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Wednesday, August 6, 2008: Morning Practice

The Chiefs had a great pre-game practice accompanied by some very nice weather. The temperature was 71 degrees with a four mile per hour wind coming out of the southeast. The sky was mostly cloudy and the humidity was at 72 percent. There were 85 fans in attendance.

Defense
While the special teams unit worked on its skills, safety Bernard Pollard and defensive tackle Tank Tyler joked around on the sidelines. Pollard and Tyler were throwing “punches” at each other, talking smack. It was all in good fun, of course.
During the 11-on-11 drill, the team perfected some situation plays and worked on red- zone formations.
Overall, the practice was almost eerily quiet and laid back. But, with a preseason game tomorrow, it was expected.

Offense
Quarterback Damon Huard was the only player wearing shoulder pads during practice, all other players just had on shells.
The entirety of practice for the offense consisted of a warm-up where quarterbacks threw go routes to receivers and a one-quarter-speed situational walk through with the defense.

Quarterback Tyler Thigpen worked exclusively with the second-string, presumably to attain a familiarity with a certain group of players necessary for success during a National Football League preseason game.
The situations worked on ranged from third and two from the 45-yard line to third and goal from the 12-yard line.

Special Teams
The special teams unit had a slow-go at practice today. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer walked the team through different game-time scenarios and instructed the players on how to handle the situation. A focus was put on the kickoff cover and return game. “You got to set the wedge before the ball and in between the numbers. All kickoff rules apply,” said Priefer to the return team. The cover team worked on giving blockers head and shoulder fakes as members of the team “dipped and ripped” by/through the wedge.

The punt return was briefly touched upon. “Last play of the half, fair catch it,” explained Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer, “Don’t cover, just go to your assignments.”

Lining up for field goal attempts was sporadically practiced when the offense and defense came together on Ramer Field for a walkthrough at 9:52. One scenario had punter Dustin Colquitt—who also serves as the team’s holder—getting a leg cramp, in which quarterback Damon Huard came in to make the hold.

Extra Extra...
Practice started to the sound of an air horn at 8:57. The team huddled on the middle of Ramer Field at 10:26 at the end of practice.
Safety DaJuan Morgan and defensive tackle Tank Tyler walked onto Ramer Field for practice singing and chanting to their teammates.
Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey, Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham and Assistant Offensive Line Coach Joe D’Alessandris were up in the press box for a portion of morning practice. They walked underneath the bleachers and back onto Ramer Field.
President Carl Peterson was on the field with the coaches during practice. Vice President Denny Thum remained on the sidelines mainly talking with Director of Public Relations, Bob Moore.

Wide receiver Sergiori Joachim; quarterback Damon Huard; cornerback Brandon Flowers; running back Jamaal Charles; tight ends Michael Allan and Brad Cottam; tackle Damion McIntosh; defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic; linebackers Derrick Johnson and Steve Octavien; defensive tackle Tank Tyler, and Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham took time to sign autographs after practice for fans.

Head Coach Herm Edwards stopped and talked to Michael Lakin, the young boy who got hurt yesterday. Edwards walked towards him saying, “My man is back! How you doin’? You okay?”

Herm Edwards Press Conference
"I think these guys have put in a lot of work, and now we've got to go play. That's the next step for these guys, go play in a game, and see how they're going to react. I like what they've done so far. I like our camaraderie. I like our energy. So now we've got to go do that on the football field. There'll be a lot of things happen; there'll be some things that we don't like. The great thing about these guys, they come to work every day wanting to get coached. "

"When you get into the preseason, there are a couple things you've got to stress to your team. One is that we have to play smart, play physical, and then to play fast. Those are three traits I believe in. If you're going to be a good football team, those things have to happen. That kind of covers the whole gamut. Offensively, our ability to move the ball and put some points on the board. And we're playing against a good defense.

That's going to be a good test, our ability to not to turn the ball over. They're known to take the ball away. How our coverage teams cover them. That's important. Maybe establish – and maybe it'll take the preseason to establish who's going to be our return guy. Looking at some of our young offensive linemen, how they play. Defensively, really, improving on the run, trying to take the ball away, improving those types of things – tackling. With that, special teams and defense, tackling, how we're going to tackle. We haven't tackled anybody since the last game of the season. Those things are the key."

Cornerback Brandon Flowers: "Right now, he's penciled in to be a starter. Unless something happens, he's going to start. Every time he plays, he's going to get better. He's a very competitive player. But all of a sudden, he's playing in a league where he's playing against a lot of veteran wideouts. He's going to have to learn the tricks of the trade on the job. Not on the bench, on the job. Every time he plays in a game, he's going to improve. There's a lot of guys who are going to play and going to improve."

QBs: "Could be all the way into the second quarter sometimes. It's plays, what they do offensively. They'll all play. All the quarterbacks will play. Probably Brodie and Tyler will play more than Damon, but we anticipate all of them playing. "

Runningback Larry Johnson: "He's going to play. Snaps, he's going to be somewhere around 20 or so. We're going to give him the ball. He's going to touch the ball five, six times. That's probably going to be good for him the first game."

"It's important to have the whole offensive line out there. The rest of them have been out there, and Herb played last year. Just to keep the same guys in there the whole time, that's how you grow as an offense. They're going to be young, they're going to be amped up. No matter what you tell them, it doesn't work. That's why we'll have oxygen on the sideline. After about the third play, they're going to think they're not in shape because of anxiety because you take in so much oxygen because of anxiety. Once they get over that, they'll be fine. They'll play, and these guys will have fun."

"Six guys won't go. Donnie Edwards, Kolby Smith, Trevor Johnson, Glenn Dorsey, Branden Albert, Kevin Robinson won't go," said Edwards of the preseason game.

Fans
Hank and his son Will Johnston from Lee's Summit, Mo., are really enjoying watching the Chiefs practice. This is the first year that the two of them have made it to training camp. Will’s favorite player is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. While at training camp, Will got Bowe to autograph his hat. Hank said, “I am glad he got Bowe’s autograph, cause that’s all he would talk about on the car ride up here.”

Jim Schmidt from Eagan, Minn., says he is going to be a Chiefs fan for life. He said “I’m a Chiefs fan, my wife’s a Chiefs fan, my son’s a Chiefs fan, now all I have to do is get my daughter to stop cheering for the Green Bay Packers.” This is the second year in a row Schmidt has attended Chiefs training camp. He said, “It’s tough being a Chiefs fan in Minnesota, but it’s worth it. I just can’t see myself cheering for the Vikings.” Schmidt’s favorite player is linebacker Donnie Edwards.

Tim and Marcia Rozell from Manhattan, Kan., brought their two children Sam and Josie to River Falls to watch the Chiefs practice. They arrived last Sunday and will be moving onto other activities tomorrow. This is the third year they have come and cheered their Chiefs on. Sam’s favorite player is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. They enjoy dinning at the Copper Kettle while in town.
As Lane Johnson went for a run this morning, he noticed the Chiefs stretching on Ramer Field. This was Lane’s first time at camp and he was surprised how large the players were in person, even without pads. Lane typically runs around the campus and around the various parks in River Falls.

Eau Claire, Wis., residents B.J. and Zach Pickard were out at their first practice of the year. B.J. said that he was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan and Zach was primarily a Green Bay Packers fan. “This is a lot different from Packers camp, there it’s kind of a circus,” said B.J.. The two were going to try and get some autographs on plain sheets of paper.

Next stop for many Chiefs fans is going to be Chicago tomorrow, for the Chiefs preseason game against the Bears. This is true for Trey and Lucy Parker, who are from Topeka, Kan., and are staying in their RV at Hoffman Park in River Falls. When they get to Chicago they plan on going shopping, seeing Navy Pier and exploring some museums.

Fans supported their favorite player quarterback Brodie Croyle this morning in the Ramer Field bleachers. Tom with sons Matthew and Andrew Hokanson raised a 12-by- 12 foot flag with Tom’s wife, Mirian Rivera-Hokanson. The two young boys were wearing Brodie Croyle’s old high school jerseys, which were red that said Westbrook across the front. Tom said that every summer they have been coming up, and they just got here today. The family rushed here from the Twin Cities to catch the early practice, after coming back from Honduras where they made the sign. Two years ago they made a sign “helping” Croyle come back from an injury, then last year they made a sign with a hunting theme.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008: Afternoon Practice
The 89 fans in attendance sat through a sun-filled practice. The temperature was 85 degrees and there was barely a cloud in the sky. There was a 10 mile per hour wind coming out of the northwest and the humidity was at 29 percent.
Defense
The defensive line worked on getting past blocks quickly this afternoon. Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie made sure his men focused on disengaging the offensive line. The linebackers practiced covering the man in motion, and the defensive backs worked on covering the pass routes. After the team worked on field goal coverage, the defense had a walk-through going over different defensive plays.

During 11-on-11, quarterback Damon Huard threw an interception to cornerback Rashad Barksdale. Barksdale soared into the air to make the pick. Later, Barksdale displayed good coverage on a play. Quarterback Tyler Thigpen threw an interception to rookie safety DaJuan Morgan about 20 yards downfield. Morgan made a diving catch near the end zone to come away with the pick.

Offense
Wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Kevin McMahan played catch while the special teams worked on punt returns. Later, during the wide receiver drills, Bowe once again showed the skill set that a number one receiver must have. Bowe made a mid-air adjustment on a ball thrown behind him in the end zone and snagged it with one hand.

Quarterback Tyler Thigpen is listed as the backup quarterback on the unofficial preliminary 2008 depth chart according to the Chiefs’ website. Thigpen showed great mobility while working with the second-string on a pass where he rolled out and threw across his body, making the completion to wide receiver Bobby Sippio.

Starting quarterback Brodie Croyle completed a pair of passes back-to-back to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe during the first-string’s second round in the 11-on-11. The first was a 20-yard slant and the second was a screen, where Bowe weaved around the defenders to find daylight. Bowe’s best catch of the day came three plays later when Croyle’s pass was tipped and nearly intercepted by safety Jarrad Page, and Bowe came out of nowhere to make an impossible diving grab.

Listed on the unofficial depth chart as the third-string quarterback, Damon Huard worked with the third offense during practice. Huard threw a great pass to wide receiver Sergiori Joachim 50 yards down the field but Joachim was unable to get two feet in bounds to record the catch.

Special Teams
A Juggs machine was set up on the minus 20-yard line. It shot out punts for a cover drill as punter Dustin Colquitt practiced his approach. The drill was run at quarter speed and there was no hitting; mostly because the Chiefs have a preseason game on Thursday. Cornerback Rashad Barksdale and kick return specialist B.J. Sams took turns receiving the punt. They jogged returns for an average of 30 yards. The return team was
distinguished by wearing yellow skull caps. The first cover team consisted of: running back Jackie Battle, linebackers Demorrio Williams, Pat Thomas, E.J. Kuale and Derrick Johnson, cornerbacks Dimitri Patterson and Tyron Brackenridge, and safeties Jon McGraw and DaJuan Morgan. Squeezing in on the returner was the emphasis of the drill. This prevents the returner from making a play up field.

Kicker Connor Barth took and made his only field goal attempt at the beginning of an 11-on-11 session. He kicked from the left 30-yard line. Kicker Nick Novak did not kick during the drill.

