Daily Camp updates by the UWRF college website
 

I'm sure most of know about this site but maybe the n00bs don't. Here you can get daily camp updates done by the local college up in River falls.

http://www.uwrf.edu/chiefs/

Thursday, July 24, 2008: Chiefs Arrive
Extra, Extra...

The Kansas City Chiefs arrived before 4 p.m. to an overcast sky at UW-River Falls. The busses had unloaded the players and were pulling away from George R. Field South Fork Suites by 4:10 p.m.
At 4:48 p.m. an Astleford Idea lease and rental truck was fully unloaded, and the bags were placed in four rows on the pavement. Desk chairs, boxes labeled “fragile” and cases of Red Bull energy drinks were a few of the first things off the truck. Simoutanously, a Penske truck was loaded with the coach’s luggage as a crew waited for its departure to Grimm Hall, located a couple of hundred yards away from the players’ new digs in the George R. Field South Fork Suites. The new facility was opened several years ago and features suite-style living of four bedrooms surrounding a commons area. Able to accommodate 240 residents, the $11.5 million building was constructed, paid for and owned by UWRF students, who have bonding authority under Wisconsin statutes. Named for a UWRF chancellor who led the university from 1968-1985, South Fork will experience a $14 million expansion to double the size of the building next year.

When asked about the prompt arrival by the Chiefs this year, residence living head custodian Bob Karras responded by saying, “There must not have been any bad weather for the Chiefs travel this year. With no storms they were given the ability to arrive on time.” Last year the team arrived later than scheduled, having to deal with a 45-minute storm delay.
Chiefs’ Security Officer Ken Whiting shared of his trip up to UW-River Falls with the team. He said the demeanors of the players was quite different from last year. “They were mellow and hyped-up,” he said. He attributed the vast difference of behavior to the amount of youth that joins the Chiefs for training camp. Whiting said he could feel the anxiousness from the players on the bus ride and anticipates a competitive camp.

The rookies stood out in the crowd of people gathered outside of South Fork Suites as the players searched for their belongings. They looked a little apprehensive and unsure about how they were to go about getting their personal bags off the truck. But after watching several veteran players collect their bags, the rookies figured out what to do and quickly gathered their things.

The local River Falls bike shop, The Route, had a table set up for rentals by players.Red and white Trek mountain bikes featuring the Chiefs logo on the top handlebar were lined-up and ready for the players. Adam Schmidt, owner of The Route, said “You can buy them and we can ship them back home for you,” to players asking about how long they are allowed to have the bikes. The bikes are available after camp for $250. Isaac Curtis said the rental price for the bikes are $75 which includes a lock for all of camp. He said they brought 40 bikes to the camp for rental and there are more in stock at the shop if they are needed. Tackle Damion McIntosh talked to other players in-line about how he bikes everywhere and tries not to spend any money at training camp. After renting a bike, players were given a green folder containing a sheet with information and discount rates.

There was plenty of horsepower parked in the lot east of South Fork Suites. H3 Hummers, Ford Expeditions, Dodge Chargers, Chevy Tahoes, Range Rovers and Lincoln Navigators were among the vehicles Enterprise of Hudson, Wis. made available for players to choose from. Enterprise anticipated 15 players would rent vehicles for use during camp.

A group of five to seven players were overheard making plans to do some shopping at ShopKo. They looked like they were on a mission as they left quickly. A player yelled from his third-floor window to a player sitting in a black Lincoln MKX on the street below. The player in the window wanted to know who the driver was taking to ShopKo with him, and if they wouldn’t mind waiting for him to come as well. The driver agreed to wait for his teammate.

Players
Two of the Chiefs’ most productive offensive players, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and running back Larry Johnson, were both absent at the beginning of last year’s training camp; but both reported on time this year, and spent a couple minutes talking with the media.

As Bowe began looking for his bags among the players’ suitcases, a reporter asked Bowe if he was worried about a Herm Edwards training camp, to which Bowe assuredly replied, “Not worried about nothing but my opponent…Show me my opponent.” Bowe also told reporters he was tired, but excited to be at camp. When asked about top draft pick defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey’s absence, Bowe said he told Dorsey to be patient but added that he was happy to be at camp on time this year.

Johnson-after checking out a LCD TV one of the players brought-said he was excited to be at camp this year and added that he felt weird after not attending camp last year. He said he felt like he was “on vacation.” When asked about the drafting of running back Jamaal Charles out of Texas and second-year running back Kolby Smith, Johnson said, “I’m cool with those guys being back there, anything that helps prolong my career is good.” Johnson also said that with the new offense he feels he can get back to his 2005-2006 stats and expressed that the offense will not be as predictable as it was last year. Johnson finished talking with the media by saying that he’s the vet on the team, and it’s going to be fun to be out on the field “sweating it out.”

Cornerback Patrick Surtain, an 11-year veteran of the league, was approached by the media in the parking lot of South Fork Suites and asked about his preparation for camp. Surtain responded by saying, “Being a veteran you know what’s expected, so you prepare the utmost, each and every year. There’s like 50 new guys, and I haven’t seen their face before, and they’re hungry. As a veteran you have to come in and bring the same kind of intensity.”

Defensive End Jason Parker, who is in his first training camp with the Chiefs, was learning the lay of the land. Parker was a fountain of questions for bystanders, on everything from the cost of renting a bike to getting directions to the University Center, where meals are served.

Safety Bernard Pollard answered questions from the media as he stood next to his black BMW M6. Pollard, stocked up groceries from Wal-Mart, commented, “Got to have lots of oatmeal for camp.” With his memory foam inserts and Jordan shoes in hand, Pollard looked to be prepared for the long camp ahead. He said he was exited for camp and more

comfortable with his weight and position going into camp this year than he was last year. “Not many people are expecting much, but I’m expecting a lot,” he said expressing optimism for the team’s success this year.

Where is the Rangers news? I require my TC updates have up to date information on the Rangers!!

Whoa...cliffhanger. I'm glad he made it to ShopKo okay.

I can't believe training camp is already here. Wow.

Eat your heart out, Warpaint Illustrated

kinda like harold and kumar

that's right bring the n00bs in
give them false security
and then

No kidding - that's some hard hitting journalism right there.......

http://www.uwrf.edu/chiefs/prev_upda...07-25-08am.htm

Thursday, July 24, 2008: Chiefs First Practice Indoors

It was a wet start to the 2008 Kansas Chiefs Summer Training Camp. Grey clouds dropped rain that completely saturated the practice fields with water. The rain forced the Chiefs indoors to the Knowles Center for their first practice.The temperature was 72 degrees with a slight southwest wind at 7 miles per hour with an overall humidity of 90 percent.

Head Coach Herm Edwards walked into the lobby of the facility to keep an eye on the weather.While players waited for practice to begin they tossed around a football. Shouts of encouragement among the players were heard all around. Boxes of shoes, towel baskets and storage containers lined the track around the courts the Chiefs had their walkthrough on.

Offense

Running back Larry Johnson took all of the handoffs with the first stringers running behind a new offensive line. First round draft pick Branden Albert was in on every first string snap at left guard. Brian Waters was at let tackle, Adrian Jones was at right tackle and Damion McIntosh was at right guard with the first unit. Third-year center Rudy Niswanger snapped for the first stringers to round out the Chiefs’ first practice offensive line.Second-year wide receiver Dwayne Bowe caught three of quarterback Brodie Croyle’s throws. Croyle completed 15-16 passes, finding veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez seven times.

Wide receiver Devard Darling joined Bowe with the first-string offense, with wide receivers Maurice Price, Bobby Sippio, Jeff Webb, and Will Franklin rotating in on three-wide receiver sets.

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe seemed almost giddy during the first practice as he tossed a football around with other players while taking his turn playing defense when the third string offense was walking through plays. He and tight end Tony Gonzalez also stayed after and played catch with linebacker Donnie Edwards for a couple of minutes. Bowe made a final appearance after the morning session when he walked up to the podium prior to Head Coach Herm Edwards’ press conference. He was laughing as he left the podium as the media heckled him.

Defense

The media was confined to a small area in the southeast corner of Knowles complex. The offense was on the nearest side to the media, making it difficult to track what the defense was up to.

Tamba Hali and Ron Edwards were two of the defensive linemen who saw quality time during the mock-snap drills. Rookie DaJuan Morgan was also seeing some first-string time in the safety position. Throughout the practice, the defense seemed more leisure than the offense, primarily focusing on one drill, using only two strings of players.

Special Teams

The special teams punt unit worked on blocking the punt after a portion of the team was released to the locker rooms at a quarter to eleven. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer gave the players energetic instruction. “If we can’t get our depth, we can’t block anybody,” he exclaimed. Punter Dustin Colquitt took multiple snaps from long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche as players worked on blocking technique on the left and right sides. “Protect the block spot, “said Priefer, “Nice job men, you’re getting the concept.”

Extra, Extra...

UW-River Falls Falcon Foods employee Fritz Jumpp hadn’t seen anybody at the concession stand at Ramer Field due to the weather. Pam Cochran of Rolla, Mo. and her family made the 12-hour journey for today’s practice. “We just got up here and they said it was cancelled,” she said with disappointment.

Someone needs to learn the difference between guard and tackle.

Albert and McIntosh at left and right guard? WTH?

It's an inaccurate report.

The accurate one is going up on our site now.

FYP

What's your problem?

for a premium right

Morning reports are always free.

o joy what a bargin

If you got a problem, yo I'll solve it...

Sounds like he is familiar with WPI.

I look forward to more insight from Fritz of Falcon Foods.

:D

Good stuff!!!

One of my least favorite mistakes to see a football team make is a bad or missed snap. I'm really curious about how our new center, Rudy, is going to pan out. A bad Center can make a inexperienced QB look so much worse, if they fumble the ball. I'm pretty sure that's why Casey Printers is no longer in KC....Hopefully, the Riverfalls Reports will assuage my fears in this, but I can't recall ever having seen Rudy play Center in a game.

There was a bad snap today. It was Huard, though.

PREMIUM TIDBIT!

Thanks for that! Who was the Center?

I read the free report, and it was 100% than the Riverfalls report. I don't want to get into the whole WPI vs CP issue (I prefer to be a causal poster/lurker) , but it was a decent article.

I couldn't see. I think it was Rob Smith, though, the 2nd team center. I haven't seen Huard with first team.

Thanks for the compliment. The River Falls people just don't know football very well.

Just noticed that the River Falls site is down at the moment.

you must be a noob

Why? Because you enjoy bad snaps? :shake:

stating the obvious

He played center at LSU.

Okay, fair enough, but aren't we all concerned about Rudy's ability to play center? It is one of the many question marks this young team has. It may be an obvious question, but I don't think it's bad one. Part of my point was that the Riverfalls site didn't give any info on that topic. And that's besides the fact that they botched the O-line listing.

