ChiefsPlanet - RIVER FALLS WRAP: Day 22

RIVER FALLS WRAP: Day 22
Aug 18, 2005, 11:47:39 AM

By Brad Kuhbander

News and Notes:
- A light rain shower in the River Falls area forced the Chiefs to move their Thursday morning practice indoors at the Hunt Arena. Today marked the club’s final set of two-a-day practices at training camp as it only has one more light session on Friday morning scheduled.

- A welcome sight rolled into town on Wednesday evening as several moving trucks from Belger Cartage Service, Inc. arrived to start the process of packing the Chiefs for the return trip home. The weight equipment was loaded early on Thursday while each individual office was readied for shipment. The final moving truck will depart for Kansas City on Friday afternoon.

- After numerous training camp practices head coach Dick Vermeil is pleased by the progress of the defense. He has noticed it every day as it competes in practice against the NFL’s top-ranked offense a year ago.

“We all think we’re better in training camp,” Vermeil said. “I know just watching us against our offense that we appear to be better. We make fewer mistakes and give up fewer big plays. Variations of schemes and trick type things don’t break us down like they have in the past. I think we’re more alert. I think the discipline within the scheme is better.”

- Despite the soggy conditions outside the running backs and defensive backs signed autographs for the fans waiting patiently for their favorite players.

Training Campfire Stories: Today’s 15th anniversary story from River Falls takes a look back to the final training camp practice of 2000. C Tim Grunhard and G Dave Szott decided to have some fun after their final practice in River Falls before boarding the plane for the trip back to Kansas City. The two offensive linemen borrowed one of the club’s security golf carts for a final spin around campus in what turned out to be their last trip to training camp together as Chiefs players.

“In 2000, which is funny since it turned out to be our last year’s here,” Grunhard said. “Dave Szott and I stole a golf cart from big-headed Herm (Herman Suhr), one of the security guards here. We stole the golf cart and took a victory lap all around the Hunt Arena and all the football fields.

We kind of reminisced and waved,” Grunhard continued. “All the people were filming it. They all thought we were joking around, but it ended up being our last day of football camp here in River Falls. We were a part of that initial class that came up here in 1991 with Steve DeBerg, Jonathan Hayes, Bill Maas and all the guys. It was a great experience up here and it’s a good place to have a bunch of guys come together.”

Look Who’s Talking: “I think so, but like I said before I think that is typical of athletes that can perform at a higher level. I read a lot of books, in the biographies that I read about these great athletes. They play through pain. I mean we’re professional athletes. You are going to get hurt. Especially in the NFL. It’s a 100 percent injury rate if you are out there on the field. If you can’t play through pain than this isn’t the game for you. You have to go out there do it for your teammates, for the fans in Kansas City, and do it for yourself. I owe it to all those people I just mentioned to go out there and give it my best shot no matter if I am hurt or not.“
— TE Tony Gonzalez on his pain threshold.

Vermeil Verbatim: “Their professionalism, their preparation. Neither one of them missed a minute of practice, neither one of them missed a meeting and their performance on the field has been outstanding. You can see why they’ve been successful in the league and have the respect of everyone in the league.“
— Vermeil on his impressions of CB Patrick Surtain and S Sammy Knight