Extra Extra...
Players began warming up at 3:28 on the north end of Ramer Field after an air horn sounded.
Wide receivers Sergiori Joachim and Devard Darling; quarterback Damon Huard; running backs Kolby Smith, Jamaal Charles and Larry Johnson; safeties Jon McGraw and Bernard Pollard; linebackers Pat Thomas and Donnie Edwards; tackle Damion McIntosh; and tight end Tony Gonzalez all took time to sign autographs after practice for many awaiting fans.
Practice ended to the sound of a whistle at 4:56.

Quarterback Damon Huard took time after practice to speak to media after practice. When asked about the up-coming football season he said, “they all (offense, defense and special teams) need to play together. We need to run the football. The guys are coming together,” Huard said.
Tight end Tony Gonzalez said he is looking forward to the game against the Chicago Bears. He’s excited to play against others, instead of wasting time playing against teammates. The media asked him how training camp was going and he said, “It’s going good. It’s going good. Better than I expected. If I had my choice, I wouldn’t even be here. I’ve missed camp before and played in games just fine.” Media asked him if he was surprised at how saving a man’s life has blown up so much. Gonzalez said, “Yeah (laughing) it was way more than I expected. I never thought it would be anything like that. Actually, at the beginning of it the guy was like who can I write to, who can I tell about this and I was like, nobody. Absolutely not. I’m not giving you any information. And then my brother, on the way out, he caught my brother in the corner and was like how can I do something. And he said if you want to do something, just write and maybe you can give something to his charity. And then he wrote a letter to my charity and and that’s how it blew up. It wasn’t my intention to have it something as big as it was…”

At the end of practice, tight end Tony Gonzalez signed a few autographs for fans at the north snow fence of Ramer Field. Before leaving the fence, Gonzalez threw his receiving gloves into the crowd. The fans went nuts, and a young boy got caught up in the melee. The boy ended up falling to the ground, obviously injured. The River Falls Police Department and River Falls Emergency Services were called in response. Gonzalez had departed to conduct a media interview when he learned of what had happened from wide receiver Sergiori Joachim, who also was signing autographs. Gonzalez returned to the snow fence, autographed a football for the boy gave the youngster a high five. Later, Head Coach Herm Edwards stopped by to see what had happened. Complaining of pain in his neck, the youngster was strapped onto a backboard and taken to River Falls Area Hospital. The youngster also left the stadium with Gonzalez’s glove.

Cornerback Dimitri Patterson and kicker Nick Novak talked to small children while walking to the practice fields from Ramer Field.

The In-Zone
He’s a guy of firsts. Quarterback Tyler Thigpen is making his first appearance at the Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training Camp after being claimed off waivers from Minnesota last September. The 2007 draft pick was the first ever to be drafted into the NFL from his alma mater, Coastal Carolina. He was also the first Chanticleer to earn concurrent All-American honors in the history of the university.

After being placed on injured reserved in December due to a left knee injury he sustained during practice, Thigpen will not only try to stay healthy, but will try to claim a job as one of the Chiefs’ quarterbacks. Training camp and the preseason will test Thigpen’s ability to produce another sort of first—his first year-long home with a professional football team.

Thigpen holds a degree in sport management. He currently resides in Winnsboro, South Carolina.
His Practice:
It was a slow day for the entire team as it prepared for its first preseason game on Thursday. Thigpen has been performing well and has seen increased playing time with the secondary ahead of quarterback Damon Huard.
He gave outlets passes to tight ends and fullbacks on the south end of Ramer Field.

From the north end of Ramer Field he worked with wide receivers and gave 15-yard passes to the right sideline.
At 4:04 the offense was joined by the defense for a session of 11-on-11. Thigpen worked with the second-string offense.

The offense and defense split up. With the offense staying on Ramer Field, Thigpen started an offensive walkthrough for 15 minutes.
At 4:19 an air horn sounded for another round of 11-on-11. Thigpen played with the secondary again. He took four reps giving three handoffs and completing one pass. Quarterback Brodie Croyle took most of the snaps.
Practice ended at 4:56 and Thigpen spent some time answering questions from the media.

Thigpen's Thoughts:

“I’m excited about the situation and being here with Kansas City.”
“It’s a great feeling just being a back-up quarterback. As a back-up guy, I’ve got to be ready to play and be ready to play physically.”
“You bang heads against each other during camp and then you get a chance to go against another team,” he said of the upcoming preseason game versus the Bears on Thursday.

“Yeah definitely, it’s a dream come true. Who would have thought six years ago when I was in high school I’d be here playing in the NFL.”
Fans
For some of the kids out at camp, nothing would be cooler than getting a real NFL football. Young Jonathan Hakes was wishing just that, as he yelled for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe to throw him a ball. If Jonathan got the ball, he planned on getting as many Chiefs autographs as possible. He would then place the ball in a protective case. Jonathan is a Green Bay Packer fan by trait, but likes watching football in general.

Fans Danny and Tony Tran from Kansas City, Mo., were in the Ramer Field stands at today’s practice. The pair thinks that running back Larry Johnson is going to have a break-out season and bounce back from last season’s disappointment. They were focused on watching the special teams and were curious about who would win the kicker competition between Connor Barth and Nick Novak. They would love to meet Head Coach Herm Edwards before they leave tomorrow.

Lots of fans were out to get autographs. Michael Lakin, age 12, from River Falls has six autographed Chief cards and roughly 20 to 30 more autographs on a football. His favorite player is running back Kolby Smith. Michael and his friends like to come to practice and check out the live action that is provided.

Trevor and Leslie Brooks made the trip to training camp from St. Louis, Mo. The two plan on watching the Chiefs preseason game versus the Chicago Bears on Thursday at a sports bar in either River Falls or Hudson, Wis. They plan on driving back home on Friday morning to go to a family picnic over the weekend. Trevor’s favorite player is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and Leslie’s is tight end Tony Gonzalez. The highlight of practice to them is watching the first-team offense and defense hit each other.
Rick and Joyce Knowlton from Stillwater, Minn., have made their fifth trip to training camp. They are camping at Hoffman Park and said that they are really enjoying it. Both are very impressed with the park’s facilities. Joyce said, “Every year we come back it seems like there is something new and improved.” When not watching the Chiefs practice, they have been spending their time watching teams play softball at Hoffman. Rick is a retired History teacher and he use to coach woman’s high school softball.

Gale and Cheryl Solum from Bloomer, Wis., came to cheer on the Chiefs. Gale said he switched his favorite NFL team from the Green Bay Packers to the Chiefs about three years ago. He is really happy he is not cheering for the Packers now that quarterback Brett Favre might not be playing for them. Cheryl said that she fell in love with tight end Tony Gonzalez at last year’s camp. She said, “He is just so damn hot.” They will be heading back home tomorrow morning.

Ken and his son Connor Williams from Goplin, Mo., are enjoying Chiefs camp. Connor is slowly but surely getting all the autographs he came up here to get. They came up to River Falls last Saturday and will be heading home tomorrow morning. Both are happy with the weather that they have been experiencing while at camp. When talking about the weather back home Ken said, “It’s hotter than a fire "The Man" down there.” He went on to say “We really love it up here and hope that the Chiefs keep coming up here for camp.” Connor is missing football practice back home while he is at Chiefs camp but feels that watching the Chiefs practice is a good excuse. On his team Connor plays defensive end, running back, and is a kicker.

Keith Rogers from Flint, Mich., is at his tenth Chiefs training camp. He said, “I have been a Chiefs fan all my life. It sure beats the hell out of being a Detroit Lions fan.” Rogers stays with his parents Don and Beth, who live in Chippewa Falls, Wis., while he attends training camp. Rogers’s favorite player is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. Rogers expects Bowe to have a Pro Bowl caliber season.

Valeri Chapman of Omaha, Neb., is spending a week up here, her last day being tomorrow. She came up for training camp last year and had such a great time that she decided to come back. She’s made two different day trips, one to Hudson, Wis., and the other being to Red Wing, Minn. The Copper Kettle, West Wind Supper Club, and South Fork Café all had great food she said. She enjoys the french toast and bacon for breakfast at South Fork Café. She thought the salad bar at the West Wind offered a variety of choices. Her favorite part of camp has been watching practices and getting to know the young players. Her family holds season tickets and she thinks it’s fascinating to see how training camp prepares the players and how much effort it takes to get a professional team ready. She said, “Thank you to the staff and community. It can’t happen without them. The city is friendly and it can’t happen without them.”

Saturday, August 9, 2008: Afternoon Practice
The Chiefs first practice since their preseason opener with the Chicago Bears was a beautiful one. The sky was partly cloudy and the temperature was 82 degrees. The wind was coming out of the northwest at five miles per hour. The humidity was at 32 percent. There were 91 fans in attendance.

Defense
Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was at practice today with a brace on his sprained left knee. Dorsey didn’t participate in any contact drills, however. When the defense moved to Ramer Field to practice with the offense, a trainer told Dorsey to take his brace off because he wouldn’t be doing anything for the rest of the evening anyway.
Linebacker Napoleon Harris didn’t practice today, either. His right knee was wrapped, and he had ice on it.
At 4:15 linebacker Donnie Edwards made his way to the field to encourage his teammates from the sidelines. He didn’t have a jersey on and didn’t participate in any drills.

Practicing with the first team during 11-on-11 was: defensive ends Turk McBride and Tamba Hali, defensive tackles Ron Edwards and Tank Tyler. Linebacker Demorrio Williams also saw some time with the first-string. Rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers also spent some time with the first-string. Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone rotated in during nickel formations along with a few other defensive players.
If either the defense or offense could win the 11-on-11 drill, the defense would have walked away victorious today. There were several interceptions including picks made by rookie cornerback Maurice Leggett who intercepted quarterback Tyler Thigpen’s pass, defensive tackle Alfonso Boone who plucked a short ball out of the air from quarterback Brodie Croyle and rookie linebacker Weston Dacus who took the ball from running back Jamaal Charles after Charles juggled the pitch from Thigpen.

Rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers went untouched up the middle with great blocking from his defensive line to make what would have been a sack on quarterback Brodie Croyle. The play would have been close because Croyle made a last minute pass to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe as Flowers got close. Rookie defensive end Brian Johnston swatted a ball out of the air and, a few plays later, made the sack on quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

Cornerback Patrick Surtain displayed great coverage when he forced a decent pass from Croyle to wide receiver Devard Darling incomplete. Another show of good coverage came from cornerback Tyron Brackenridge when he came around the top of wide receiver Kevin McMahan to make quarterback Damon Huard’s pass fall incomplete.
After a play, defensive tackle T.J. Jackson and defensive end Jason Parker got their cleats stuck together. They hopped around for a while until a staff member unhooked them.

Offense
Head Coach Herm Edwards joked with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe about a play during the game Thursday night.
"You woulda gotten a first down if you woulda run the right route," Edwards joked.
"I did," Bowe responded.
"No You Didn't…I watched the film," Edwards laughed.

The offense broke into positions after warm ups; the tight ends took passes from coaches, the running backs worked with the agility ropes and the wide receivers and quarterbacks worked on timing in patterns.
The tight ends worked on routes and after one 15-yard out-route where rookie tight end Brad Cottam didn't finish the route, tight ends coach Jon Embree yelled: "Run out of that one Brad, run out of it!"
Meanwhile, the running backs worked with running backs coach Curtis Modkins in the agility ropes and blocking. Modkins instructed the running backs to: "Make him work. Strike, get your hands out and work on him!" Running back Kolby Smith, who has missed significant time since a groin injury earlier in camp, worked on the drills with the running backs but did not participate in the 11-on-11 drills.