Clayathan gave a good response to my question, so I don't think my question qualifies as a "noob" question. We're all here to discuss the Chiefs, why does it matter if it's obvious or not. It's that crap attitude that keeps lurkers lurking.

Good to know.

I actually don't watch a lot of college football outside of Fresno State, but at least he's got experience at center from a good organization. Hopefully, that will translate well into pros for us.

lolroloroolo

“Not worried about nothing but my opponent … Show me my opponent.”

FAX

Anybody else having trouble getting onto this website?

Chiefsplanet????

It's down due to the storm.

:thumb:

Thanks!

http://www.uwrf.edu/chiefs/prev_upda...07-26-08am.htm



Saturday, July 26, 2008: Morning Practice

The Chiefs and 63 fans enjoyed nice weather conditions this morning. A cool five mile per hour wind out of the west accompanied the cloudless sky above the practice fields, helping to make it a beautiful start to the day. The temperature was 73 degrees with a humidity of 65 percent. Word got around quickly that the Chiefs' first-round draft pick Glenn Dorsey had signed with the team last night. General Manager Carl Peterson is expected to hold a press conference on the signing later today.

Defense

Before practice got under way on Ramer Field, cornerback Dimitri Patterson took a few passes from the Juggs machine. He was catching them off routes from the left, the right and straight on.

Veteran safety Bernard Pollard spent some time on the sidelines working on catching and footwork. Both members of the coaching staff and their young children helped Pollard.

As the defense left Ramer Field, linebacker Demorrio Williams complained to Assistant Equipment Manager Allen Wright that his helmet didn’t feel right; he wasn’t getting enough air. Wright helped Williams fix the problem and sent him on his way.

After parting from Ramer Field, each defensive position stayed together as a collective group and ran a formation drill. A coach would mock the snap, and the group would sprint to either the northeast or northwest corners of practice field No. 2. This drill was ran until the coaching staff could tell each defensive man was putting his all into it. “Don’t be the last one back in the damn huddle,” Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs hollered. “We ain’t listening to you, Gibbs. You too short,” an unidentified player said back. The comment sparked laughter from the whole group.

The positions split up correspondingly: the defensive backs headed toward the sleds. After the downpour the fields got yesterday, the players were having a rough time keeping their feet as they slid and slipped all over the muddy ground. Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs told everyone to “play the nickel.” The players did just that, hitting only the first, third and fifth dummies on the sled. Rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers got the brunt of Gibbs’s scrutiny. “Come on Flowers, you ........ Punch the ....... mat. If Flowers don’t do it right, we’ll go down and back again,” he told the players. Knowing the importance of performing well at training camp and being aware of the open cornerback spot, Flowers followed Gibbs’s advice, and the defensive backs didn’t have to go down and back with the sleds again.

Near the defensive backs, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Gunther Cunningham had his men taking on a single tackle dummy. “You aim for the right shoulder,” he yelled. Linebacker Derrick Johnson encouraged his teammates, hollering, “kill him, kill him,” as they plowed through the dummy and threw it on the ground.

The defensive linemen were practicing their footwork as they ran around three stationary dummies Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie had set up. “Bust your (butt) for the ball. If you stop, I’ll personally find and kick yours,” he ranted. When veteran defensive tackle Alfonso Boone slipped on the wet ground, Krumrie yelled, “You gotta snap your head. You’re slow. Get outta the mud, baby!”

The defense worked on its basic 4-3 defense at the 10-yard line on the south end of the field. Cornerback Brandon Flowers was the rookie who lined up with the first string. Rookie safety DaJuan Morgan saw time with both the first and second strings. Rookie defensive tackle Maurice Murray and defensive end Brian Johnston also booked spots practicing with the second string. Promising cornerback Brandon Carr and newly acquired free agent linebacker LeRue Rumph also rotated in during the second string’s practice time.

Ten minutes were put on the scoreboard on Ramer Field, and the team ran 9-on-7. Nine defenders (including two safeties) took on seven offensive players. Following the 9-on-7 drill, the team moved to an 11-on-11 drill. Ten more minutes were issued on the clock. Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone head butted the football back to the coach. When the coach gave him a look, Boone said, “What? That’s my pass.” Another highlight of the 11-on-11 scrimmage was linebacker Donnie Edwards’s near interception of a Brodie Croyle pass. Edwards picked off the pass, but lost the handle as he fell to the ground. Gasps and cheers from the crowd in the stands followed. As the 11-on-11 drill was winding down, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie was getting frustrated with his line. “Win one-on-one blocks. Win them!”

Running back Larry Johnson made a solid run when cornerback Tyron Brackenridge tried to make the tackle. After the play was blown dead by the officials, Brackenridge didn’t seem to lighten up so Johnson made gave him a shove with his forearm. Nothing escalated.

Offense

The Chiefs morning practice picked up right where the previous afternoon’s practice left off before the rainout. The offensive line worked on one-on-one drills in two groups. The quarterbacks warmed up by throwing passes to wide receivers, tight ends, running backs and fullbacks running go routes.

After the team split up into positions, receivers ran 5-yard curls with assistant coaches throwing to them. The running backs and tight ends ran 5-yard curls with the quarterbacks throwing to them.

The tight ends then joined the offensive line on the practice field while the quarterbacks made pitches to running backs with the fullbacks working on blocking.

The quarterbacks then headed over to work with the wide receivers throwing 10 and 15-yard curl routes and 30-yard flag routes.

The running backs went and worked on the agility ropes as Running Backs Coach Curtis Modkins yelled, “Ain’t no shortcuts, the only way to get there is in these ropes!”

The defense joined the offense on Ramer field at 9:45 and did a 9-on-7 drill for 10 minutes. Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham yelled to the players, “Everybody have your chinstrap snapped, or it’s $25,000!”

Running backs Larry Johnson, Kolby Smith, and Jamaal Charles all ran with the first string during the 9-on-7 drill, with Johnson taking the bulk of the carries. Smith, Charles and running back Jackie Battle split carries with the second string.

The team finished the practice with an 11-on-11 drill. Quarterback Brodie Croyle completed 6-8 passes. Tight end Tony Gonzalez dropped the first pass of the drill but came back towards the end of the drill and showed why he is one of the elite tight ends in the league by making a diving catch that brought on a roar from the crowd.

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe only caught one pass in the drill but broke two tackles to get into space, making a couple of great moves.

Special Teams

The special teams kickoff unit took 20 minutes after the team stretch on Ramer Field to practice coverage. Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth simulated kicks from the 45-yard line. The players worked on plugging the lanes and pinning the ball carrier to a spot. “Find the return man when you drop,” shouted Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer, “Don’t stop show team, get your hands on the ball.” Players who went out with the first squad: cornerback Dimitri Patterson, tight end John Paul Foschi, linebacker Steve Octavien, safety Jon McGraw, E.J. Kuale and running back Jackie Battle were instructed to no let their man make a play. Cornerback Tryon Brackenridge received praise from Priefer. “Good job, 34. He fought his tail off and put his hands inside,” said Priefer to the other players.

Press Conference

Head coach Herm Edwards addressed the media after practice, but did not comment on the recent signing of draft pick defensive tackle, Glenn Dorsey. Edwards observed about the first day of practice with pads on: “As usual you play high the first day with pads on. We got to go a lot faster this afternoon. No one’s gonna practice their best on the first day and I understand that.”

Edwards also talked about rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers coming into the league with the potential to make an impact. “Flowers is gonna get a lot of chances to make plays because the ball is going to come his way a lot. You better be mentally tough when you go outside the numbers because it’s a tough position to play, and he’s a mentally tough kid.”

Extra, Extra...

Chairman of the Board Clark Hunt and Executive Vice President Denny Thum were both on the field once again for morning practice. They seemed to be a little more impressed with today’s weather. They talked throughout practice while looking over several sheets of paper and glanced up to watch the players practice every so often. Once the team all got together on Ramer Field, General Manager Carl Peterson was headed out to join Hunt, Thum, and the rest of Chiefs’ personnel on the field.

Rookie wide receiver Kevin Robinson spent a good chunk of his morning on the stationary bikes under the training tent nursing his knee. Yesterday, Head Coach Herm Edwards said Robinson had surgery on his knee to “clean it out.” Edwards said he expects Robinson will be ready to go for the first preseason game at Chicago.

Sports Field Manager Andre Bruce and another Chiefs’ staff member noticed the shape of the field and discussed what could be done to make the north-northwest corners of the field better. Talk of how players would fare on the sleds—near the most damaged parts of the field—was the main priority as the two made arrangements.

As members of both the offense and the defense headed back into Ramer Field at 9:33 a.m., Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie’s voice could be heard following his defensive linemen: “You need to be sure you hit the man. Attitude. Attitude. We’re too damn nice!” As practice continued inside the Ramer Field stadium, sweat could be seen rolling off the forehead of defensive end Tamba Hali.

Practice ended at 10:25 a.m., 25 minutes later than originally scheduled. This is a rare occurrence for a clockwork team.

The In-Zone

Life is unpredictable. He knows. It has been over eight years since he lost his best friend, twin brother and teammate Devaughn on Feb. 26, 2001. Devaughn had been preparing for the upcoming football season at Florida State University—where he and his twin brother played on scholarship their freshmen year-—when he passed after a workout session due to complications from the sickle cell trait. With the death of his brother, wide receiver Devard Darling was threatened with the demise—he has the hereditary trait, too—of his dream of someday playing football in the NFL. The dream he shared with Devaughn.

Darling was pulled from clearance to play for the Seminoles. After multiple Division I schools turned him down, Darling would go through dozens of medical tests and doctors’ examinations before Washington State would clear him to play. Overcoming the odds and asserting his faith, he would become one of Cougars’ best wide receivers. In just two years, he recorded 16 touchdowns and over 1,500 yards.

In 2004, the Baltimore Ravens drafted Darling in the third round. Although he has yet to distinguish himself, he joins the Chiefs this year as a free agent with promising talent. He will compete for playing time alongside wide reciever Dwayne Bowe, and is also expected to contribute on special teams.

Today he continues to pursue his and Devaughn’s dreams while he helps underprivileged youth pursue theirs. In 2006 Darling founded the As One Foundation to provide underprivileged youth with educational and developmental opportunities through athletic endeavors, educational programming and spiritual enrichment. His goal is to bring the love of football to his birth place and home country, the Bahamas.

His life has been forever changed but his vision to make a difference in underprivileged youths’ lives through his passion for football will change the lives of others for the good.

Darling and his wife Cicely reside with their son Devard Jr. in Houston, Texas.

Darling's practice today:
Darling worked with the first string today, taking passes from quarterback Brodie Croyle. He looked energetic and poised on the field. Croyle threw Darling a low 15-yard pass to the right sideline during a warm-up drill between QBs and wide receivers. “Ah. That was my bad," said Croyle to Darling. Later on, Darling would complete a catch on another low pass from Croyle to score a touchdown. “Good job,” a coach told Darling.

