person at the party who was cheering at the result of the game. Schlatter, wife Shelley and seven other family members and friends, drove up for the weekend to get a glimpse of the Chiefs up close. Schlatter was baseball coach to center Casey Wiegmann in 1987-1988, and now enjoys watching him succeed in football. They catch up whenever they get the chance. The three boys that came along for the ride, Ben and Gared Stockwell and Ryan Soldwisch, are avid Chiefs fans. Ryan even wore a Chiefs T-shirt under his uniform at a Boy Scouts of America meeting. The group of nine will be leaving on Sunday after the morning practice.

Although Jeff Wayman, wife Kelly and sons Matthew, 14, and Andrew, 10, live only 15 minutes from Arrowhead, they decided to drive up to River Falls to watch the Chiefs from a closer distance. This is their first time at camp, and despite the heat, won’t be their last. Some of Jeff's and Andrew’s favorite players are Larry Johnson, Trent Green and Dante Hall. They are excited for football season to begin. The family is headed to Northern Minnesota to do some fishing to round off their weekend.

Jack Buttjer, 9, came to practice today with his dad, Brent, who is a high school football coach. It is their first year driving up from Davenport, Iowa, to watch the Chiefs. Being a coach, Brent actually likes watching the coaches more than the players. He really thinks Herm Edwards was the way to go. “He’s a good coach who works hard, and has great tradition,” said Brent. The Buttjers have relatives they are staying with Prescott, Wis., which is only about 12 miles away from River Falls. Besides the coaches, Brent also likes watching cornerback Benny Sapp, who attended college at the University of Northern Iowa, just as he did.

Neil Sell decided to swing through River Falls with son Pryor, 3, as long as they were in the area. They were visiting St. Paul for the weekend to go to an antique sale, and figured they couldn’t miss the chance to see the Chiefs up-close. Sell grew up with the Chiefs, and has been a fan since he was a little boy. He is excited to see what will happen with the team now that coach Herm Edwards has taken over. “He has some big shoes to fill,” said Sell about the new coach, “but Vermeil was too nice. We needed Edwards.”

Brian Alwin, from Ellsworth, Wis., a Vikings fan who considers the Chiefs his second favorite team, was on hand to see the new-look defense. Alwin has attended the event since its inception and remembers the time when he was able to share a refreshment with the great Joe Montana. Alwin feels strongly that the Chiefs have made the necessary improvements to their defense to make them a legitimate contender for the Super Bowl this year.

Jerome “Roscoe” Tilghman and his grandsons Joseph, 9 and Elijah, 1, were closely watching the running backs at camp today. Tilghman has been an avid Chiefs fan since their days in the AFL. Tilghman’s knowledge of football is amazing, and his expertise in the running back position was incredible. He believes Chiefs running back Larry Johnson has the ability and toughness to go down as one of the “great ones” when all is said and done. Tilghman also thinks coach Edwards is a great fit with the Chiefs and calls him a “thinking man’s football coach.” He loves the way Edwards conducts his practices, making them short and intense. On a steamer like today Tilghman likes that trait about Edwards even more.

Sheila Parker and Jo Jordan of Kansas City left home at 2 a.m today to embark on their seven-hour journey to River Falls to watch their beloved Chiefs open training camp. They rushed to get here by 8:45 a.m. only to find out that they had been misinformed and practice didn’t actually start until 3:45 p.m.  They could have used the extra sleep, but nonetheless they didn’t mind waiting to see their favorite player, quarterback Trent Green, perform. They are very excited about the Chiefs' off-season moves and are very optimistic about the team’s chances this year.

Chiefs fans Rob and RaeJean Hester arrived yesterday from Kansas City for their first training camp experience this summer. Rob and RaeJean, who are lifelong Chiefs fans, have had season tickets for 19 years and are enjoying their time in River Falls. Rob mentioned that he is looking forward to a new offensive coordinator as well as the defensive lines, including defensive tackle Ryan Sims. Rob and RaeJean also mentioned that, “Kansas City loves their Chiefs, even though it is crazy to be in the heat!”

Relaxing under their Chiefs umbrella at practice today were fans Tom and Margaret Charrette from Knob Noster, Mo., Tom and Margaret are huge Chiefs fans and have been coming to training camp in River Falls for the past eight years. They mentioned that they were excited for the upcoming season and are waiting to see the direction brought forth by new head coach Herm Edwards.

Excited fans Nancy and Henry Lauber from Independence, Mo., were present at the Chiefs first practice today. They have been season ticket holders for 22 years and are entering their fifth summer at camp. Henry, 7, was practicing his skills earlier in the day with his older siblings for the Pass, Punt, and Kick competition being held tomorrow afternoon. Nancy mentioned that she enjoys coming to River Falls for the camp each summer because the people are friendly and there are more fans present now than ever before.

Kris and Ryan Losson from St. Joseph, Mo., arrived today for the Chiefs' first practice at camp. Kris and Ryan, accompanied by Ryan’s cousin, Rachel Pauley, traveled to River Falls to watch their favorite team live in action. This is the sixth year Kris and Ryan have been to the training camp and Rachel’s first. They are looking forward to the upcoming season to see if coach Herm Edwards is a good change.

Suzanne Lassman and Marty Shanahan come to the training camp from Kansas City each summer because they love the Chiefs and River Falls. Decked out in everything from Chiefs earrings to sunglasses, they are true fans! This is Suzanne’s third year at the camp and Marty’s fifth. They are excited about the new season, and when asked about new coach Herm Edwards, Marty replied, “We love him!”

Extra...Extra

New head coach Herm Edwards’ presence could be heard and felt right away as you entered the area surrounding the practice fields. Edwards wasn’t on the sidelines taking notes like many coaches; rather he was on the field with his players, taking the hands-on and in-your-face approach that he has become so well known for. The blazing heat didn’t appear to slow him down a bit, as his enthusiasm and energy stole the show on opening day.

Debbie Wros enjoys everything about working in the concession stand at Ramer Field Sports Complex except the heat. “The fans help keep you cool,” Wros said about the two fans that were propped up in the windows to help circulate air. Wros works in the Student Services office at UW-River Falls and has been working with the University for 26 years now. She got recruited to work the concession stand for the camp, but is happy about doing so. Today a few people came in to buy Chiefs merchandise early because last year, by the end of camp, they were all sold out of “the good stuff.". Wros said that the Frozen Lemonade and drinks in general seemed to be the popular items for the day, which seems fitting due to the weather.

After practice today a group of players met on the western-most field to practice just a little more. A machine, referred to as "the jugs", which had two spinning wheels, spit out footballs at 40 mph. Players went one after one, and practiced catching about 30 balls each. Some players that participated included Samie Parker, Craphonso Thorpe, Jeris McIntyre, Scott McCready, Chris Hannon, Kyle Brown and Darrell Hill.

Students and staff covering the Chiefs this year include in front row, left to right: Sara Dehn (Senior Day), Amie Eller (Kids' Days), John Hepokoski (sidelines), Holly Sigler (photographs), Jude Harder (fans, Punt, Pass & Kick). Back, left to right: Mark Kinders (Public Affairs Director), Kat Krtnick (sidelines), Deb Toftness (Office Manager), Brenda Bredahl (Public Affairs Editor), Jim Thies (Sports Information Director), Jens Gunelson (University Photographer).

Chiefs fans! Make sure you tune in to the 2006 Daily Updates page on a regular basis. We will be posting sidelines and fans information after each practice while the Chiefs are in camp.