Offensive tackle Herb Taylor, who stepped in with the first-string with the absence of first-round pick Branden Albert, continues to get time with the first-string. Running back Larry Johnson took his first carry of the 11-on-11 drill right past Taylor as he busted the run for a big gain. Head Coach Herm Edwards forcefully reminded the players to: "Go fast men, go fast," after the run.

Quarterback Brodie Croyle looked sharp during 11-on-11, completing 10-14 passes. Croyle stepped up a couple of times with the pocket closing in around him to deliver some nice passes. Tight end Tony Gonzalez received one of those passes after a great throw from Croyle, who threaded the ball through nice coverage to complete a 20-yard pass. On another play, Croyle avoided a would-be sack to find wide receiver Dwayne Bowe for a nice 24-yard completion across the middle of the field.

Running back Jamaal Charles worked exclusively with the second-string for the first time this training camp. Running back Jackie Battle had previously been working with the second-string, but worked only with second-string on pass plays in this practice. Battle took handoffs along with running back Dantrell Savage with the third-string.

Special Teams
A kickoff return drill started special teams work at 3:38. Fifteen minutes were put on the clock for the unit’s designated practice time. Going south on Ramer Field the cover team was distinguished by wearing yellow skull caps. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer instructed the wedge team on proper technique when protecting the returner. Running back Dantrell Savage and kick returner B.J. Sams split reps returning the ball. Kicker Connor Barth took the first reps; kicker Nick Novak, the second-string reps during the drill.

With 5:03 left on the clock, special teams began a punt return drill. Kick return specialist B.J. Sams, running back Dantrell Savage and cornerback Rashad Barksdale took turns returning the ball for a distance of 10 yards. A Juggs machine took the place of punter Dustin Colquitt. The juggs spit out punts from the 20-yard line. The drill was run at three-quarter speed. “It’s a great day to work on technique,” said Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer.

Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth each took three attempts at field goals. Both were 3-3. Novak kicked first and Barth kicked second. They kicked from the left 25, the right 30 and the left 35-yard lines.
Herm Edwards Press Conference
Head Coach Herm Edwards spoke briefly with media after practice. He talked about defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey participating in position drills and said that Dorsey will be coming back slowly and is still on a day-to-day basis. Linebacker Napoleon Harris and offensive guard Tre Stallings were also mentioned. Both are resting with sore knees.
Edwards also shared his thoughts on the team’s performance at Chicago. Edwards said the team still has a lot to work on but will be a “physical” football team. He further said that the team needs to get stronger mentally. “Mistakes you can correct. Mental you find out in practice,” he explained.

“There is a lot of positions still open, a lot of competition going on,” said Edwards. Player evaluations and solidifying the team is still an on-going process. “I’m not saying we won’t bring people in,” said Edwards who said that players will have every opportunity to make the team, but they must be the productive players that the team is looking for.
The offensive line was a topic. Edwards said that the line isn’t as strong as it could be and working on cleaning up penalties—after the line racked up multiple ones in Chicago— will be something that will take place. He said that offensive tackle Branden Albert will play when he is able and that if need be veteran players will be brought in to ensure the team’s success at that spot.

The kicking competition between kickers Connor Barth and Nick Novak is still close said Edwards: “They’re still battling.” There are three preseason games, which Edwards said is three opportunities for the kickers, and other players, to prove themselves. Getting the kickers more opportunities to show how they can perform is important in the next three games he said. When asked if the kicking competition is still close after the preseason if they will go with the veteran or rookie, Edwards replied, “I don’t know. You got to go with your gut.”

Extra Extra...
Two bursts of an air horn got practiced started at 3:28. The team used the north end of Ramer Field to run through line drills and stretching under the instruction of Strength and Conditioning Coach Cedric Smith.
Fans pulled defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey aside before practice to get an autograph while he was walking onto Ramer Field.
Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer played catch over the fence with 13 children during practice. Running Backs Coach Curtis Modkins was working with some of the offense nearby.
Vice President Denny Thum was present during practice today. He spent time talking to Director of Public Relations, Bob Moore and Associate Director of Public Relations, Pete Moris. He also spent time on the sidelines watching the practice.

After practice a group of players signed autographs for eager fans. Among them were: defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey; Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham; safety Jon McGraw; cornerback Brandon Flowers; linebacker Donnie Edwards; quarterback Damon Huard; defensive end Tamba Hali; running back Larry Johnson; wide receivers Will Franklin, Jeff Webb, Devard Darling and Sergiori Joachim; tight end Tony Gonzalez.

After practice, newly attained defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic spent time hitting sleds by himself. Running back Larry Johnson, defensive end Tamba Hali, cornerback Brandon Flowers, safety Jon McGraw and running back Jamaal Charles signed autographs for fans.

Fans
Dave and Sharon Robinson from Inver Grove Heights, Minn., came to watch the Chiefs practice. Both were very impressed with how the Chiefs looked. This is the first time the Robinsons have attended the training camp in River Falls. Their daughter Kayla is a senior at UW-River Falls. The Robinsons said that the best thing about the Chiefs is the fact that they traded defensive end Jared Allen to the Minnesota Vikings.
This was the first time at Chiefs practice for Rick Losson from Kansas City, Mo. Losson, who is a season ticket holder, said, "I can't believe I never came up here before. This is awesome." He went on to say that he hopes the Chiefs keep coming up River Falls. Losson's favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez. Before he heads home, Losson said he would like Gonzalez to autograph his jersey. Losson wants to say hello to his wife Ashley and his daughter Jenny.

Denny Linblade from Lee’s Summit, Mo., is enjoying his stay in River Falls while watching the Chiefs training camp. This is his fourth year coming and he says it gets better every year. Linblade is predicting that the Chiefs will go 9-7 and just miss out on the playoffs. He said, “I think they are going to sneak up on some teams this year. It should be fun to watch.” Linblade’s favorite player is defensive tackle Tank Tyler.
Orville and Arsenio Black were among several fans that waited patiently for players’ autographs as the players walked from the practice fields to Ramer Field.

With more than half of camp and a preseason game over with, many fans like what they have seen so far. This is true for Mike and Beth Cupp, who rode their bikes to River Falls from Springfield, Mo. Mike commented that the win in Chicago should be used as a moral boost for the young players, and the whole team. The couple spent time at the Mall of America and checked out the NASCAR simulator. These season ticket holders are fans of quarterback Brodie Croyle and defensive end Tamba Hali.
Long time River Falls resident Ashley Mezler said she can’t remember a year without the Chiefs in town. She commented on how she usually catches at least one practice a year. “Its very good for this town to host a NFL team, it brings some life here,” said Mezler.

Optimist words were spoken this afternoon by Jerry and Patti Johnson of Poplar Bluff, Mo., about quarterback Brodie Croyle. Poplar Bluff is south of Kansas City, meaning the Johnsons had longer travel time to River Falls than what most fans endured. The two think Croyle will be able to build on a few early starts, to have an overall successful season. Jerry shot out an 8-8 prediction for the Chiefs record this season.

In attendance to watch the team practice was Dan with his son Cody Whittner, from Kansas City, Mo. Dan has enjoyed the amount of time the first team has seen live action this preseason. This is their third camp in a row and they plan on coming to River Falls again if the Chiefs do. They also plan on making it to a regular season game this year, preferably against a division opponent like the Oakland Raiders or the Denver Broncos.

Quarterback

:clap:

MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY PRACTICE SCHEDULES CHANGED
The Chiefs have changed their practice schedules for Monday, Aug. 11, Tuesday, Aug. 12 and Wednesday, Aug. 13.

On Monday there will be no morning practice.

On Tuesday the morning practice will start at 10:30 a.m, and the afternoon practice will start at 3:30 p.m.

On Wednesday there will be no morning practice.

Tuesday's Kids' Day will start at 9 a.m., and last until about 10:20 a.m. Participants are welcome to watch the practice that starts at 10:30 a.m.

KIDS' DAY IS AUG.12
The second, and final, Kids' Day will be on Aug. 12 starting at 9 a.m. The event will end at 10:20 p.m. Practice that day has been changed to a 10:30 a.m., start and participants are welcome to watch the practice after the Kids' Day event.

Games, a raffle for Chiefs merchandise and concession stand food discounts are just part of the fun. Admission is free.
For more information and to register for Kids' Day contact Matt Davis at 715/425/3771.

Brodie Croyle Press Conference
Quarterback Brodie Croyle showed up to a press conference in the University Center wearing a camouflage Chiefs hat. It was the topic of conversation while everyone waited for kicker Nick Novak to finish an interview he was doing.

Croyle hopes to get as many snaps as possible during Thursday’s pre-season game at Chicago. He said that he’ll probably play more than normal because of the new offense the team has installed. When asked how much time he thought he needed with the offense before feeling 100 percent comfortable, Croyle said he didn’t know, but he feels good about where things are at right now.

The Chiefs haven’t won a game since last October, so Croyle says Head Coach Herm Edwards is making it clear to his team that they should want to win this game badly. For other teams, winning a pre-season game may not be of huge concern, but for the Chiefs, winning a pre-season game would be a sweet victory.

Croyle says he’s anxious for Thursday’s game. “It’s good to play a team with a different look, and it’s nice to play guys who don’t know every route you’re gonna run,” Croyle said.

When asked how he thought the Chiefs’ rookie running backs were doing, Croyle said that Jamaal Charles has got something special. “He may be the fastest guy I’ve ever played with. College, pros…ever. And he’s one of the best pass blockers we’ve got.” Croyle also said that rookie running back Dantrell Savage reads holes as good as anybody. Croyle feels that both Charles and Savage are having very good camps.

Last year, Croyle put pressure on himself to get the job as quarterback. But, this year he feels the pressure is coming from everyone else. It’s a positive pressure, but it’s a pressure to lead his team.

Veteran quarterback Damon Huard has been great to Croyle. Croyle says Huard is never negative, and he never says things like, “you should have done this…” or “this is how you should have done it…” “He’s awesome. He’s everything a young quarterback could ask for in a mentor,” Croyle said.

Croyle also wants to prove to Edwards that he made the right decision by drafting Croyle. Croyle says that no one is expecting much out of the Chiefs this year, but he likes to think of that spot as “not so bad.” Being able to sneak up on competition that overlooks the Chiefs is something Croyle looks forward to.

As far as working with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is concerned, Croyle is happy with the way the two of them are meshing. “I don’t have to wait for him to get open. Now I can just throw the ball to an open spot and trust that he’ll get there.”

Sunday, August 10, 2008: Morning Practice
This morning’s practice weather included blue skies with a slightly cool breeze. A temperature of 69 degrees was partnered with an east wind of five miles per hour. The humidity was 41 percent with a dew point of 44 degrees. Thirty-nine fans attended practice.

Special Teams
Three scissor lifts with cameramen surrounded the second practice field behind the north and south end zones and the east side of the field for a special teams practice.