Running routes with the wide receivers during position work, Darling was the first in line on the right side each time. His cuts were sharp and quick. Coaches noticed his effort and Darling received pats on the back. Some of the routes he ran were curls to the sideline for an outlet pass, up the middle with a change in direction to the sideline for a cross-field pass and straight up the sideline for 20- to 30-yard passes.

When the team came together for a 11-on-11 drill, Darling worked primarily on the right side and switched with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe to work on the left side for a couple of takes. He came out with the first string every time. The team worked primarily on the run game so Darling didn’t receive too many passes.

After practice concluded Darling stayed on the practice fields to work on his technique and take passes from a Juggs machine for 10 minutes. The five-yard passes were fed to Darling at different angles and heights.

After Practice Comments:
Q: How was your practice this morning?
A: “It went well. It felt good to put the pads on and get out on the field and catch the ball.”

Q: “What is going to get you through camp?”
A: “Consistency. Coming out and being consistent every day. For me it’s catching the ball and running the right routes. That’s the way you last in this league.”


Fans

Chris and Dan Hollis of Elk Falls, Kan., and Ron Davis of Wichita, Kan., drove 10 hours through the night to be at morning practice. They’re staying for a week. The group said they’re most excited to see all the new players. “We’re very, very pleased with the draft,” said Dan.

Todd Moore of Parkersburg, Iowa, and Jeff Lawhon of Blue Springs, Mo., are enjoying their eighth training camp. They’re looking forward to seeing a better rebuilt team and all the friends they’ve made over the years. They enjoy going to Coach’s Sports Bar & Grill downtown.

John Leach of Olathe, Kan., has driven to camp for weekend practices for the past six years. He’s excited to see how the draft choices are going to help the team. His favorite player is Tony Gonzalez because he’s been with the team all the way. “You always see different coaches come and go,” said Leach.

Scott Bryant, a native of Kansas City currently living in Woodbury, Minn., is a Chiefs season-ticket holder. This is his sixth training camp. He’s excited to see what Dwayne Bowe does because he said Bowe looks like he’s going to have a good season.

The Hackel family came down to camp from Rice Lake, Wis., to enjoy the beautiful weather and watch great football. Rick and Callie—along with their three children Bradley, Tyler and Izzy—are waiting to see first-round draft pick, Glenn Dorsey. The Hackels have been coming to the Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training Camp since 1998.

Pete Richie and son Nick from the small town of Smithville, Mo., traveled to River Falls. Pete has been attending camp since the first camp in 1991. The Richie’s favorite player is Will Franklin. They said their favorite hangout in town is Bo’s ‘N Mine. They will be watching camp for a couple of days before heading back south.

Second-year visitor of the Chiefs summer training camp Kevin Droll and first-year visitor Nichole Droll enjoyed a nice summer day in the Ramer Field bleachers. The Droll family plans on staying the day to watch both the morning and afternoon practices. Kevin mentioned he’s here to see the big names like Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe. The last time he was here Dante Hall was the starting kick returner.

Twins Cities native Huy Tran was also at training camp this morning. Tran has seen the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium and said it was “crazy” to see the Packer fans when the Packers are down in Kansas City. He also said he was at the game against Jacksonville in 2006 when running back Larry Johnson broke the record for all-time rushing attempts (416) in a season.

Saturday, July 26, 2008: Afternoon Practice
Editor's Note: Chiefs fans who may be trying to access the training camp photo gallery may have difficulty doing so due to the power outage caused by the storm yesterday. We are working to fix any inconveniences. We appreciate your patience as we try to solve this problem.

It was a beautiful evening practice. The sky was mostly clear with an 11 mile per hour breeze that was coming out of the northwest. The humidity was 35 percent with a temperature of 83 degrees. This weather was reflected in the moods of fans who were cheerful and energetic during practice. There were 236 fans in attendance. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was also in attendance for his first practice with the team.

Offense/Defense
Before practice officially began, veteran cornerback Patrick Surtain was under the training tent spending time on the stationary bike. Surtain later put his pads on and joined his team, contributing immensely to drills.
The big news this afternoon was the arrival of first-round draft pick, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. At the start of practice, following stretches, Dorsey stood on the sidelines having casual conversation with Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie. While the two spoke, a trainer taped Dorsey’s right calf below a knee brace that was already in place.
While special teams worked, Dorsey chatted with tackle Alfonso Boone, end Tamba Hali and tackle Tank Tyler.

Later, tackle Ron Edwards joined the group. “Wherever you go, man, there’re journalists,” Boone said to Dorsey as he walked across the field, followed by a crowd of reporters. Eventually, a talk of college competition sprouted among the men, and Dorsey commented: “I’m a champion.” After his quip, the others just chuckled as they delivered some innocent shoves to the No. 5 overall draft pick.

The defensive line worked on the sleds as they always do at the start of practice. With the arrival of Dorsey, however, 12 videographers and print photographers swarmed the sleds today. Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie shouted at rookie defensive end Johnny Dingle, “Dingle! Hit the damn boards!” After hitting the drills for several reps, the defensive linemen moved to the agility ropes. On his second set, defensive tackle Ron Edwards lost his footing, tripped and fell on the last square, taking the set of ropes with him. After laughing a bit and helping their teammate up, the men moved to the single sled to work on busting the blocker. Repeatedly Krumrie shouted, “Tattoo his (butt) and throw him!”

Both the linebackers and defensive linemen worked with dummies. They were maneuvering between sets of three and five dummies to perfect their footwork and get around blockers. Both Krumrie and Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Gunther Cunningham could be heard yelling, “Keep your head up!”

Working with the offensive line, the defensive line practiced getting by the block to rush the mock quarterback. Defensive end Turk McBride juked out offensive tackle Damion McIntosh. His teammates ooh’d and ahh’d for the impressive show. To settle the team down, Krumrie wanted a stronger finish from McBride and a better performance from McIntosh: “It’s not OK to get dropped. And ‘Close enough’ is not OK. Get there!”

During standard drills as well as 11-on-11 and 7-on-7, Dorsey practiced with the first string repeatedly. Also seeing time with the first string were rookies Brandon Flowers, cornerback; Brandon Carr, cornerback; and DaJuan Morgan, safety. Seeing second string time were defensive end Brian Johnston, safety Morgan, and cornerback Maurice Leggett. Also during the 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills, Dorsey split two blockers (Branden Albert and Will Svitek) and pressured the quarterback, drawing praise from Krumrie. Linebacker Donnie Edwards made a great play, stripping the ball from an offensive played and recovering the fumble.

Also, as a result of pressure on quarterback Brodie Croyle, rookie cornerback Brandon Carr almost picked off a pass of several yards. Coaches on the sidelines shouted, “Good coverage! Good coverage!”

Special Teams
The special teams unit worked on punt coverage immediately following warm-ups. Linebackers Thomas Pat, Derrick Johnson and Demorrio Williams along withsafety Jon McGraw came out with the first rush unit. Going half speed they worked up field for 15 yards from the 25-yard line on filling lanes.

The lanes were marked with short blue cones. Kicker Nick Novak was asked to simulate punts while the drill went on. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer gave fullback Oliver Hoyte some guidance during the drill. “Oliver just stay a little lower. That was good,” he said. Defensive end Brian Johnston also received some Priefer-special advice. “Pull him close to you and he can’t get away,” exclaimed Priefer. During the drill Priefer was animated and told the players: “We’re in shoulder pads and helmets, stun his (butt).”

The unit also worked on its trail technique. The purpose of the one-on-one drill is to disrupt the route of the punt returner. Defenders in essence shadowed their returner’s every move. The drill was ran from the 25-yard lines for runs of 10 yards. “We will do this a lot men, you just have to understand the concept,” shared Priefer.

Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth got plenty of reps in at practice. They worked on their accuracy and technique while making attempts at field goals. Punter Justin Colquitt took on another role as the team’s holder while taking snaps from long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche. While positions were working on individual drills and skills, Novak and Barth warmed up attempting field goals from the 28, 33 and 37-yard lines. Novak made all of his with ease. Connor made all but one attempt. He missed his first kick—which was from the 28-yard line—from the left hash; it went wide to the right of the right field goal post.

Post the warm-up kicks, the defense and the offense gathered on the first field to replicate field goal attempts. After kickers Novak and Barth both missed their first attempts from the 28-yard line at the left hash, Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer told them they were starting the drill over. Novak and Barth kicked two from the 28 and 37-yard lines and one each from the 30, 32 and 33-yard lines. Novak hit all of his kicks. Barth missed one kick from the 32-yard line on the left hash. It went low and right of the up rights.

Kickers Connor Barth and Nick Novak, along with Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer, headed to the third field to take more kicks at a narrowed field goal post. They kicked from the 22, 27 and 32-yard lines from the left hash for a warm-up. They then took attempts while Priefer timed how long it took the football to go through the posts from the time it was kicked. Priefer’s son logged the times in a binder as Priefer told them to him. Both Barth and Novak had a couple of misses. Barth took what he thought was his last attempt from the 22-yard line until Priefer told him to take another one. Barth looked back at Priefer as if he wasn’t sure if he was serious.

Extra, Extra...
Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, first-round pick from Louisiana State University, walked out of the Hunt Arena with defensive end Johnny Dingle. He seemed relaxed and was seen laughing with the staff. Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie met Dorsey on the edge of the field and walked him to the rest of the guys waiting on the practice field. Dorsey didn’t waste any time chit-chatting before practice began. Executive Vice President Denny Thum said of Dorsey’s signing, “We had two picks in the first-round. A person of his ability is amazing. It’s a good thing to get him started and have him with the team right away. He’s not going to a miss a thing.”

Chairman of the Board Clark Hunt, General Manage Carl Peterson and Thum all turned up at this afternoon’s practice. Hunt spent time observing the offense and defense.

Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey faced media after practice. He said the first day of camp went well; it was fun. He says he knows he’s got a long way to go. When asked if he preferred training camp to working out alone, he said “training camp is many times better than doing it alone. Working with your teammates is always better.” Dorsey also addressed working with guard Brian Waters, and said Waters is good, and if he had to choose whom he wanted to go up against, it would be Waters. Dorsey is aware that working against an athlete as elite Waters is very beneficial to his career. “(River Falls) is a great atmosphere, and the weather is great,” Dorsey said. When asked about whether wide receiver Dwayne Bowe would get the opportunity to stick Dorsey to the poles on the field or not, Dorsey laughed and said, “He won’t get me. I’ll run. Sure, he’ll catch me, but I’ll fight…”

Cornerback Maurice Leggett was was spotted limping off the field into Hunt Arena shortly before practice endedwith a personal trainer at his side. It looked like he was having a little trouble putting pressure on his right ankle. It didn’t appear to be a serious injury.

Fans
Adam Endel and son Austin made the journey over to River Falls for the Chiefs training camp. The Endels traveled from Nevada. Adam grew up in Missouri and has been a Chiefs fan his whole life. They came to watch their second Chiefs summer training camp practice in the last five years. Between the morning and afternoon practices, the duo made a trip to the Mall of America. They will be watching practices for a few more days while visiting Adam’s brother in Rochester, Minn. They are very interested to see how the young team will do this year.

Residence of River Falls Bill Hischke was in attendance for the evening practice. Hischke has been coming to the Chiefs practices since 1995. He admits that he likes to come and have fun. He was wearing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey and was yelling that he couldn’t find former Chiefs Defensive End Jared Allen out on the field.

The mother-daughter team of Ruth and Carissa Bach from Eau Claire, Wis., was out in the sun having fun today at Chiefs camp. Their dog Cheyenne accompanied them to the practice fields. It is the second year in a row that the three of them have made the hour journey west to River Falls. They said they like to come and watch the players run around all over the place.

Dan Dufrene and son Jacob of River Falls said the weather was too nice to stay inside so they made the short trip over to the practice fields. They have been to every camp for the last four years. Dan had to teach Jacob that the players wearing the red and the white practice jerseys were all on the same team. Dan said his son has a little more to learn about football.

Steve, Cole and Carrie Haefner of Ankeny, Iowa participated in their fifth training camp. They were psyched to see Tony Gonzalez, Glenn Dorsey and the offensive line.

Les and Chris Mason drove from Central Kansas to enjoy their first training camp experience for the weekend. They were looking forward to seeing Gunther Cunningham and hear him yell at the defense. “This is a very nice practice facility,” they said while commenting on the city.
A group of guys, Bob Gallery, Crystal, Minn.; Larry Marquardt, Plymouth, Minn.;

Dennis Averbeck, Minnetonka, Minn.; Joshua Steele, Hudson, Wis.; came out for their first Chiefs training camp. They had a good time, but wouldn’t have minded seeing a little more hitting.

Owen and Judy Gahagan of Parkville, Mo., participated in their 15th training camp. They’re here through Tuesday and are proud to be season ticket holders. They’re excited to see the first-round picks and follow the draft choices. They were very thrilled about Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey signing with the team.

Pat and David Solfest, of Eau Claire Wis., were two of many fans happy to see that Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey has joined the team. “For a school this size and community this size, it’s great,” Pat said enthusiastically about the Ramer Field Sports Complex facility.
After an eventful day at the punt, pass, and kick competition father John and son Ryan Cotter sat at the top of the bleachers to witnesses this evening’s live contact practice. The Cotters caught both practices today and will be departing tomorrow morning, wrapping up there fourth season at camp. As practice went on the Cotters watched the progressive kick competition between Barth Connor and Nick Novak. Connor and Novak split the uprights as young fans tried to catch the sailing field goals on the back pathway.

UWRF alumnus Barry Eggerts caught this evening’s practice, which is just across the street from his apartment behind Dick’s Market. Barry, a long-time Green Bay Packer fan, has never made it out to St. Norbert’s College in Green Bay for the Packers’ camp, but does enjoy the up close contact that can be viewed from the south fence here in RF.

The Chiefs fan line is strong in the Mersman-Ostrowski family as grandfather Bob, grandmother Jan, father Kevin, Mother Amanda, and little ones Andrew and Allie. Andrew was able to get six autographs this morning on a pennant and four on a mini-helmet. One of the autographs included Andrew’s favorite player, Larry Johnson.

Leaning on the south gate, family season ticket holder of 29 years Ken Betterton rode his Harley to River Falls to witness the practice this afternoon. Betterton has confidences in his team, commenting on how he thought it was Brodie Croyle’s breakout season and that he was due. He also mentioned how it was a young offensive line, but that Branden Albert should help out.

I have a low opinion of WPI like most do, but you are correct, these TC reports from WPI are much more insightful than the crap that the UWRF site provides.

can someone explain to me why I give a crap about the fans there?

I can't wait until formerdb gets up there.

yup, unlike goatse, he knows football....is coalition site up still?

Exactly what I was thinking.

I know there are a lot of posters that will be making the trek up there, so I also look forward to their insights as well.

Yes it is.

http://www.chiefscoalition.com/Forum...?act=SF&s=&f=2

I sure do enjoy reading Dorsey's comments. He has a very positive attitude and he sure sounds like a fun guy to be around with.

thanks

Sunday, July 27, 2008: Afternoon Practice

Editor's Note: Chiefs fans who may be trying to access the training camp photo gallery may have difficulty doing so due to the power outage caused by the storm yesterday. We are working to fix any inconveniences. We appreciate your patience as we try to solve this problem.

Offense

After special teams concluded its drills, quarterbacks warmed up by throwing go routes to wide receivers, tight ends and running backs. Full back Oliver Hoyte made a juggling catch from quarterback Brodie Croyle that concluded the warm up, enticing a cheer from the fans in the stands.

After the team split into positions, the running backs worked on the agility ropes and took handoffs from coaches while they worked on finding holes. Running Backs Coach Curtis Modkins shouted to the running backs during the drill: “Find it and hit it, no dancing.” Starting running back Larry Johnson sat out that drill, but participated in the agility ropes.

During an 11-on-11 walk-through with the offense playing both the offense and defense, quarterback Tyler Thigpen worked with the second string, while former starting quarterback Damon Huard worked with the third string. Thigpen completed all four of his passes.

The intensity of practice was low-key until an 11-on-11 drill brought the offense and defense together. On quarterback Brodie Croyle’s second pass attempt, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe nearly made a spectacular one-handed catch that brought on gasps from the crowd. Quarterback Damon Huard started the drill with the second string but after an incomplete pass, quarterback Tyler Thigpen entered and completed a pass to wide receiver Jeff Webb.

After 11-on-11, the offensive and defensive lines went and worked on blocking while the rest of the team did a 7-on-7 drill. Quarterback Brodie Croyle completed all six of his attempts in the drill including and tight end Tony Gonzalez made a sliding catch.



Defense

Special Teams

Extra, Extra...

Players were on the practice fields early today to work on skills and technique. Many were out on the field at 3:13—45 minutes before practice was scheduled to begin—when safety Khayyam Burns started catching short 10-yard passes from a Juggs machine. He practiced catching and going by back pedaling between two short blue cones set 5 yards apart, catching the pass and then curling out to the sideline. Khayyam was joined by safety DaJuan Morgan and cornerbacks Maurice Leggett, Brandon Flowers and Rashad Barksdale a few minutes later.

Offensive tackle Branden Albert received some personal instruction on blocking from Offensive Line Coach Joe D’Alessandris before practice began. D’Alessandris ran Albert through different scenarios while telling him what his job would be in each situation.

An anxious fan dressed in a Louisiana State University jersey and baseball cap approached wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and asked him to autograph a LSU football helmet as Bowe made his way to Ramer Field for the team stretch. Bowe quickly signed the helmet as the man said he didn’t want to get him in trouble. About two minutes later, the same man with his young sons by his side flagged over defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey to sign the same helmet. Dorsey signed it and continued to make his way to Ramer Field. The fan was thrilled and said, "Thank you Glenn."

Tight end Tony Gonzalez worked on coming out of breaks and catching passes with coaches prior to the start of practice.

The practice began on Ramer Field at 3:45. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe laid on the sideline and got stretched out while offensive and defensive players worked on special teams.

Wide receiver Devard Darling talked with the media after practice. When asked if he thought he was going to be the starter, Darling replied: “Just going out there trying to get better every day, nothing’s guaranteed.” Darling also said that the offense is pretty simple, calling it a “just go out there and play offense.”

Any reason for concern?

they should have just told him they don't play for ****ing LSU anymore

These UWRF updates are beyond pathetic.

Huard is with the 3rd string... why dont we cut him and bring Greene back in?

You should stick to cut and paste.

I should have been clear... David Greene

dupe

thats true but relief is on the way. Formerdb arrives on Wednesday.
From formerdb on the coalition site

Trust me, I can't wait to get there!!!!
Putting the final touches on my game plan... always trying to be better than the year before.
I'll be feeding yall the Mother Load of info... bet on it.

Ok, n00b question here. Where will we be able to find this info?

Does the coalition = chiefs coalition?

yes, you will also see people call the Chiefs Coalition board....CC

It's a post from him. Not a 3rd party I hear he's going to be there Wednesday rumor.

Very good. Thanks.

Any chance you could post that stuff here?

I don't know. I'll ask. The first post will be up Wednesday night after the afternoon practice.

Monday, July 28, 2008: Morning Practice
Editor's Note: Chiefs fans who may be trying to access the training camp photo gallery may have difficulty doing so due to the power outage caused by the storm yesterday. We are working to fix any inconveniences. We appreciate your patience as we try to solve this problem.

Clear blue skies and a temperature of 79 degrees made for a terrific morning practice. The humidity was at 62 percent. Chief players, coaches and the team’s 267 fans in attendance were cooled by a seven mile per hour wind coming from the southeast. This morning was a great start to what is suppose to be a week of beautiful weather in River Falls.

Offense
Morning practice started with a couple of familiar faces without pads on. Tight end Tony Gonzalez and left guard Brian Waters both looked on as the team conducted a full pads practice.

Rookie left tackle Branden Albert worked on the side by himself until Assistant Offensive Line Coach Joe D’Alessandris came over and worked with him on his footwork.

2008 first-round pick defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey joked with 2007 first-round pick Dwayne Bowe while defensive and offensive non-special teams players stretched on the second field.

After special teams concluded its drills quarterbacks and wide receivers worked on quick screen passes. “Give him a good step downfield, make him think you’re going downfield,” Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey instructed.

Wide receivers and quarterbacks worked on many different routes. After a sliding catch by rookie wide receiver Will Franklin on a 20-yard corner route Head Coach Herm Edwards yelled: “Good hustle Will, that’s a way to work Will.” Just a few minutes later wide receiver Bobby Sippio made a leaping grab on the sidelines to which the numerous kids in the stands, in attendance for Kids’ Day, cheered with their approval.

Left guard Tre Stallings stepped in for starting left guard Brian Waters during the 11-on-11 drill. Quarterback Brodie Croyle was 7-11, finding wide receiver Dwayne Bowe four times. Croyle and Bowe got in a groove halfway through the drill when Croyle found Bowe in two out of three plays for a pair of completions for 20 yards a piece.

Quarterback Damon Huard and quarterback Tyler Thigpen continued to trade off reps with the second-string offense. The backup quarterback spot is an open competition. Huard completed 1 of 2 passes, including throwing an interception by defensive back DaJuan Morgan. Thigpen finished 3-5 in the drill, including a dropped pass and a near interception.