At 10:26 an air horn sounded and Strength and Conditioning Coach Cedric Smith ran the team through line drills and stretching—from karaoke to boomerangs—on the north end of the practice field. The offense and defense were divided up on different sides during warm ups.
A kickoff return drill started at 10:36. The drill was run at three-quarter speed and the cover team wore yellow skull caps. “Hands and feet, let’s go,” said Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer to the players at the beginning of the drill, “make good decisions.” Kicker Nick Novak took the reps with the first unit while kicker Connor Barth worked with the second. Running backs Dantrell Savage and Jamaal Charles and kick return specialist B.J. Sams took turns on the return. “Returners you’ve got to talk,” said Priefer about calling out the receive. A mix of players were out with the first return team: wide receiver Bobby Sippio, center Wade Smith, defensive tackle T.J. Jackson, defensive end Turk McBride, tight end John Paul Foschi, linebackers E.J. Kuale, Weston Dacus and LeRue Rumph, safety DaJuan Morgan and cornerbacks Tyron Brackenridge and Rashad Barksdale.

The punt team worked on cover protection beginning at 10:48. The cover unit worked at half-speed. Players worked on lane assignments as they ran north for 20 yards per rep. Cornerback Rashad Barksdale and running back Dantrell Savage shared reps on the return. They focused on catching the punts from punter Dustin Colquitt and not on the return itself.

At 10:57 the team turned its focus back to the kickoff and worked on a slow-tempo cover drill. The wedge was armed with blocking pads. The cover team worked on getting around the wedge and picking up and squeezing in on the returner coming up field.
A Juggs machine was brought onto the field at 11:06 for a short punt return drill. The Juggs shot out punts in place of punter Dustin Colquitt. The purpose of the drill was to align defenders with their cover assignments and give returners the opportunity to receive the ball given certain game-day situations like the end of the fourth quarter and being down.
Practice ended at 11:09.

Mike Priefer Press Conference
Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer held a press conference after today’s practice. He mainly talked about kickers Connor Barth and Nick Novak. He said they are both very close and currently have a 50/50 shot. Both kickers kicked yesterday from the 60-yard line where Barth missed his first kick in four practices. He said punter Dustin Colquitt needs to be more aggressive in practice. When asked about how the coverage was compared to last year, Priefer said they did good Thursday night against the Chicago Bears. He mentioned how excited he was for the young guys and their attitudes. Barth, being mentally tougher and learning and moving on from each mistake he makes, is completely different than last year’s rookie kicker Justin Medlock-who started last year but got cut after a bad first game.

Fans
One of the more dedicated couples that were out at practice was Dave and Mona Dykhouse who have been coming to River Falls for the last 16 years for camp. The two got here yesterday and will be departing to Mankato, Minn., to catch a Minnesota Vikings practice before heading home to eastern South Dakota. Mona joked how they were going to Mankato to see just how bad the Vikings would do. Last year the couple went to the Chiefs-Jacksonville Jaguars game, and Dave mentioned how he had an old Jack Del Rio jersey, the current head coach of the Jaguars. Dave went on to say he would be happy if the team finishes with a record of eight and eight.

Doug and Stephanie Mallard, residents of Prescott, Wis., were at practice for the first time ever today. They decided to stop by for something to do on a slow Sunday, with such nice weather outside. The two were having fun so far and were thinking about bringing their child to the upcoming Kids’ Day.
Mike, who grew up in Columbia, Mo., was with his son Colby Johnston, who is from the Kansas City, Mo., area. They enjoyed this morning’s session. The two now live in Ladysmith, Wis., which is just north of Eau Claire. They were going to try and get some autographs on a mini football helmet and a hat. Last year they came for the Chiefs/ Vikings practice, but the weather wasn’t as favorable as it is today. The two are stimulating the local economy this afternoon by shooting 18-holes of golf at the Kilkarney Hills course and will be back for the afternoon session.
Herman Suhr is starting his 25th season at Arrowhead Stadium as Field
Supervisor. This is his 18th year at training camp. He worked training camp the first 14 years and just comes up to enjoy himself and see his friends now. He’s spent the past four to five days in River Falls. Tomorrow he’ll go back home and get ready for the preseason game on Saturday.

Sunday, August 10, 2008: Afternoon Practice
The 117 fans in attendance at Ramer Field witnessed a very efficient practice. The sun was high in the blue sky and the temperature was 77 degrees. There was a six mile per hour wind blowing out of the northwest. The humidity was at 43 percent.

Offense
Running back Kolby Smith worked with the team during the practice. Smith shared reps with running back Jackie Battle with the third-string offense. Quarterback Damon Huard continues to run that third-string offense while quarterback Tyler Thigpen looks to be the favorite to backup quarterback Brodie Croyle when the Chiefs break camp just five days from now.

When the offense split into positions, the quarterbacks began by throwing passes to tight ends and running backs. Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree encouraged rookie tight end Brad Cottam after a good route by saying: “There ya go Brad, way to work it back in, good angle!” But Embree also worked on him after a bad route by yelling at Cottam to: “Run out of it!”
The running backs then split off and worked with the agility ropes with the full backs. Running Backs Coach Curtis Modkins complimented running back Jamaal Charles by saying: “Be quick…good job Jamaal, keep your knees up.” Modkins later joked: “Don’t let the ropes beat ya,” after starting running back Larry Johnson tripped on the ropes.

The team started the 11-on-11 drill with rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers making a great play breaking up a pass intended for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. That incompletion was the only one quarterback Brodie Croyle had during the first-string’s first round. Croyle completed his next four passes including making a great throw while rolling out to slot wide receiver Will Franklin for a 25-yard gain.
Croyle also looked good when the offense was down in the red zone. Croyle checked down twice to his safety valve, tight end Tony Gonzalez, to complete a pair of passes to Gonzalez running underneath crossing routes; rather than gambling on a throw into the end zone for either wide receiver.

Quarterback Tyler Thigpen looked crisp in practice, completing all four of his passing attempts. Wide receiver Bobby Sippio made the catch of the night as he leapt high into the air to snag a Thigpen throw for a gain on the sidelines of 13 yards.
The offense showed a change in personnel that had not yet been seen this training camp for one play during the 11-on-11. Wide receiver Devard Darling lined up in the slot with wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Jeff Webb split wide. Quarterback Brodie Croyle stepped up in the pocket and completed a 7-yard pass to Darling on a play that on the surface appeared to be ordinary, but really included an interesting tweak in personnel.

Defense
Safety Jon McGraw didn’t practice. Head Coach Herm Edwards told reporters that McGraw’s shoulder was sore, but mainly, they just wanted to rest the veteran. Defensive end Trevor Johnson also didn’t suit up this afternoon. Johnson has been out of practice for several days due to a concussion he sustained earlier in training camp.

Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was on the field, but he only participated in drills; he didn’t do any scrimmaging. Head Coach Herm Edwards says Dorsey’s prognosis is day-to-day and there’s no need to rush him, but he’s a “powerful man,” so Edwards has no doubt that the rookie will be fine.
Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie was making a point to show his men how to “throw the blocker.” Krumrie yelled during the drills when the linemen didn’t do it just how he wanted, and he hollered at them during the 11-on-11 scrimmage when they should have done a better job. “Lock him out and throw him. Throw his (butt),” were the words heard out of Krumrie’s mouth most often.

During 11-on-11, the first-string defensive line consisted of: defensive ends Tamba Hali and Turk McBride and defensive tackles Ron Edwards and Tank Tyler. Veteran defensive tackle Alfonso Boone wasn’t seeing time with the first-string during the basic defense, but when the team ran a nickel defense, he rotated in for Edwards on the line. Cornerback Dimitri Patterson was seeing time as the first-string nickel back.
After Head Coach Herm Edwards talked to rookie safety DaJuan Morgan about his coverage, Morgan proved to Edwards he knew how to cover on the next play. Morgan made a big tackle on the running back, and Edwards hollered, “That’s all there is to it!”
Cornerback Tyron Brackenridge had a sack on quarterback Tyler Thigpen, and linebacker Demorrio Williams was nearby on the play as well.

During the running of a situation drill, quarterback Brodie Croyle threw a long ball to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, but the pass was almost picked off by rookie cornerback Brandon Carr. Had Bowe made the catch, the offense would have gained significant yardage.
Special Teams
Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth practiced on field one under the instruction of Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer. They worked on various skills such as recovering the on-side kick and their kickoff approach.

The In-Zone
There is a tendency in athletics to think that second best isn’t good enough. If you’re trying to compete, that’s a good philosophy. For rookie tight end Brad Cottam a number two spot in the depth chart is a very good thing. Cottam is not just trying to earn a spot on the Chiefs’ roster; he’s receiving the mentorship of pro bowler Tony Gonzalez. Being second best to him isn’t a bad thing.

Cottam joined the team as the second of three third-round picks in the 2008 NFL Draft. The strong blocker has the ability to contribute his strength and persistence to the team. The University of Tennessee alumnus’s competition for second will hopefully led to a primary spot in the future. Earning Academic All-SEC honors, he graduated with a degree in international business and is pursing his master’s in sports studies. Cottam resides in Germantown, Tennessee.


His Practice:

1. At 4:28 Cottam joined his teammates for warm-ups and stretching on the north end of Ramer Field.
2. Working with the first-string, Cottam participated in an offensive walkthrough for 15 minutes.
3. For 20 minutes starting at 4:53 he took outlet passes and flats ranging from 15 to 20 yards from quarterbacks Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard to begin position work.
4. When running routes and receiving passes from quarterback Brodie Croyle, Cottam received instruction from Tight Ends Coach Jon Embree. “It’s headed my way. Have your eyes up. Catch it clean,” said Embree who had Cottam take another pass after not catching his first one properly. He missed one outlet pass to the right sideline that went through his hands. Again, Cottam had to run his route over and take another pass from quarterback Damon Huard. Cottam came back and ran the route nicely. “There you got it. That’s it,” said Embree.
5. With 13:09 left on the clock Cottam and the other tight ends joined the offensive line to work on blocking technique both with and without blocking pads.
6. At 4:12 the defense joined the offense on Ramer Field for a couple of sessions of 11-on-11. During the first session Cottam worked exclusively with the second-string which was manned by quarterback Tyler Thigpen.
7. At 4:24 the team moved to the south end of Ramer for red zone work. He rotated between taking reps with the first and second-strings giving tight end Tony Gonzalez a break.
8. Cottam would watch from the sidelines during the team’s last drill of the practice. The first-string would run through a two minutes drill simulating game-time situations just before the half.
9. Practice ended at 4:46.

Cottam’s After Practice Comments:
Question: How’s camp going so far?
Answer: “Pretty good. Good to finally be doing something.”
Question: How are you going to compete for second spot on the depth chart?
Answer: “Continue reps, learn something new each practice, and practice harder.”
Question: Has camp met your expectations?
Answer: “About so. It’s a little faster than college football and a lot busier.”
Question: What’s your favorite part of camp so far?
Answer: “The game against the Bears. Practices are work, but the games are fun.”
Question: Do you have any favorite places in town that you like to go to?
Answer: “Steve’s Pizza is the only place I’ve been to. It was good, really good.”

Herm Edwards Press Conference
Head Coach Herm Edwards spoke with reporters after practice. Defensive end Turk McBride was recently moved to the left side of the defensive line, and Edwards says McBride is feeling a lot more confident; “he’s doing a great job.” Edwards said that the coaching staff plans to suit seven or eight defensive linemen for each game during the season, so it’s crucial for veteran linemen like McBride and defensive tackle Tank Tyler to prove themselves.
Edwards also talked about the difference in having an 80-man roster in the third week of camp compared to the 85 or so they had last year. The biggest difference for Edwards is only bringing three quarterbacks instead of four. Having held up with just nine wide receivers during two-a-day practices earlier in camp, Edwards thinks that the team will appreciate only having one-a-day practices in the last week.
During practice, quarterback Brodie Croyle tried running a fake snap, but rookie cornerback Brandon Carr didn’t fall for it. When asked how he liked his rookie cornerbacks, Carr and Brandon Flowers, Edwards said that both men will play for the team quite a bit throughout the season.
As far as offensive tackle Branden Albert’s state goes, Edwards says Albert is “still a ways away.”