Defense
While his fellow defensive backs worked on taking tackles on the single sled, safety Bernard Pollard spent time on the side with a trainer. They worked on stretching both his legs. After the solo tackle sled, the backs ran a drill they hadn’t yet run at camp. A member of the coaching staff set up a dummy over a large, blue mat. Each back would take a turn running full speed at the dummy, and then flopped onto a mat.
While the backs worked near the south end of the practice field, Linebackers Coach Gunther Cunningham and his men did some work on the sleds. After biffing on two hits, Cunningham instructed rookie linebacker LeRue Rumph to go again. With encouragement from his teammates, Rumph completed the drill correctly, and Cunningham said, “I knew you could do it!” After the stationary sleds, the linebackers moved to the hanging dummy. Cunningham told his men to “keep your eye on the quarterback. I want you to kill the overpaid son of a (gun) with the ball in his hand.”

For the first time since camp began Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie had his linemen work on a drill that simulated forcing and recovering a fumble. The players would run by two dummies and tackle the last one, symbolizing the quarterback. Krumrie threw the ball on the ground near the tackled dummy, and the men would jump on the ball. After the fumble drill, Krumrie put some arm pads on and worked with each lineman on hand and footwork. While rookie defensive tackle Derek Lokey was up, his veteran teammates yelled things like, “There ya go, rookie. Make him tired,” and “Break his hands, baby!”

When the defense began running through their nickel plays, rookie Glenn Dorsey continued to hold down his spot as tackle with the first string. Also seeing first-string time were rookie cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers. Flowers and Carr would also stay put when the second-string took some snaps. Defensive end Brian Johnston and cornerback Maurice Leggett also saw some time with the second-string. As the first-string rotated out and the second-string rotated in, linebacker Donnie Edwards hollered to the sidelines for one of the coach’s sons. He needed the boy to run into the locker room, reach into his second helmet, and bring him out his other mouth guard.

As the offense and defense came together to run some 9-on-9 and 11-on-11 drills, Head Coach Herm Edwards made a comment about the lack of enthusiasm on the field. “Get a pot of coffee out here for these guys,” he joked. During the 9-on-9 drills, rookie linebacker LeRue Rumph took a few second-string snaps in veteran Demorrio Williams’s spot.
It was during the 11-on-11 scrimmage that defense really shined. Quarterback Brodie Croyle threw a pass that was nicely broken up by rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers. On the next play, Head Coach Herm Edwards complimented both the back and receiver saying, “Nice cover 24. Way to catch the ball 82.” Much to the delight of the defensive coaching staff, several players made chargers to the quarterbacks that, in real-game situations, would have been sacks. Safety Jon McGraw blew by the offensive line once, and defensive tackle Alfonso Boone and linebackers Pat Thomas and Demorrio Williams all made attacks at Croyle. Safety Jarrad Page later blew by all offensive players and made his way to Croyle virtually untouched. Other highlights from the drill include: rookie safety DaJuan Morgan’s interception off a Damon Huard pass and rookie linebacker Weston Dacus’s near interception of Tyler Thigpen’s throw. Keeping the defense in line, though, Herm Edwards hollered, “Get your hands off their facemasks. Play some foozeball!”

Special teams
Practice got started at 8:52 with the special teams unit working on the kickoff return game. Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth took turns kicking from the 45-yard line to returners waiting in the end zone. Defenders with blocking pads took off from the 45-yard line to meet offensive blockers without blocking pads around the 28. The returners ran routes aiming for the sideline for 15 to 20 yards. Kick returner B.J. Sams received the first kick of the drill from Novak. Sams would carry the ball four times in total. Wide receiver Jeff Webb bobbled and dropped the first kick he attempted to receive after the football bounced off his chest. “The sun was in his eyes,” commented Head Coach Herm Edwards dryly. Wide receiver Will Franklin and running back Jamaal Charles also had carries.

A kickoff cover drill sparked much energy from players on the field. Players worked on both the left and right sides of the field breaking through the wedge and picking up returners trying to make their ways up the field. Each wedge consisted of three players with blocking pads on the 15-yard line. Two additional blockers on the 45-yard line hassled the wedge busters on their way to the blockers with the pads. Kick returner B.J. Sams and running back Dantrell Savage took turns being the returner. “Accelerate our legs. Dip and rip; get by them,” shouted Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer as he coached during the drill. Tight end Brad Cottam played well throughout the drill and coaches noticed telling him, “Good job Brad.”

Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth worked on kicking field goals most of the practice. They warmed up from the 28, 30, 33, 36 and 37-yard lines from both the right and left hash marks. Novak took 15 kicks to Barth’s 6 kicks. Novak missed one kick from the 33-yard line on the left hash. The kick was wide left. After the warm up, the defense and offense took to the field for a simulated field goal drill. Novak kicked first and made all three of his kicks from the 29, 31 and 33-yard lines. Long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche made a high snap on Novak’s second kick, but punter Dustin Colquitt pulled the ball down and completed a nice hold. He received compliments from his teammates and coaches. Barth also made all of his kicks from the same yard lines; the first two kicks were from the left hash and the last kick from the right hash.

Extra Extra...
Cornerback Patrick Surtain spoke with media after practice about working with rookie cornerback—and roommate—Brandon Flowers. “I’m a professional,” Surtain said, “I want my teammates to be the best they can be.” Surtain said even though Flowers is a rookie, he carries himself like a veteran. “He’s constantly taking tremendous notes. He’s hungry. He wants this.”

During the 11-on-11 drill tight end Tony Gonzalez gave passes to wide receiver Maurice Price on the half of the field not being unused. This occurred a couple different times during the drill when Price was not in it. The passes were short from 5 to 10 yards. Price received the ball as he practiced “running” different routes.

Cornerback Brandon Flowers answered a couple questions after practice. He discussed the competition at his position and said, “We’re running a lot of man. There are a lot of good young corners competing out here.”

Tony Gonzalez Press Conference
At 11:55 a.m. tight end Tony Gonzalez kicked off his first press conference of training camp at the University Center. While talking about his love for the game, Gonzalez said, “This is it. This is my passion. This is what I love to do.” Media then asked him about retirement, Gonzalez said he was 95 percent sure he was coming back next year. Although, he said if they win the Super Bowl that might be different. The media asked Gonzalez if he was going to be 100 percent sure on his decision when he retires to avoid a situation like quarterback Brett Favre is in right now. Gonzalez said, “Everybody’s talked about the whole Favre thing. I’m sure he was 100 percent when he made that decision. Things change. People change. That’s one thing that people get upset about. What I believe and what I think might change, so maybe that’s what’s going on. He loves this game and realizes that he can’t live without it at this point in his life. “

Herm Edwards Press Conference
“I thought early in today’s practice the offense got off the ball early, but then it became really competitive,” said Head Coach Herm Edwards in a post-practice press conference. “I think they are starting to realize how to play better in pads, stay lower and strike people. It was a long practice and it was intended that way. We are going to give them practices off, with one-a-days and that will start for us tomorrow. We are going to have special teams in the morning and we’ll practice again in the afternoon. That’s how it’s scheduled with an 80-man situation. I’ve talked to a lot of coaches around the league and that’s how they are running their camp to survive camp and the pre-season.”

When asked by a KMBZ reporter why defensive end Turk McBride didn’t work today, Edwards explained by saying, “he had a stomach deal, but he’s alright and will be out here this afternoon.” Edwards mentioned that cornerback Patrick Surtain didn’t take many reps and tight end Tony Gonzalez didn’t work at all.

Edwards was asked about running back Larry Johnson’s high effort in camp so far. “He has a lot to prove because there is a lot of pressure on him when you’re in that star status of a football player. Last year we started the season off slow offensively, we didn’t run the ball very well, then we finally got going, and he got hurt. He’s in the mind set of coming back and having a good season for us.”

There is a tight kicker competition between Nick Novak and Connor Barth. When Edwards was asked about it he said, “it’s an everyday deal, when we get into pre-season we will be able to evaluate it there and see how they do. Hopefully we can get close enough to kick some field goals. That was an Achilles' heel last year since we weren’t in good field position.”

Kids' Day
Kids’ Day at the Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training Camp pulled in big numbers once again this morning. Over 130 kids were in attendance for the first of two Kids’ Days.

Upon arrival they were greeted by staff members with a blow-pop, a raffle ticket, and a coupon for a $1.99 kids meal at Bo’s ‘N Mine. Balloons were also distributed. The raffle was held at 9:50 a.m., and the prizes included Burger King coupons, Subway coupons, and Kansas City Chiefs merchandise.

It was a very fun day for the kids, volunteers and workers. There were several activities for the little ones to participate in including: bean bag toss, football toss, face painting, temporary tattoos, word searches, coloring, and a wading pool with ducks. If played correctly, many of the activities were worth additional raffle tickets.

In addition to the raffle, balloons and games, K.C. Wolf made an appearance. He posed for pictures and played with the kids. River Falls Kids Club brought 78 kids to the event. Jordan Howard, a worker with the Kids Club said they try to make it to Kids Day ever year. “It’s really fun to be able to bring all these kids to watch a NFL team practice. This is an opportunity most kids will never get,” he said.

After practice, over 100 of the kids lined the fences of the practice fields getting autographs from five different Chief players.
The next Kids Day is Aug. 7 at the morning practice (9-10:15 a.m.) Call 715-425-3771 to register.

Carr and Flowers = Paige and Pollard

Monday, July 28, 2008: Afternoon Practice
Editor's Note: Chiefs fans who may be trying to access the training camp photo gallery may have difficulty doing so due to the power outage caused by the storm yesterday. We are working to fix any inconveniences. We appreciate your patience as we try to solve this problem.
The weather made for a warm practice this evening. Partly cloudy skies were accompanied by a temperature of 86 degrees. A nine mile per hour wind out of the southeast provided a slight cool breeze. The humidity was at 53 percent. Seventy-three fans were in attendance.

Offense
The wide receivers and defensive backs worked on a one-on-one drill. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe made a nice sliding catch after having his previous would-be catch broken up by rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers. Wide receiver Jabari Arthur beat Flowers on a route, but gained only 3 yards on the play, causing Head Coach Herm Edwards to praise Flowers by saying, “Hey if they catch 3-yard passes we’re doing good.”

During an offense only “hurry-up” drill all quarterbacks completed all of their passes. Quarterback Damon Huard worked with the second-string, and quarterback Tyler Thigpen worked with the third-string during that drill.When the defense cam together during an11-on-11 drill, Thigpen worked with the second-string to start the drill, but Huard and Thigpen would switch off working with the second and third-strings the rest of the drill, and during the 7-on-7 drill immediately after the 11-on-11.
After wide receiver Dwayne Bowe hauled in a short pass from quarterback Brodie Croyle Head Coach Herm Edwards praised Bowe by saying: “That’s a way to play big Bowe,” and then joked with him, “Boy I wish I was covering you, wanna get that blanket out?”

The practice ended with the offense beginning at its own 40-yard line, down by three with 0:52 on the clock, having three timeouts and needing to get to the opponents’ 20-yard line for a field goal attempt.
Quarterback Brodie Croyle completed passes to running back Larry Johnson and tight end Tony Gonzalez to march the offense down to the 32-yard line before getting sacked leaving the offense with a second and 17 situation from the opposing 39-yard line. But Croyle came back and completed passes to Gonzalez and wide receiver Devard Darling to get down to the 22-yard line. After a sack and an incomplete pass as a last ditch effort to score, the defense held the offense scoreless.

Defense
While their teammates stretched before practice this afternoon, offensive tackle Branden Albert and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe showed off their dance moves, breaking-it- down on the sidelines near the training tent. Defensive end Tamba Hali and linebacker Derrick Johnson showed up to practice not wearing their pads. Hali did run some drills with the defensive line, but Johnson spent the majority of his time on the sidelines.

The linebackers worked on drills to improve their handwork while rushing the quarterback. The hanging dummy simulated the offensive blocker. Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham wasn’t overly pleased with the men’s performance. “I wish I was 20 years younger. Ooooh. I’d be kicking some (butt).” When trying to explain to his players how to hit the blocker with their right and left arms, and follow through using their right arm as a “club,” Cunningham said, “Pull out his gut and stick it to his ear.”
When the offense and defense came together for a 7-on-7 scrimmage, Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs repeatedly hollered, “Put your face on” to his men when they struggled to make big plays. When linebacker LeRue Rumph botched a play, allowing a receiver to pick up several yards, Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham was not pleased. “We just worked on that drill. What the (heck) is the matter with you?!”
Throughout the entire afternoon, the team seemed extra enthusiastic. A scuffle broke out between a couple players near the end of practice. Not only were the players enthusiastic, but Head Coach Herm Edwards also seemed cheery as he chatted with his players. “Bowe, I wish I was covering you,” Edwardssaid to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. “No you don’t,” Bowe replied. After the scuffle that took place earlier, both sides of the ball were a little more on edge. When rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers did excellent covering his man, safety Bernard Pollard was elated. “You don’t give him a (explicit deleted) catch!” he chanted several times.

The team moved to an 11-on-11 drill with situations given to the players to work through. During the situation drills, several players made what would have been sacks in real-game situations on the quarterbacks. Defensive tackle Alfonso Boone had several of these “sacks.” Both first- string and second-string practiced the situation and in both cases, the defense won. Meaning the offense was unable to score.

Special teams
The special teams punt coverage unit started the practice with drills on the middle practice field. The first drill lined up the unit on the 10-yard line. The drill lasted for 13 minutes. Defenders worked to bust through the line to meet either kick return specialist B.J. Sams or cornerback Maurice Leggett on the return. Punter Dustin Colquitt rotated between punting the ball up the field and imitating a punt by taking two steps and dropping the ball on the ground. “Cover. Cover. Cover. Squeeze the ball,” instructed Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer during the drill.

A big blue mat was dragged onto the field and players lined up to practice blocking the punt. Players ran at a 45 degree angle to the mat, leaped and batted down a football tossed by an assistant coach in the direction of the mat. At the same time players in another line worked on blocking punts by running at a 45 degree angle and blocking the punt without diving to the ground. After each player had a few turns in each line, the mat and lines were turned so that the drill could be run in the opposite direction.

Extra Extra...
Players were warming up before practice started at 3:28. Players did multiple lines drills—from butt kicks to karaoke—going down 20 yards and back under the leadership of Strength and Conditioning Coach Cedric Smith. After completing the line drills players stretched before practice officially started to the sound of an air horn at 3:38.

Linebacker Napoleon Harris lost his helmet during an 11-on-11 drill. Linebacker E.J. Kuale worked with a trainer in between playing time today. His right leg was giving him trouble, most likely due to the hot weather, so the trainer helped him to stretch it out. Kuale tried to join the drill again but came of the field limping. He ran in place for a while before having it stretched out again for a couple minutes.

Center Rudy Niswanger spoke with media after practice. He commented on only getting playing time with quarterback Brodie Croyle. When asked how it felt to have running back Larry Johnson back after an injury last season, Niswanger said, “It’s great to have Larry back. When it’s a player at his caliber, it can only help you to have him back.”

After practice kick returner B.J. Sams practiced catching punts from a Juggs machine. He practiced with a rotation of four footballs for about ten minutes. On the final set, he caught the first punt and held it in one hand and then caught a second punt with his free hand. He did this with all four balls. Sams caught the final and fourth punt holding three other balls.

Fans
Vince, Kylie and Ashley Tolbert of New Hope, Minn., came up for today’s morning and afternoon practices. They were here for their first training camp experience. They were all dressed in Larry Johnson—their favorite player—jerseys. They were also looking forward to seeing all the new players.

Ryan Luessenheidi a UW-River Falls student from Minneapolis was just passing through and stopped to watch the Chiefs practice. He said he really enjoys watching football.

Former training camp courier Steve Baisden was at today’s practice. He took time to give his thoughts on life saying, “Life happens 10 yards at a time.” He was also impressed with the changes that have been made in River Falls. He thought the continuing updates to Hunt Arena have showed progressive change.

Observing today’s afternoon practice was former training camp courier, Kyle Cooper. He made the journey from Shoreview, Minn., to catch this morning’s practice as well. Cooper said he was interested in seeing the young team rebuild. “It’s strange to see numbers like 69 and 24 replaced by different players,” commented Cooper. Cooper was referring to last year’s stars defensive end Jared Allen and cornerback Ty Law, who are no longer with the team. Last year Cooper got to pick up wide receiver Dwayne Bowe from the airport at midnight once he signed with the team. “It was a highlight to see all the media attention around Bowe, especially with the Hard Knocks awaiting his arrival in the dorms.”

Two fans who enjoyed Kids’ Day this morning came back for the afternoon session of practice. Orville and Arsenio Black came to watch running back Larry Johnson who is their favorite player. It was Orville’s second year, and Arsenio’s first time at camp. Both are from the River Falls area and are planning on being here at the next Kids’ Day event.

A small group of bikers lined the outside of the practice field to witness the excitement of today’s practice. One of the bikers was Tyler Ames, a four-year resident of River Falls. He commented about how he likes to bike around everyday and catch the action in River Falls. He tries to drag his wife along, but she doesn’t like to watch football.

Biker Steve Kaminski is a long time Chicago White Sox, Bears and Blackhawks fan. He came out to enjoy some football and watch the Chiefs practice. Kaminski use to live in Chicago, but has lived in River Falls for the last 38 years. A few years ago Kaminski had a good time taking his friends from the area to Chicago to ride the “L” and see the two outdoor baseball parks, Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field. Kaminski is a big sports fan and was interested in finding out that the Chiefs will be at Soldier Field on August 7.
Pete Morris and Guy Schmitz made their way up to River Falls all the way from Independence, Mo. This was Morris’s third training camp. Morris worked for the Kansas City Chiefs ground crew in 1974. He said that River Falls has some very nice football facilities. Morris said, “Back in the day they would practice in the parking lot. We never had anything like this.” Schmitz has only missed three camps since 1991.“It’s cheaper to come up here for a week and have fun than it is to go to a single game down there. Plus the weather is much more enjoyable,” he said. Both Morris and Schmitz are interested in seeing how the young players will turn out. Schmitz is predicting that wide receiver Will Franklin will have a successful year as the Chiefs second wide receiver.

Eric and Jill Sullins of Independence, Mo attended practice. Eric is a history teacher and football coach in Kansas City. They really love the River Falls area and said they would move up here if they didn’t have so much family in Missouri. They are excited about the rookies that the Chiefs have brought in. They are expecting a daughter in September. Her name will be Madison.

Brett Blaire and his son Chase of Hudson, Wis.were checking out the Chiefs today. They said it is really cool that they only have to drive ten minutes to watch a NFL team practice. They made their trip over to River Falls because Chase really wanted to see the “big players.”

I'd rather have Carr and Flowers = Lewis and Ross

2 sacks in :52. I wish they would go a little more indepth. Good rush, bad blocking, good coverage, holding the ball too long?

Formerdb starts his articles tommorrow.:clap:

Decent

So, does anyone have any word on Steve Octavien? I saw like one pic of him in another thread, but I'm curious as to how he's doing. He's one of those guys that could be quite a steal, as he was great before his injury and the subsequent implosion of the Husker defense...

Nice work ... Keep us informed ...

Tuesday, July 28, 2008: Morning Practice
Editor's Note: Chiefs fans who may be trying to access the training camp photo gallery may have difficulty doing so due to the power outage caused by the storm yesterday. We are working to fix any inconveniences. We appreciate your patience as we try to solve this problem.
It was a muggy and sticky practice for the Chiefs this morning. The skies were partly cloudy and the humidity was at 69 percent. This made the 86 degree temperature feel like 95 degrees. The only relief form the mugginess was an 11 mile per hour wind coming out of the southwest. Seventy-eight fans were in attendance for the practice.
Special Teams
Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth were out on Ramer Field early to warm up for the special teams practice. The stadium was quiet and fans waited patiently in the stands for the other players to make their ways to the field. Blocking pads, footballs and Aqualift portable drinking systems were all lined up on the sideline. At 9:49 Novak started kicking field goals from the 27-yard line and Barth stretched out his legs. On the other practice fields the grounds crew touched up the yard lines with white paint.
At 10:19 cornerback Will Poole and safety Khayyam Burns worked with a Juggs machine, receiving 5-yard passes. Two short blue cones were set 5-yards apart and were used for the players to back pedal between before going out to the left or right for an outlet pass.
Players began to trickle onto the field in bigger groups at 10:25. At 10:27, two blows from an air horn signaled that it was time for the team to begin running through line drills and stretching. The line drills were run under the instruction of Strength and Conditioning Coach Cedric Smith on the north end of Ramer Field. The players went down and back 20 yards from the end zone. On the opposite end of the field kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth, punter Dustin Colquitt and long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche stretched and warmed up on their own.
Linebackers Steve Octavien and Aden Durde jogged onto the field at 10:31. They were followed by a group of seven other players just seconds later. One blow for an air horn at 10:37 started practice.
The unit first worked on a kickoff-return drill for eight minutes. The drill was run at half speed and the kickoff team was distinguished from the other players by wearing yellow skull caps. Kicker Nick Novak took the first kick of the drill which was received by kick return specialist B.J. Sams. Sams would carrier the ball three times. Running back Jamaal Charles would also return the ball three times and wide receiver Will Franklin would two times. The coverage team worked against the wedge. Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer called out the direction the wedge was to go: left, right or middle. The wedge team consisted of tight end Brad Cottam, defensive tackle Tank Tyler and center Wade Smith.
A punt return drill started with a tight punt formation situation at the south end zone. Returners waited at the 50-yard line for the punt. Kick returner B.J. Sams and cornerbacks Maurice Leggett and Rashad Barksdale took turns catching the punt. They did not return the ball up the field. The drill moved down the field in 5-yard increments every few punts.
At 10:55 there was a water break before the team worked on blocking assignments for the punt return. After that, players focused on getting down their lane assignments—which were marked with blue cones— while punter Dustin Colquitt imitated taking punts.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008: Afternoon Practice
It was a scorcher of an afternoon at Chiefs practice today. The bright sunny sky and the 88 degree temperature seemed to make the 97 fans in attendance migrate to shaded areas. Other than the shaded areas, the 14 mile per hour wind coming out of the southwest was the only refreshingly cool thing out there for fans, players and staff. The humidity was at 30 percent.