Extra Extra...
Head Coach Herm Edwards enjoyed a cold beverage while he sat on an orange Gatorade jug before practice started.
Quarterback Damon Huard and defensive tackle Tank Tyler talked to a fan waiting in the autograph area. The two players were walking onto Ramer Field.
Two air-horns got practice started at 3:28.
Fans lined up on west side of the practice fields to watch Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham, Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie and Head Coach Herm Edwards work with the defensive line. While fans were walking on the south end of the practice fields, they talked and pointed at how loud Krumrie was. He was on the north end of the field at the time.
Vice President Denny Thum was present during practice. He spent time talking to Director of Salary Cap/General Counsel Woodie Dixon.
This year’s camp brings three generations of Priefers. Retired NFL Special Teams Coach Chuck Priefer was at camp for a few days. He’s worked with the Green Bay Packers, the San Diego Chargers and the Detroit Lions as well as three college teams. His son, Mike Priefer, started with the Chiefs in 2006. Mike is the Special Teams Coach. Mike’s son, Mike Jr., was up for part of camp, helping the team out with various things and being a ball boy. He said working with his dad was “a lot of fun.” He attended every practice through Family Fun Night and attends most games at Arrowhead Stadium. He has an older sister, younger sister and younger brother.

A few other coaches brought their sons to training camp. Director of College Scouting, Chuck Cook, had his son Colby up at camp. Executive Director of Player Development Lamonte Winston’s son Cameron was up here as well. Assistant Equipment Manager Allen Wright’s son Andrew was also up helping out the team with various activities, including cleaning player’s lockers. When asked what it’s like being around professional athletes Cameron said, “They’re all family to me. Whether they get released or not, they’re still family to me. I learn a lot from them. I hear stuff that I’m probably not supposed to hear.”

Fans
Football fans Kevin and Marcus Erickson along with Jay Geissler and Drew Tonsager made it out for practice. Kevin yelled, “woo” at wide receiver Dwayne Bowe after he made a nice grab. Bowe responded by yelling “woo” back, which Kevin followed with a “woo woo.” Bowe followed suit again. The group said that Bowe was a fan favorite and had good interactions with the crowd. They yelled for Bowe to do the Heisman Trophy pose, which he did after another catch. Kevin was having a good time yelling starter at quarterback Tyler Thigpen and back up at quarterback Brodie Croyle.

Fred and Jodi Dawney traveled to River Falls yesterday from their Kansas City, Mo., home to see the Chiefs for the next two days. The two plan on finding a restaurant in town or in Hudson, Wis., tonight and head back to the Holiday Inn Express in Hudson. Jodi’s favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez and she thinks he will be quarterback Brodie Croyle’s favorite target. The two are season ticket holders.
Lots of Chiefs fans make their way northward on their motorcycles to catch summer training camp. Zach Pelham and some of his buddies said they like to ride up to get away from the heat, since gas isn’t too expensive on a bike. Zach is retired now and plans to spend a lot of his free time watching football on Sundays and Monday nights coming up next month.

John and Melinda Florzac from Lee’s Summit, Mo., were dressed in Chiefs’ red at practice. Both were very vocal when cheering on their team. Melinda said that she feels that when she cheers, it makes the players practice harder. This is the third year that the two of them have made the trip to River Falls for training camp. While in town, they like to dine at the Copper Kettle and at Coaches Bar. Their favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez.

This is the fifteenth year Lee and Nancy Bruenjes have attended the Chiefs summer training camp. They are from Olathe, Kan., and are true Chief fans. They have had season tickets for 35 years until giving them to their son-in-law. They came up yesterday and plan on cheering on the Chiefs until they leave on Thursday. Lee thinks the team will do pretty good this season. He is predicting them to go 7-9. He said, “They should do well if their draft choices perform well.” Both Lee and Nancy really like the River Falls area and said that they hope the Chiefs keep their training camp there.

Brad Graves from Chippewa Falls, Wis., attended his first Chiefs training camp. He said, “This is really cool. I never thought I would get this close to the players.” Graves has been a Chiefs fan his entire life and said that the team has the potential to become a Super Bowl team in the upcoming years. Graves predicts that the Chiefs will go 9-7 this year and surprise a lot of people. His favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Brain Rousch and Sara Brown from Hudson, Wis., attended Chiefs camp for the first time. They decided to come watch the Chiefs practice instead of going out to dinner. Sara was most impressed with the size of the players. Brain said he was most impressed with how the quarterbacks threw prefect spirals on every throw. Sara said, “After watching them practice, I might just have to cheer them on all season.” Both plan on coming back to watch one more practice before the Chiefs leave on Friday.

Monday, August 11, 2008: Afternoon Practice
Offense

Offensive tackle Branden Albert watched from the sidelines for the first time during practice. He wore a large removable cast on his right foot—a foot he sprained earlier in camp—and braced himself with crutches.
Offensive tackle Ken Shackleford practiced for the first time after agreeing to terms on a two-year contract with the Chiefs.
The offense practiced with full pads for the first time since they returned to River Falls after their first preseason game in Chicago last Thursday. Practice consisted of the same drills the team had been doing without pads, but the intensity and physicality noticeably increased.
Running back Larry Johnson threw passes to all three quarterbacks, after the positions split up, working on taking direct snaps and completing screen passes in an unorthodox formation.
Meanwhile the wide receivers ran formations in groups of three. Wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Devard Darling worked together as the first-string with wide receiver Kevin McMahan working the slot with them.

Wide receiver Will Franklin, who typically works with the first-string in the slot, worked with second-string wide receivers Jeff Webb and Maurice Price. Webb practiced well, including making a phenomenal one-handed grab during 11-on-11 that induced a response of: “Oh I see you Webb…Stop showing off Webb!” from Head Coach Herm Edwards.
Wide receiver Bobby Sippio also showed off his hands with a great one-handed catch in warm-ups that brought on a cheer from the crowd. During that drill Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey was lined up in a defensive manner that Head Coach Herm Edwards joked about as he entered the field.

“Hey, you’re a linebacker now?” Edwards joked to Gailey.
“Na, a defensive tackle,” Gailey said back before encouraging Sippio after his catch.
Running backs Jamaal Charles and Larry Johnson split carries with the first-string, with Charles also working with the second-string. Running back Kolby Smith participated in his first full-pads practice since injuring his groin earlier in camp; he worked with the third-string behind running back Jackie Battle.
The catch of the day came from wide receiver Maurice Price who made a magnificent one-handed grab after cornerback Tyron Brackenridge tipped—and nearly intercepted—quarterback Damon Huard’s thrown pass.

Defense
While the defensive backs worked on the sleds, two of the five dummies on the sled got busted off. The backs were pumped up, and Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs was quite impressed by the degree of hitting his men were showing.
Safety Jon McGraw, linebacker Donnie Edwards, linebacker Napoleon Harris and defensive end Trevor Johnson did not practice today.
Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie really preached to his men about disengaging the offensive blockers. “It’s about an attitude. Get pissed when you do it. Don’t let no damn tight end block you,” he yelled. When rookie defensive end Brian Johnston disengaged defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, Krumrie loved it. He said to Johnston, “Howdy doody, Brian. That’s how you do it,” and smacked Johnston on the back.

Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham and his linebackers ran a new drill. Dummies were set up to represent the lines. A defensive player stepped on the offensive side of the line and ran at the linebackers through each of the gaps. The hits were hard, and linebacker E.J. Kuale busted his helmet due to the blow. As the defense headed back to Ramer Field to join the offense, Cunningham said to linebacker Derrick Johnson: “DJ, it’s real nice that you’re helping carry water bottles and (crap).” Johnson laughed.

Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone practiced with the second-string when the defense ran its basic offense, but he practiced with the first-string when the nickel was being run. When he played with the second-string, Boone lined up on the outside of the line as a defensive back, and he was a defensive tackle when he practiced with the first-string.
Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey saw a little bit of time practicing with the first nickel. Dorsey is still nursing his sprained knee, so the coaching staff has vowed to take it easy on the rookie.
During 11-on-11, defensive tackle Alfonso Boone pressured quarterbacks Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen. The pressure would have resulted in sacks had it been a real-game situation. Defensive end Turk McBride had two deflections on balls throw by Croyle as well. On a Croyle pass to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, rookie safety DaJuan Morgan dove in front of the receiver attempting to make the pick. Though he didn’t come away with the ball, Morgan did force an incomplete pass.
Defensive end Brian Johnston sat out a few plays near the end of practice, complaining that his groin hurt.

After practice, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey worked one-on-one with Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie. Krumrie ran Dorsey through a five minute non-stop drill. This drill included hand-fighting, 10-yard sprints and foot work. After the drill, Dorsey was visibly exhausted and the two of them joked about it.

Special Teams
Practice started with 15 minutes of special teams work. Punter Dustin Colquitt punted from the minus 30 towards the north end of Ramer Field. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer instructed the cover team to: “Cover 10 yards only today.” The first cover team was made up of a mix of offensive and defensive players: wide receiver Jeff Webb, Sergiori Joachim, tight end Michael Allan, fullback Mike Cox, running back Jackie Battle, defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic, safety Khayyam Burns, linebackers Demorrio Williams and Derrick Johnson and cornerback Rashad Barksdale.

With 5:58 left on the clock, the unit began a kickoff cover drill. Kicker Connor Barth took the role as first-string kicker. The cover team—wearing yellow skull caps—worked on finding the ball and squeezing in on the returner. The first cover team consisted of: cornerbacks Dimitri Patterson and Tyron Brackenridge, safeties Khayyam Burns and DaJuan Morgan, linebackers E.J. Kuale, Steve Octavien, Derrick Johnson and Weston Dacus. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer complimented both kickers (Nick Novak and Connor Barth) after the drill saying,"That's a real good job of using the wind. Both of you. You didn't try to over kick it."
After position work kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth took three attempts at field goals during a 9-on-7 drill. Novak missed one and Barth missed two. Novak missed his 48-yard attempt and Barth his 45 and 53-yard attempts.

Herm Edwards Press Conference
Head Coach Herm Edwards spent a few minutes answering questions from the media after practice. Edwards said that the team can afford to have one-a-day practices until the end of camp. For him, realizing that his young football team will play physical and having only 80 players at camp made it necessary. “Players appreciate rest. They get worn out,” he said. Edwards also stressed the importance of classroom work saying, “Having the ability to transfer what they get in the classroom onto the field. Classroom work is key.”

Edwards said that linebacker Donnie Edwards will probably see playing time starting next week. He also commented on defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey’s condition and said he is still day-to-day. “We don’t want to put him in harms way. He needs to be 100 percent.”
Wide receiver Devard Darling was mentioned as a player who is contributing a lot to the team. Edwards said the defense still needs to work on the run game. As far as who is ahead in camp—the veterans or rookies—Edwards said the veterans. He mentioned that the young players are expected to make errors and when they occur, they’re trying to correct them.