Defense
As coaches and players filed into Ramer Field, Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham told fans they better put on the sun block because it was going to be a warm one this afternoon.
Defensive ends Brian Johnston and Tamba Hali weren’t in pads during practice this afternoon, but they did participate in a few of the warm-up drills. Later, Head Coach Herm Edwards said Hali, who had stitches in a cut on his face, was held out to make sure nothing happened to make it worse.

Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham seemed a little more critical and enthusiastic with his linebackers this afternoon. He was being especially vocal with them. He was ordering his players not perform leisurely. “Do it correctly! Climb up the line of scrimmage. You look for someone to hit! Sometimes you hit ‘em just for fun! That’s what linebackers do,” he hollered. Later, Cunningham was getting in linebacker Demorrio Williams’ face when he struggled to run a drill correctly. “You think you’re the only player to this? You wanna play in the NFL? Because right now it doesn’t look like it!” The emotions Cunningham brought to the field fired up his linebackers. After Cunningham’s outburst, the men huddled together while Cunningham marched across the field. Explicit words were tossed around as the players agreed to do whatever Cunningham told them. “We won’t let that (expletive) break us! He can’t break us!” they chanted.

The offense and defense came together and ran several scrimmage drills. During the first reps of 11-on-11, rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey stopped veteran running back Larry Johnson for what would have been a six-yard-loss in a live-game situation. Not long after, the defensive line collectively made another big stop for a loss when rookie running back Jamaal Charles attempted a rush. After yet another impressive defensive showing, Head Coach Herm Edwards complimented rookie safety DaJuan Morgan on a stellar play. “Now that’s the way you put your face in there, 38.”

While some of the team split to run 6-on-7 (there were six members of the offense and seven members of the defense), the offensive and defensive lines moved to the north end of the field to work on some blocking drills. The offensive line was trying to stop the charge of the defensive line from reaching the quarterback. Rookie defensive tackle Maurice Murray blew by offensive tackle Travis Leffew using skills Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie had made them practice earlier today. After struggling with the drill, rookie defensive tackle Derek Lokey got some one-on-one advice from veteran defensive tackle Alfonso Boone. Boone was showing Lokey keys to where to put and move his hands.
On the south end of the field, Head Coach Herm Edwards was unhappy with the defense’s performance during 6-on-7 drills. He yelled several times over and over, “stay inside the tight end!” He was jumping up and down and flailing his arms all around while he shouted.

The team then ran some 11-on-11 drills and Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham told his linebackers on several occasions, “football’s hard, so play hard!” After an impressive run by rookie running back Jamaal Charles, linebacker Demorrio Williams delivered a late hit. This resulted in some relatively subtle shoves. Head Coach Herm Edwards told the men to let it go and eventually they did.

Rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey delivered another impressive stop on running back Larry Johnson. Had the play been a live-game scenario, the offense would have lost some significant yardage on the play.
Safety Jarrad Page almost picked off quarterback Tyler Thigpen’s pass. Page sprinted from the secondary to nearly make the interception.
The first and second-string teams each had time to run through a one-minute drill. The first string defense came out with the win, but it was the second string’s offense that prevailed when they ran the drill. Quarterback Tyler Thigpen delivered a beautiful pass to tight end Brad Cottam for a last-second touchdown.

Offense
After the morning was devoted to special teams, the Chiefs’ offensive unit picked up the intensity in the afternoon session.
Rookie wide receiver Will Franklin is continuing to work in the slot with the first, second and third-string offenses. Franklin made a couple of nice grabs in a 6-on-7 drill with the first-string and an 11-on-11 drill; and caught a pass from quarterback Tyler Thigpen during a two-minute drill.
The running backs split from the wide receivers, quarterbacks and tight ends to work on handoffs, the agility ropes and poles. Running backs coach Curtis Modkins huddled his players around him as the offense was coming back together and told his players: “Be freaking better everyday guys.”

While the running backs worked separately, the quarterbacks threw passes into the end zone from the 10-yard line to wide receivers. Quarterback Brodie Croyle lobbed a pass to the back pylon for wide receiver Devard Darling, who juggled it before gaining possession out of bounds; Darling looked at the media and shrugged saying: “oohh…no touchdown.”

The offense looked to get the better of the defense in the first round of an 11-on-11 walk through. After tight end Tony Gonzalez dropped a pass when he was open, running back Larry Johnson found a big hole and scampered through the defense into the secondary untouched.

The second-string, with quarterback Tyler Thigpen at the helm, fared well against the secondary defense as well. Thigpen completed a pass to Kevin McMahan for 10 yards right after rookie running back Jamaal Charles hit a huge hole bringing “oohs and aahhs” from the fans in attendance.
After the second-string took its turn, Head Coach Herm Edwards praised his team and yelled: “Practicing good right now men, keep the tempo up.”
Quarterback Brodie Croyle was 6-6 in the first-string’s second round in an 11-on-11 drill, including a 12-yard touchdown to wide receiver Devard Darling. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe made an acrobatic catch on a pass that was perfectly, and intentionally, thrown behind Bowe by Croyle.
The first-string failed to score once again in the 2-minute drill. Croyle did complete a 15-yard pass to Bowe to keep the drive alive on fourth and 10, but ran out of time three plays later when the final pass in the end zone was batted down.

The second-string did score a touchdown. Backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen scrambled for 20-yards after completing two of his first three passes. Two plays later, Thigpen completed a pass to rookie tight end Brad Cottam for a touchdown as time expired.
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Cornerbacks Brandon Flowers, Tyron Brackenridge, Rashad Barksdale and safety Jon McGraw were out on a practice field before practice started. At 3:51 they began practicing with a Juggs machine. A blue cone was set out that symbolized a receiver. The object was for the defender to cut in front of the cone and intercept the pass that came from the Juggs machine.

An air horn sounded at 3:56. Players then gathered on Ramer Field to warm up with line drills and stretching. Another air horn blew at 4:07 that meant practice officially started. Players then split up to work on position-specific drills. The offensive players stayed on Ramer while the defensive players moved to the practice fields outside the stadium.
Defensive tackles Derek Lokey and T.J. Jackson were heard talking football on the sidelines before warm-ups and practice began.Vice President Denny Thum was present at practice. He remained on the sidelines and spent most of his time observing 6-on-7 drills.

Equipment Manager Mike Davidson and Assistant Equipment Manager Allen Wright were busy running between Ramer Field and the practice field throughout practice. During the 6-on-7 drills, they were keeping tabs on the team while talking to other coaches.
Prescott High School students Kaitlyn Jerrick and Emily Cobenais were observing the Chiefs practice from the sidelines. This was their first training camp. Both students are interested in journalism and were anxious to learn more. They were impressed with how close they were to the players. “The training camp is a great opportunity for students to learn about journalism,” said UWRF Sports Information Director, Jim Thies. “Having the Chiefs here enables us to have interested students come in and learn about journalism and other careers.”

At the end of practice, running back Larry Johnson joked with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and tight end Tony Gonzalez. Johnson was wiping his face with a Gatorade towel and said he needed to ring it out after each practice because he sweats so much.
Immediately following practice, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, running back Larry Johnson, safety Jon McGraw and safety DaJuan Morgan signed autographs for their loyal fans.

Herm Edwards Press Conference

In his press conference after practice, Head Coach Herm Edwards said that he thinks the offense is practicing at a good tempo, but the team needs to be getting better every practice.
Edwards also said that quarterback Brodie Croyle’s confidence seems to be a lot different than it has been the last two years. Edwards said, “He’s just waiting on the chance to play.”

When asked about whether there was still a competition for the starting offensive line, Edwards responded: “Well yeah, but I think right now we want to go into the first preseason game with those guys that are there, to see how they perform.”

Edwards also said that the offensive line is getting better. “I think what we’re asking them to do fits what they can do,” Edwards said, “I think they’re starting to understand how we want to run the ball. We’re gonna run certain runs and we’re going to perfect them.”
When asked about running a man-to-man defense rather than the cover-2, Edwards said he enjoys playing man-to-man. With the team he has this season, he feels a man-to-man defense fits the Chiefs better.

The In-Zone
He’s a big guy, but he’s an even bigger giver. His hard work and dedication on the field has helped him to become one of the most choice players at his position. The combination of his commitment and compassion has helped him to touch the lives of thousands of people. That’s who offensive guard Brian Waters is: a giver. He gives to his team’s effort, to the needs of others less fortunate and to those who see his good works and desire to do the same.

In 2005, the three-time pro bowler established the Brian Waters 54 Foundation. The foundation provides opportunities for low-income, underprivileged youth and families from his hometown of Waxahachie, Texas. The foundation also has outreach programs based in Dallas and the Greater Kansas City area. Among the foundation’s philanthropic endeavors are a scholarship fund, free youth football and basketball camps and support for Waxahachie Pee Wee Football, Waxahachie Habitat for Humanity and Promise House, an organization that helps youths and families in crisis by providing sources of hope. Waters also supports many other societies as spokesman for the NFL’s United Way and What Moves U fitness campaigns. The community service major’s efforts were recognized when Waters received the JB Award in April; the award is voted on by the NFL Players Association and the players themselves. From breast cancer awareness to fundraising for down syndrome, his impressive list of charitable activities is reflective of Waters’s humble, passionate character.

He’s a big guy, but he’s an even bigger giver. His hard work and dedication on the field has helped him to become one of the most choice players at his position. The combination of his commitment and compassion has helped him to touch the lives of thousands of people. That’s who offensive guard Brian Waters is: a giver. He gives to his team’s effort, to the needs of others less fortunate and to those who see his good works and desire to do the same.

In 2005, the three-time pro bowler established the Brian Waters 54 Foundation. The foundation provides opportunities for low-income, underprivileged youth and families from his hometown of Waxahachie, Texas. The foundation also has outreach programs based in Dallas and the Greater Kansas City area. Among the foundation’s philanthropic endeavors are a scholarship fund, free youth football and basketball camps and support for Waxahachie Pee Wee Football, Waxahachie Habitat for Humanity and Promise House, an organization that helps youths and families in crisis by providing sources of hope. Waters also supports many other societies as spokesman for the NFL’s United Way and What Moves U fitness campaigns. The community service major’s efforts were recognized when Waters received the JB Award in April; the award is voted on by the NFL Players Association and the players themselves. From breast cancer awareness to fundraising for down syndrome, his impressive list of charitable activities is reflective of Waters’s humble, passionate character.