Extra Extra...
Players were out early prepping for practice to begin on Ramer Field. Members of the kick/punt squad warmed up their legs on the south side of the field while other players played catch and ran short routes on the north end. The moods of the players was fairly mellow.
An air horn sounded at 3:28 to signal it was time for warm-ups.
Several defensive players were out on the field at 3 to begin stretching and talking to coaches before practice. Practice started at 3:45
Head Coach Herm Edwards headed out to Ramer Field at 3 and stood on the 50-yard line while he talked to Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer.
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe received a thorough stretch from one of team’s athletic trainers. Bowe “ooo’ed” and “ahhh’ed” multiple times, which made it seem as if it was painful.

Vice President Denny Thum was present during today’s practice.
Former Vice President of Player Personnel for the Dallas Cowboys, Gil Brandt was present at practice today. Brandt spent 29 years with the Cowboys. Brandt currently serves as a personnel guru for NFL.com, where he evaluates all aspects of players and teams in the NFL.

Twenty players took time to sign autographs after practice today.
Wide receiver Devard Darling spoke to media after practice. He said that the hardest part of coming to the United States from the Bahamas was that there were no uniforms in school here. Back home, he had to wear brown pants and a white shirt to school everyday. He later talked about his brother, Devaughn, who passed away at age 18 of complications tied to the sickle cell trait. The hardest part for Devard is, “Waking up and not seeing him and hearing his voice. It’s a harsh reality. I can’t see him, hear him or talk to him (in person.)” Devard still talks to his brother everyday. He thanks the Lord and his family everyday. He realizes that life goes on. “I play with his picture in my pads everyday.” On the back of his picture, it reads: I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4: 13.” Devard understands that there are certain precautions that he needs to take. “I know my body. I train hard, harder than most people out here. I never hold back,” he said. He finished with, “In everything I do in life, I want to honor my brother. We had dreams of being great NFL players and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Fans
Making their way from Kansas City, Mo., Mark and Gloria Towers watched their first practice of camp. The two have the week off from work and want to stay for the rest of the week until the Chiefs break camp. They said they have been fans since they moved to Kansas City from Austin, Texas, in 2001. Their favorite player is former Texas University linebacker Derrick Johnson.
Long time Chiefs fans, as well as Kansas Jayhawk fans, Stephanie, Darrell, and their son Michael Gallagher (9) sat high in he Ramer Field bleachers for today’s action. Michael, wearing a red tight end Tony Gonzalez jersey, said his favorite player has always been Gonzalez. The family is from Lawrence, Kan., and plans to head back home tomorrow. The family has seen a group of players at Shopko in town, and thinks it’s neat seeing the Chiefs driving their luxury vehicles all around town. “They stick out like a sore thumb,” said Darrell.

River Falls residents Travis and Tom Beckett stood by the autograph corner waiting for practice to end to snag some signatures from the players. The two boys had a football covered with autographs. Travis was really hoping this would be his chance to get quarterback Brodie Croyle’s autograph; who he has missed in the previous days. The brothers said they just got done swimming at Glen Park this afternoon.
Phil Rassen from Kansas City, Mo., cheered on his Chiefs at training camp for his fifth year in a row. Rassen has had season tickets for the last fifteen years. He said, “This is going to be a good year. I think the Chiefs are going to be the NFL’s biggest surprise this season.” Rassen predicts that the Chiefs will go 9-7 this upcoming year and continually improve on that for the next five years. His favorite player is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.

Paul and Brenda O’Brien from Woodbury, Minn., attended Chiefs training camp for the second year in a row. Brenda said that she is trying to convert Paul from being a Minnesota Vikings fan to being a Kansas City Chiefs fan. She said, “I think I am making some good strides in converting him.” Brenda’s favorite Chief is running back Larry Johnson. Her goal is to get her picture taken with him before camp is over. Both Brenda and Paul will be back to watch the Chiefs on Thursday.
This was the first time at Chiefs training camp for Zach Tanner from Stillwater, Minn. Because he had the day off, Tanner thought there was not a better way to kill an afternoon than watching a NFL team practice. Tanner said, “I can’t believe how big and fast some of the players are.” His favorite part of practice is watching the coaches get fired up at players. He said that he plans on watching the Chiefs camp next year if they come up to River Falls.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008: Afternoon Practice
After an indoor morning practice, the Chiefs practiced outside in some pretty mild weather. The overcast skies and the 70 degree temperature made for a cool afternoon. There was a six mile per hour wind coming out of the south and the humidity was at 79 percent. There were 83 fans in attendance.
Offense
The offensive line split off from the team to work on position skills as usual and it worked on footwork and blocking. Offensive Line Coach Bob Bicknell yelled at the lineman to: "Come off the ball nice and low." Bicknell yelled for the lineman to have more pop when they came out of their stances.

Assistant Offensive Line Coach Joe D'Alessandris worked with the other half of the offensive line, including newly signed offensive lineman Ken Shackleford. Shackleford worked with the second-string during the offensive-defensive drills. D'Alessandris told Shackleford: "There ya go…Well done," as he worked on his technique with the rest of the line.
Quarterback Tyler Thigpen worked with the first-string offense during the 9-on-7—run only—drill. Running backs Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles both took handoffs with the first-string. Running back Kolby Smith shared carries with running backs Jackie Battle and Dantrell Savage on second-string.

Quarterback Brodie Croyle had a marginal practice—looking very good at times and not so great at other times. Croyle completed 7-12 passes during the different situations in an 11-on-11 drill.

During the first-string's first set, Croyle delivered a pass right on the money to wide receiver Devard Darling on a 10-yard curl route that was in a spot where only Darling could make the catch. But during the second set Croyle had a four play stretch that included two sacks and two near interceptions.

Running back Jamaal Charles took snaps with all three strings of offense during the 11-on-11. With the second-string, Charles showed his speed as he hit a hole created on the left side of the line by offensive tackle Ken Shackleford and offensive guard Travis Leffew.But Charles heard it from Head Coach Herm Edwards after he caught a swing pass from quarterback Tyler Thigpen and then proceeded to fumble the football without any defensive player forcing it. "Don't drop the ball 2-5!" Edwards yelled.

Current backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen completed 6-7 passes in practice, but the lone incompletion was an interception by safety DaJuan Morgan.
Thigpen is looking sharp running the second-string offense and worked the offense into field goal range during the two-minute drill. Thigpen completed 6-10 passes during the two-minute drill including a pass to running back Kolby Smith on fourth and eight from the 41-yard line that went for eight yards.

Defense
Safety Jon McGraw, linebacker Donnie Edwards, defensive end Trevor Johnson and linebacker Napoleon Harris did not participate in practice today.
While the defensive line ran some drills with the dummies, defensive end Turk McBride tweaked his thigh. A trainer helped him stretch it out a bit before returning to the drill. However, McBride still felt some discomfort, so the training staff wrapped his right leg. McBride did participate the rest of practice.

Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie was extremely vocal. While running drills facing the offensive line he yelled, “Defense, get to the ball. Come on. Let’s go. Wake up.” While the offensive and defensive lines worked together, some wide receivers and defensive backs practiced running and covering routes on a different practice field.
Having worked on fumble recoveries earlier in practice, the defensive line picked up two dropped balls during 11-on-11. Safety DaJuan Morgan picked up one dropped by running back Jamaal Charles, and linebacker Oliver Hoyte made the other recovery of a ball fumbled by running back Larry Johnson near the end zone. Morgan also had an interception off quarterback Tyler Thigpen. He also made a diving attempted at another pick, but only managed to render the pass incomplete. Head Coach Herm Edwards was impressed nonetheless. “Get on Sports Center,” he told Morgan.

Safety Jarrad Page read a screenplay from quarterback Brodie Croyle to running back Larry Johnson and made the tackle on Johnson for a loss of yardage. On back-to-back plays, quarterback Damon Huard threw incomplete passes to wide receiver Kevin McMahan as a result of impressive coverage from the defense. Cornerback Dimitri Patterson showed tight coverage on one of the plays, and linebacker E.J. Kuale displayed skill on the other incompletion. Near the end of practice, McMahan ran a long route downfield to receive a pass from Huard, but rookie cornerback Maurice Leggett covered McMahan too well and forced the ball out of his hands as he hit the ground. Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham liked what the rookie did and complimented him saying, “Nice job, Leg. Impressive!”

On a long ball from Croyle to wide receiver Devard Darling, cornerback Patrick Surtain broke up the pass due to his impeccable coverage on the receiver. Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs was impressed saying, “Nice job, Pat. Yes, sir.” On the next play, rookie cornerback Brandon Carr broke up Croyle’s pass to wide receiver Maurice Price.

After practice, rookie defensive tackle Derek Lokey hit the sleds by himself. Center Rudy Niswanger was snapping some balls to members of the coaching staff while a handful of wide receivers worked on making receptions. Among these receivers were: Will Franklin, Devard Darling, Bobby Sippio, Kevin McMahan, and Jabari Arthur.

Special Teams
Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth attempted field goals at the beginning of practice. Novak was 3-4 and Barth was 2-4. Novak missed a 50-yard field goal that went wide right, but made his 40, 45 and 55-yard field goals. Barth kicked from the same spots, missing his 40 and 45-yard field goals both were wide to the right.

Herm Edwards Press Conference
Head Coach Herm Edwards addressed the media after practice about the practice, injuries and a possible interest the team may have in a newly released kicker.
"We know what he [A.J. Feeley] is capable of doing, we're going to continue to look at our guys," Edwards said. "We have to wait and see, nothing is out of the realm of getting better, we know he is a veteran kicker but right now we're letting these guys compete."
Edwards said the offense is getting the hang of the new offensive scheme, but they can continue to get better. "We turned the ball over too much on offense today," Edwards said. "It's good defense, just not good offense."

Edwards said the offensive line continues to mesh, but still has a long way to go. "Branden's not in there, when he comes back it's going to help but Herb has done a good job over at left tackle," Edwards said. "They're a lot better than they were in the spring, but there are a lot of things we still need to improve on."

Edwards said defensive end Turk McBride strained his hamstring and the team will have to wait and see how it plays out. Linebacker Pat Thomas bent his finger backwards and did not participate in practice, but Edwards said he should be able to practice Wednesday. Edwards also said wide receiver Jeff Webb hurt his shoulder during the two-minute drill, but should be fine.

Extra Extra...
Defensive tackle Tank Tyler was near the bleachers before practice singing “American Boy” by Estelle.
Defensive tackle T.J. Jackson warmed up his vocal cords before practice as he tried to hit some high notes while signing “Purple Rain.”
During warm-ups, Head Coach Herm Edwards walked around talking and giving advice to players.

During defensive drills, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie said to the players, “Everything matters, even the little things. Do it right!!”
Practice started with a team stretch on practice field one at 3:30.
Strength and Conditioning Coach Cedric Smith discussed healthy eating with defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey before practice began. Dorsey said to defensive end Johnny Dingle”: “You know what I eat everyday, salad and baked fish.” Smith reminded Dorsey that he needed to be eating small meals throughout the day.

Players were in a jubilant mood before practice began. They discussed everything from their favorite childhood cartoon characters like Donald Duck and the kinds of dogs they have and like as pets (as well as those they don’t).

Practice ended to the sound of a whistle and a team huddle on the center of practice field two at 5:13.

Fans
Jack and Bernice Williams from Lake City, Minn., were impressed with the Chiefs. This is the first time either of them have seen an NFL football team in person. Jack said, “I have always like the Chiefs, and now that I am retired I have the time to actually see them.” The Williams are flirting with the idea of driving down to Arrowhead Stadium and watching a game this upcoming season. Bernice’s favorite Chief is Head Coach Herm Edwards.
Gregg Hopkins from Hudson, Wis., claimed a spot in the bleachers to watch the Chiefs practice. Hopkins has been coming to Chiefs training camp for the last eleven years. Although the Green Bay Packers are his favorite team, he said the Kansas City Chiefs come in a second. His favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez. When talking about Gonzalez he said, "I really like him. He is just so damn athletic.
Pat Johnston from Chippewa Falls, Wis., attended his fifth training camp in the last seven years. Johnston, who grew up in Kansas, says he moved to Wisconsin when he was eleven. He predicts that the Chiefs will go 9-7 this season. He said, "I think they will be a playoff team in the upcoming years." Johnston's favorite player is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. He said, “I think Bowe is going to have a breakout year and make the Pro Bowl.”
Dan Roth from Barron, Wis., came to support the Chiefs for the fourth time during training camp. Roth, who just graduated from the UW-River Falls, ships off to active duty as a Marine Lieutenant in October. Roth said, “It’s pretty cool that a small school like UWRF can get a pro football team’s training camp. Roth’s favorite Chief is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. He said, “Last year Bowe helped me out on my fantasy football team. He was a good sleeper pick.”

Ruth and Dennis Mitchell stood against the west bleachers before practice today. They were both disappointed they couldn’t see the indoor practice that took place due to rain showers earlier in the day. The two are from Lee’s Summit, Mo., and are going to the Twins-Yankee’s game at the Metrodome tonight. Their favorite baseball team is the Kansas City Royals, but they also like the New York Yankees a lot. Both have never been to the Metrodome, but are happy the game won’t be rained out because of the roof overhead.

Making their way from Kansas City, Mo., Ray, Joyce, Megan and Carl Patterson are all devoted Chiefs fans. Ray and Joyce grew up in different parts of Missouri and have a strong passion for the team. Megan moved from Kansas City three years ago and now resides in Stillwater, Minn. She is happy her family decided to take a summer trip to the area. Ray remembers the great days when linebacker Derrick Thomas played for the team, and how he deserved his hall-of-fame status. Carl sported a Chiefs hat and a t-shirt.

River Falls native Earl Payne stood next to his bike near the east rope. Earl has been kind of surprised that the Chiefs would travel this far just to train. But, he did say that he has heard of improvements done to the sports facilities on campus, and that the Ramer Field renovations he read about in the Student Voice are a huge plus for the University. Payne went to UW-Eau Claire back in his college years, but would like to see improvements continue for the University in his home town. He didn’t know a whole lot about the Chiefs; except that they look like a big team.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008: Afternoon Practice
The second to last Chiefs practice for their 18 summer training camp was a pleasant one. The sky was partly cloudy and the temperature was 77 degrees. There was a 6 mile per hour wind coming out of the northwest and the humidity was at 46 percent. There were 78 fans in attendance.

Defense
Defensive ends Turk McBride, Trevor Johnson, and Brian Johnston; linebackers Donnie Edwards and Napoleon Harris; and safety Jon McGraw didn’t participate in practice.
The linebackers started their drills on the five-man sled. Linebacker Derrick Johnson was the first man up, and on the second sled, Johnson broke the pad off the metal support. His teammates cheered, but Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Gunther Cunningham simply moved the group to the hanging dummy and said, “you can break everything we’ve got. We ain’t quitting.” In addition to the dummy Johnson busted, the defensive backs managed to break two pads off their sled as well.

On the way back into Ramer Field, linebackers Donnie Edwards and Napoleon Harris chitchatted with rookie linebacker LeRue Rumph. Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Gunther Cunningham wasn’t pleased. “Let’s not have a frickin’ party back there,” he shouted to the men. Rumph ran ahead, and Harris ran to give Cunningham some gruff. Cunningham told Harris not to baby Rumph. “Don’t kiss his (butt), or I’ll kick yours,” he said. He repeatedly told Harris, “I’m the coach. You’re the player.” Edwards hung back behind Harris and Cunningham and chuckled to himself.

During 11-on-11, defensive end Tamba Hali, defensive tackle Alfonso Boone and linebacker Derrick Johnson stormed at quarterback Brodie Croyle. Croyle was forced to slide behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage on the play. After a big tackle on running back Jamaal Charles, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie yelled, “wrap him up. Put him into next week.” Defensive tackle T.J. Jackson was impressed with the play. He yelled and cheered as he came out of the pile.

Rookie cornerback Brandon Carr followed wide receiver Dwayne Bowe well on a pass from quarterback Brodie Croyle. Carr managed to cover Bowe well enough to force an incompletion. Safety Jarrad Page was also in on the play. Later, Croyle threw a long ball to Bowe who was covered by rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers. Though close, the ball fell incomplete. Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Gunther Cunningham liked what he saw. He said to Flowers, “good cover. Good cover.” Safety Bernard Pollard delivered a huge hit on running back Kolby Smith. The crowd gasped and cheered after the play. Later, Pollard cheered on cornerback Rashad Barksdale when he showed great coverage on a receiver. “That’s the way, Barks. Way to push him around,” said Pollard.

Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie yelled at rookie defensive end Johnny Dingle. “He’s a fullback. You’re a defensive linemen. Be tough. Hit him.”
Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone hadn’t practiced with the first string defense in a while, but this afternoon he was back in the lineup with the first unit. Boone had a big tackle on running back Jamaal Charles for a loss, as well as an assist on a sack of quarterback Brodie Croyle. Also seeing time with the first string again was defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. Dorsey was the only Chief on the field who had his game pants on; the rest were in shorts. This was to add extra protection to Dorsey’s healing left knee.

After practice, Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham made a few comments about the defense. Cunningham said that he’s impressed with linebacker Weston Dacus, who Cunningham says is really athletic. “He sort of came out of no where,” Cunningham said. Overall, Cunningham said he’s not disappointed with the linebackers’ play. When asked about the intensity of the defensive coaches, Cunningham said that Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie, Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs and Cunningham are all hardcore. Cunningham says that everyone is aware of how loud they can be. “It’s a matter of seeing who’s the biggest psychopath.” Cunningham laughed and said that Gibbs was a psychology major, so he can be trickier, and Krumrie is just scary. “He even scares me sometimes,” Cunningham said.

Offense
Running backs Dantrell Savage and Kolby Smith took approximately 75 percent of the carries during the 11-on-11 drill. Smith worked with the first-team for the majority of the time while Savage worked with the second and third-strings.

Before the 11-on-11, running was taken over by Savage and Smith, running back Larry Johnson carried the ball with the first-string a handful of times. Johnson looked good as he hit holes and broke through lines showcasing the power-type running that has made him one of the elite backs in the league.

Running back Jamaal Charles also carried the ball a few times with all three strings. On one run with the third-string, Charles found his way through a small hole and then put his head down and rammed into defensive backs Dimitri Patterson and Brandon Carr rather than running out of bounds.

Quarterback Brodie Croyle finished the 11-on-11 completing 7-13 passes. More interestingly than Croyle’s plays with his arm were his plays with his legs; Croyle ran a couple of quarterback keepers and even split out wide once when running back Larry Johnson took a direct snap.
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe caught a pass going across the middle of the field from Croyle and then made his way through the secondary, making a couple of nice moves. Bowe also impressed on another play by ditching the cornerback jam at the line of scrimmage and streaking down the sidelines to catch a pass from quarterback Damon Huard for a 25-yard touchdown.

Huard may not have the arm strength he once possessed, but he still has the accuracy, completing 4-5 passes during the 11-on-11. Huard showcased that accuracy by threading a pass to wide receiver Maurice Price across the middle of the field for a 19-yard completion few quarterbacks would have made.

Wide Receivers Coach Eric Price noticed wide receiver Dwayne Bowe on another play, not for making a nice catch, but for missing a block on a quarterback Brodie Croyle bootleg. Price hollered: “Block him Bowe, Bowe block him” after the conclusion of the play when Bowe missed a blocking assignment.

The coaches were extremely vocal during the last full practice in River Falls. But it was tight end Tony Gonzalez who was vocal on one specific play that really got the crowd into the practice. Gonzalez appeared to have just caught a 25-yard pass from quarterback Brodie Croyle when the sideline referee ruled that Gonzalez had not gotten both feet down. Gonzalez screamed: “Ah hell no, I swear you’re wrong on that”—among other things—at the referee, eliciting a cheerful agreement from the fans in the stands.

Special Teams
At 3:37 special teams began a short slow-speed kickoff return drill. A Juggs machine was put on the minus 40-yard line and took the place of kickers actually kicking the ball. Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth worked on their approaches instead. The return team worked on keeping the wedge tight and opening up the appropriate lanes for the returners.
For seven minutes the punt return unit ran through a drill that emphasized the technique for blocking the cover team—which was instructed to cover for 10 yards—and keeping opponents out of the middle of the field. Punter Dustin Colquitt simulated punts as a Juggs machine spit out punts to running back Dantrell Savage and kick return specialist B.J. Sams who took turns on the return. Safety Bernard Pollard and cornerback Brandon Flowers joined the first punt return unit for some reps, something they don’t normally do.

Extra Extra...
At 3:27 an air horn sounded. A quiet, lackadaisical team gathered on the north end of Ramer Field for warm ups. In the meantime, dark grey thunder clouds filled the sky to the southwest of the field. Players were heard saying, “That don’t look good.”
The offense and defense split up for position drills at 3:52. The offense stayed on Ramer Field while the defense moved to the practice fields outside the stadium.

A half-hour before practice fans were standing in the designated autograph area near Ramer Field waiting to say “hi” to players. The only player one couple was able to get a picture with was linebacker Derrick Johnson.
Belger Cartage Service trucks were parked in the Ramer Field Sports Complex lot waiting to be filled with the rest of the Chiefs equipment and gear Thursday.

Cornerback Brandon Flowers, Tyron Brackenridge and Maurice Leggett joked and laughed while walking to Ramer Field.
Truck drivers walked around during practice finishing up several odds and ends. A few of them were leaving tonight after getting the sleds loaded onto the trucks. They’re in charge of loading and unloading the big trucks for the team’s equipment. They’ll meet the team at the airport Friday once it arrives in Kansas City. They also meet the visiting team at the airport to unload its trucks before game day.

Kids chanted “Tony! Tony!” as tight end Tony Gonzalez was doing warm-ups on practice field three.
Radio announcers could be heard dissecting the Chiefs’ defense on the south side of the practice fields.
While some of the defensive line was walking to Ramer Field, Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham heard some complaints about players being tired. Cunningham responded, “You’re tired?! I’m 100 years old and I’m not tired!”

Vice President Denny Thum was present during practice today. He was on the fields shortly after practice started and talked to several Chiefs personnel including Associate Director of Public Relation Pete Moris and Manager of Football Information Brad Kuhbander.
Kansas City Chiefs President Carl Peterson spoke with several Chiefs personnel and Head Coach Herm Edwards.
The training tent has almost been completely emptied except for a couple of metal benches and garbage cans.
Members of the media from Kansas City, Mo., were jubilant on the sidelines during practice. They cracked jokes and laughed as they watched the practice.

Disassembled field goal posts laid off to the side of practice field one and were ready to be loaded onto a flatbed trailer parked nearby.
Practice ended at 5:13.
Players signed autographs and gave away their gloves after practice. Players included in autographing were: quarterbacks Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle; wide receivers Jabari Arthur, Kevin McMahan and Devard Darling; cornerbacks Patrick Surtain; running backs Jackie Battle and Larry Johnson; safeties Jarrad Page and Jon McGraw; linebackers Demorrio Williams, Weston Dacus and LeRue Rumph; defensive tackles Glenn Dorsey and Tank Tyler; offensive tackle Damion McIntosh; tight end John Paul Foschi; and defensive end Turk McBride.

Fans
Randy and Jill Books from Barron Wis., cheered on the Chiefs for their first time. They were very excited to be able to watch practice up close. Randy said, “I have been to the Vikings’ camp and I never got this close to the players.” Randy said that he is a football fan in general, so he likes to be able to get close and hear what goes on at a training camp. Both Jill and Randy plan on coming tomorrow to send the Chiefs off.
Erik Anderson from River Falls, Wis., came to Chiefs practice hoping to get some autographs and maybe even some players’ gloves. Erik played catch with his buddies while waiting for practice to get over so he could talk to the players. Yesterday, Erik got his yellow Chiefs football signed by wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. Bowe also just happens to be Erik’s favorite player.

Dan Mortenson from Hudson, Wis., came to watch the Chiefs practice. Dan was really impressed with the fields that the team practiced on. He said, “These are the best facilities I have ever seen. Most teams would love to have three practice fields in a row.” This is the fifth year in a row that Mortenson has come and watched the Chiefs practice. He said he hopes that they come to River Falls next summer so he can continue watching them. Mortenson’s favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez.
“Why couldn’t the Chiefs be a 9-7 team and make the playoffs?” asked Rachael Stanton. Stanton, and her husband Terry are residents of the Kansas City, Mo., area and have supported the Chiefs for their whole lives. They said that this year was going to be a rebuilding year, but the Chiefs had a strong draft, so the team should still have a good season. Terry is a huge fan of the cornerback tandem of Patrick Surtain and Brandon Flowers, and thinks they could shut down a lot of opponents. The only area of the team the two showed some concern about is with the young offensive line. The couple has been here since last weekend and plan to head back home right after today’s practice. They are already checked out of their hotel room and ready for the long trip home.

Nick, with his boys Austin, 16, and Matthew Matten, seven, watched the padded practice from the top of the Ramer Field bleachers. The family is from Hudson, Wis., have watched a few practices in each of the last three summers. Nick played high school football in the Twin Cities and his love for football has rubbed off on his sons. Both of them play on football teams for their respected age groups. Austin loves to play quarterback and models his game after Brett Favre, where Matthew likes to play running back. The two boys will be attempting to add to their autograph football at the end of practice.

Damien Ellis’, a student at Meyer Middle School in River Falls, sole purpose at Chiefs’ camp today was to get some autographs. The young boy had a pair of Chiefs gloves, a few photos and some football cards. He said that his older brother, Dave, has running back Larry Johnson’s autograph, but he hasn’t gotten Johnson’s signature - yet. The boys have been at the practice fields five times and want to come back tomorrow. Dave is a student at River Falls High School.

Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone practiced with the second-string when the defense ran its basic offense, but he practiced with the first-string when the nickel was being run. When he played with the second-string, Boone lined up on the outside of the line as a defensive back,:eek: and he was a defensive tackle when he practiced with the first-string.

Thursday, August 14, 2008: Afternoon Practice
The Chiefs final practice was held in some pretty mild weather. The partly cloudy sky was accompanied by a temperature of 70 degrees. There was a slight two mile per hour wind coming out of the southeast. The humidity was at 92 percent. There were 79 fans in attendance to send the Chiefs off.
Defense
During 11-on-11, cornerback Dimitri Patterson displayed good coverage on wide receiver Bobby Sippio when quarterback Tyler Thigpen threw a bomb down field to Sippio. The ball was catchable, but Patterson's coverage forced the pass to fall incomplete. Quarterback Damon Huard threw a ball down field to Jeff Webb. Rookie cornerback Maurice Leggett fell on the coverage, but was able to get to his feet and dive for the ball. The play landed incomplete, but the sidelines erupted because of Leggett's almost interception.
For one of the first times all training camp, the defense ran their dime play. After seeing limited time with the first-string basic defense, defensive tackle Alfonso Boone spent time running basic with the first-string as well as the nickel.
Offense
The offense only warmed up and walked through plays without pads during practice. Running back Kolby Smith practiced a little with first, but mostly carried the ball with second-string during the 11-on-11 drill.
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe lit up the practice field with the intensity that only a man who is about to return home possesses. Bowe made a pair of leaping catches in the end zone during the first-string’s second set in the 11-on-11.
Quarterbacks Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard switched off with second and third-strings once again today; but it would appear that Thigpen will be the team’s backup when they break camp tomorrow.
The offense started the 11-on-11 drill by mixing it up and running an end-around with wide receiver Devard Darling. Darling took the handoff and turned upfield for a modest gain.
The final practice was definitely not the most intense practice of training camp but overall the offense has come a long way. The Chiefs’ offense looks markedly better than 2007 and practiced with a lot of intensity throughout training camp as it learned the new scheme.
Special Teams
By 11:22 special teams began a punt return drill. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer led the energy of the drill. It seemed to rub off on the players. There were three strings that ran through the drill. The strings rotated reps quickly. Running back Dantrell Savage and kick return specialist B.J. Sams took turns returning the ball. Punter Dustin Colquitt got in some reps kicking punts from the minus 40-yard line, something that he hasn’t done too much of. The team has been utilizing a Juggs machine in his place. The drill was run at half-speed for eight minutes.
With seven minutes left on the clock, a kickoff return drill began. Kicker Connor Barth kicked with the first unit and kicker Nick Novak, the second. The return team wore yellow skull caps and the cover team defended for 15 yards. The focus was put on being in the appropriate lane. “Squeeze, find the ball,” said Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer.
Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth both made their three field goal attempts. They kicked from the left 25 and 30-yard lines and from the right hash on the 35-yard line. Novak kicked first, Barth second.
Herm Edwards Press Conference
Head Coach Herm Edwards spoke with media after practice. At the end of this year's camp, Edwards feels that his football team is going to be a physical one. Over the course of these past weeks, Edwards said the offense, the defense and the special teams coaches each instilled toughness in their squads. Toughness is something Edwards strives for, so he's very pleased with the coaching staff's eagerness to instill it.
As far as who will play in Saturday's preseason game, Edwards says defensive end Turk McBride will be good to go. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey will be okay, but the coaches will decide during warm-ups on Saturday if he will play or not. If Dorsey does see time, it will be limited to make sure his knee heals the best it can. Rookie running back Jamaal Charles won't be playing due to a sore shoulder. Safety Jon McGraw will also not be suiting up. Lastly, offensive tackle Damion McIntosh will be okay to play on Saturday as well.
When asked if he liked River Falls, Edwards said he does. The people are always nice to everyone the team brings up. Edwards said that he couldn't say if the team would be back next year or not. "That's not up to me. That's up to the higher-ups," he said.
Extra Extra...
On their way on to the field, quarterbacks Tyler Thigpen and Damon Huard belted out Kid Rock's latest song, "All Summer Long."
Defensive end Tamba Hali, defensive tackle Tank Tyler and tight end Michael Allan gave high-fives to fans before practice.
Bits of athletic tape laid on the sideline of Ramer Field as Herm Edwards was heard asking why the field was so wet since it hadn’t rained. Someone else replied that is was because the sun had only just come out.
Fans said hi to running back Dantrell Savage thinking it was running back Jamaal Charles. They asked suppose-to-be Charles if they could get a picture and autograph after practice. Savage just shook his head and kept walking. Right after, another fan nearby said, “Just to let you know, that wasn’t Jamaal Charles.”
At 11:12 an air horn sounded for a special teams stretch led by Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Brent Salazar on the north end of Ramer Field.
President Carl Peterson and Vice President Denny Thum were both present at the final practice today.
Practice ended at 12:22.
River Falls’ Mayor Don Richards was present at practice. He shook hands with President Carl Peterson and Vice President Denny Thum. He was there to present tight end Tony Gonzalez with an award for saving a man’s life in California. Gonzalez came over to Richards, Mary Halada, Gary and Emogene Thibodeau and Larry Testa after practice to shake hands. Gonzalez said, “Thank you. I appreciate it. I think anybody in my situation would have done the same. I really appreciate it.” Richards replied, “I know George and Laura Bush called you and Barack Obama called you, but it’s not the same until the River Falls mayor presents you with an award.” Gonzalez was very appreciative of the community’s thoughtfulness.
Fans
Bill and Julie Baker from Ellsworth, Wis., enjoyed cheering the Chiefs on at their last practice of their 2008 Summer Training Camp. This is the fourth time in the last six years that the Baker’s have attended training camp. Bill said he became a Chiefs fan about six years ago when they first watched the Chiefs practice. He said, “I didn’t really like the Vikings so I jumped at the opportunity to cheer for the Chiefs.” Bill’s favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez. Julie’s favorite is running back Larry Johnson.
Buck Thompson from Cameron, Wis., enjoyed eating lunch while watching the Chiefs practice. Thompson has watched multiple practices this summer. Each time he makes a complete day out of it, including eating a packed lunch. He said, “I wanted to come watch the Chiefs one last time.” This is the third year in a row that Thompson has come to training camp. He said that he hopes the Chiefs keep coming to River Falls every summer.
Tyler Ziarnik and James Jones from Whitehall, Wis., came and watched the Chiefs’ final practice. Both are Packer fans but said that Green Bay is too far to drive. Jones said that his second favorite team is the Chiefs. This is the fourth year that both have attended camp. Ziarnik’s favorite Chief is tight end Tony Gonzalez and Jones’s favorite is defensive tackle Tank Tyler. Jones said that he likes him because of the HBO show “Hard Knocks” not featured the team’s training camp last year.
Prescott, Wis., residents made the short drive to Ramer Field today to catch the last practice of camp. George and Heidi Kasper both enjoy watching football on Sundays, and often have family and neighborhood barbeques when the Minnesota Vikings play the Green Bay Packers. The two have a nine-year old boy Justin, but he was at summer camp this afternoon. They expect the Chiefs to be an average team this season, and may surprise some teams if they can mold together.
Chiefs fans are spread around the country and many devoted fans reside right here in Wisconsin. Troy, Amanda and Taylor Frederick from Eau Claire, Wis., were in attendance for their fourth year in a row. Troy said, “Their so young, and need to develop their picks. After I looked at the schedule I can see them picking up seven wins. Three years from now they will be on top of their game.” The knowledgeable fan also thinks that defensive tackle Glen Dorsey will be a good replace for the huge loss of defensive end Jared Allen. He also said the team has a strong linebacker core overall, and has speed and ability on defense to be good all together.
Fans that traveled to Minneapolis, Minn., to visit a friend were at camp for the first time ever. Dan, his wife and his two boys Joseph, age 9, and Kyle Sinnott, age 10, were all at the practice with Josh, a family friend. The group is from southern Iowa, and was here to grab some autographs. They all are fans of tight end Tony Gonzalez. Dan snapped pictures of the star player. A few years ago the family saw a Chiefs game against the Seattle Seahawks that the Chiefs ended up winning. The kids all said they were having fun at practice.

Thanks for posting these, BRC...but I must say, I liked Claythan's way better...these are kinda...sucky. But rep to you for posting them!