Waters brings these attributes to the field. The North Texas alumnus entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1999, but was cut from the team. He spent the 2000 season playing center for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europa before joining the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent later that year. Since then, Waters has helped multiple Kansas City standouts-such as running backs Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson-to extraordinary rushing performances and has played alongside distinguished offensive lineman Will Shields. Waters signed a seven-year contract extension with the franchise in 2005. This season he will unquestionably serve as a mentor and leader of a youthful Chiefs offensive line.

Waters’s Practice Today:
1. Waters warmed up alongside tight end Tony Gonzalez. Waters, with a smile on his face, small talked with Gonzalez while they stretched out before practice.
2. He worked on two one-on-one drills with the left side of the o-line. The first was a drill designed for blocking on the pass. Waters and two other linemen worked on their stances by keeping their feet on both sides of a foot-wide flat red rubber mat. Waters took on a few reps before he observed the rest of the drill from the south end zone of Ramer Field where the drills were being run. The second drill was to practice clearing gaps for ball carriers. Again, he took just a few reps.
3. At 4:25 Waters joined the rest of the offensive crew. They did an 11-on-11 walk through for 10 minutes. The drill started on the 17-yard line and Waters went out with the first-string.
4. An air horn blew at 4:33 that brought the offense and defense together on Ramer Field. The team then ran an 11-on-11 drill. Waters went out with the first crew for six reps. He didn’t as easily dominate defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey as he had in previous practices. Dorsey got by him once to cut off running back Larry Johnson as he headed to the right sideline on a short 8-yard run.
5. Offensive and defensive linemen worked on a blocking drill while the rest of the team participated in a 6-on-7 drill. One side of each line lined up on the 10-yard line. Each player took turns going one-on-one with their opponent from the line to the end zone. Waters took only one rep during the drill. He faced and defeated defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.
6. Before a second round of 11-on-11 Waters took two minutes to have something cold to drink with offensive guards Herb Taylor and Tre Stallings.
7. During the 11-on-11 drill, Waters worked on the line with offensive tackle Branden Albert, center Rudy Niswanger, offensive guard Adrian Jones and offensive tackle Damion McIntosh.

After Practice Comments:
Waters took just a minute to discuss how he felt the defensive line had been doing. He said that the line keeps getting better and said that linebacker Napoleon Harris was playing well. “We haven’t been that good with the d-line in the past,” he said.

Fans
Just before Chava Duran had to head to work at Mariachi Loco, he and his son Julian watched the beginning of this afternoon’s practice. Chava commented on how he saw tight end Tony Gonzalez win a Latin award on a Spanish channel. As his two-year-old son crawled around the bleachers, Chava mentioned how the Chiefs like to stop in Mariachi for a late snack.
Making their way from Cameron, Mo., the Ott family, consisting of Mom Paula, Dad Mark and sons Court and Nick hunted for autographs. Also, making the journey with the Ott family was Jared and Josh Thompson. Since their arrival on Sunday they have come in contact with different players a few times. This morning Nick was tossed a Chiefs practice ball from Head Coach Herm Edwards as a gift; this has been a highlight of his camp so far. Then while the group was out for dinner at Copper Kettle they ran into quarterbacks Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle, tight end Tony Gonzalez and linebacker Donnie Edwards. All of the players signed autographs, and then after the players were finished with their meals, the Chiefs approached the family again for more conversation.

First timers at camp this afternoon were Scott and Sue Williams of River Falls, Wis. The five-year residents of River Falls said they had the day off from work and decided to walk to the practice field. Scott said they were Packer fans, and joked how he was scouting the competition. They both said they would be interested in coming back when the Vikings are here on Thursday.

With a black Canon camera in-hand, Kim White, a resident of Leewood, Kan., snapped action photos of the players. She is the sister of long time Topeka Capital-Journal Chiefs reporter Rick Dean who was taking notes from the black-top track that surrounds Ramer Field. White likes to catch Chiefs game when she can get her hands on a ticket; last year she saw the Chiefs play the St. Louis Rams. She went on to say, “If you think it’s hot here, you should feel how humid it is in Kansas City right now.”
Scott and son Jordan Stastny from Wichita, Kan., enjoyed themselves at their fourth consecutive Chiefs training camp. Jordan was impressive with his display of football knowledge. He was like a walking talking sports fact book. The Stastny’s made their ten- hour journey up to River Falls hoping to see an impressive rookie class and a positive change in the team’s offensive philosophy.

Charles City Iowa sent Mike McCarty and his son Sam to River Falls for their second consecutive Chiefs training camp. They plan on making the Chiefs training camp an annual father/son trip. Both thought it was pretty neat that they were only a three-hour car ride away from watching their favorite team practice. Their favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez, but both were pretty happy when they got defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey’s autograph.

Four big football fans from Rib Lake, Wis., attended practice. John Gerstberger and his wife Mary brought their two daughters, Patricia and Julie, to their fifteenth Chiefs training camp. They plan on staying all this week and then going home. They then plan on coming back for the last few days of camp to give the Chiefs a proper send off. Their favorite player is linebacker Donnie Edwards. They said they love to come to the River Falls area and are impressed with the practice facilities. While at camp, they plan on taking a lot of pictures and getting tight end Tony Gonzalez’s autograph. They wanted to send a special hello to Jim and Doris Horning of Strafford, Mo.

Zen and Tonya McCurry from Bend, Ore., drove two days to River Falls. After watching just fifteen minutes of practice, both said it was worth it. They go to a Chiefs game every year at Arrowhead Stadium, but this was their first time attending a Chiefs training camp practice. Both seemed to enjoy the beautiful weather.

"rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey stopped veteran running back Larry Johnson for what would have been a six-yard-loss in a live-game situation"

http://www.uwrf.edu/chiefs/photogall...0729pm-204.jpg

Wednesday, July 30, 2008: Morning Practice
Bright, sunny skies were accompanied by an 80 degree temperature, which made for an enjoyable practice. The humidity was at 54 percent and there was a 10 mile per hour wind coming out of the northwest. The 122 fans in attendance were able to enjoy watching some energy-filled football.
Special Teams
The punt unit started the practice off with a drill that focused on return coverage. Players lined up on the north 25-yard line of Ramer Field. The return team was distinguished from the cover team by wearing yellow skull caps over its helmets. A Juggs machine shot out balls that simulated a punt as punter Dustin Colquitt practiced his approach. Cornerbacks Rashad Barksdale and Tyron Brackenridge, safety DaJuan Morgan and kick returner B.J. Sams took turns on the return. Cornerback Maurice Leggett also took a few reps. He dropped two punts. After his first, Head Coach Herm Edwards encouraged the rookie saying, “That’s ok, you got it.”
During this drill the cover team worked on lane assignments “You gotta get a good release,” said Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer, “That a way 96. That’s a good job. That’s exactly what they’ll do.” The emphasis was put on covering the return rather than on the return itself as returners simply caught the punt but did not carry it up the field.
The return unit would take a few reps during a short drill to practice the return. The drill was run at half speed. Different scenarios, such as a right or left return, were called out. Two players from the return team paired up to go against one defender. The players worked for about 15 yards. The purpose of the drill was so that blockers could practice opening the lanes and holding off defenders for the ball carrier.
Defense
Defensive ends Tamba Hali and Brian Johnston weren’t in pads this morning, but they did participate with the rest of the defensive line in a few low-contact drills, including the agility ropes. Defensive end Trevor Johnson wasn’t suited up for the second practice in a row, and he didn’t participate in any drills. During Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie’s wrap-up drill, Hali was at the front of the line, encouraging his teammates. “There ya go!” he said as he clapped his hands. Later, Krumrie got heated telling his men they needed to hit harder. “Disengage his (butt). We’re too nice” he hollered over and over.
Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham led his men on the sleds this morning, but stopped the drill when rookie linebacker Steve Octavien messed up his crossover step. After Cunningham addressed the problem, Octavien fixed his mistake and the drill continued. Linebacker Derrick Johnson complimented his teammate, Aden Durde saying, “Good job 67. Getting better, baby. I like that.” From the sled, Cunningham took his linebackers to the middle of practice field three where they worked on covering the draw while in man-to-man and in cover two.
There was a pair of scuffles during 11-on-11. Defensive tackle Tank Tyler was involved in a pretty subtle brawl early in the drill, but later fists were flying as linebacker Pat Thomas and offensive tackle Damion McIntosh laid into each other after an impressive defensive stop. McIntosh ended up sitting out the rest of practice with ice on his knee.
The defense came to practice with fire under their feet because they made several good plays. Quarterback Damon Huard’s pass was intended for wide receiver Jeff Webb, but was broken up by cornerback Patrick Surtain as a result of his tight coverage. Almost immediately following that play, Huard threw another ball that was almost picked off by safety Jarrad Page. Linebacker Pat Thomas had a great tackle on running back Jackie Battle that resulted in a zero-gain. Quarterback Tyler Thigpen threw an interception to veteran linebacker Donnie Edwards. During the defense’s impressive showing, Head Coach Herm Edwards jogged from the south to the north end of Ramer Field to talk with cornerback Tyron Brackenridge on adjusting his coverage to move with the ball.
Offense
Quarterback Brodie Croyle, running back Larry Johnson and right tackle Damion McIntosh all did not participate in the full session of practice. Croyle and Johnson had the morning practice off for rest, according to Head Coach Herm Edwards.
With Croyle sitting out, quarterbacking duties were split between Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen, who warmed up by throwing to the running backs, tight ends wide receivers.
Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey encouraged his offense as they warmed up, saying: “Don’t waste a day.”
After the warm up, the quarterbacks threw different patterns to the wide receivers as the running backs and tight ends split into separate groups. Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey praised wide receiver Devard Darling after a good wide receiver screen pass, shouting: “That’s good, that’s the way Devard; push him with your eyes.”
The running backs worked on splitting defenders, with fullbacks and other running backs posing as dummy defenders. Running Backs Coach Curtis Modkins emphasized to players the importance of keeping their pads down to split the defenders.
As the offense did 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, quarterbacks Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen alternated working with the first string offense.
Thigpen finished the practice completing 3-8 passes, including being intercepted twice. Rookie wide receiver Jabari Arthur made the catch of the day when he grabbed one of Thigpen’s better throws despite blanket coverage by cornerback Will Poole. Huard struggled early in the drill but settled down to complete 8 of his last 10 passes.
Rookie running back Jamaal Charles practiced exceptionally well. Charles broke through the line and into the secondary untouched on a screen pass from Huard, and found pay-dirt from 25 yards after a sweet cutback on a pitch from Thigpen.
Herm Edwards Press Conference
Head Coach Herm Edwards talked with the media for more than ten minutes after practice. Edwards said he liked the speed of the morning practice but said: “We just gotta continue to correct the mistakes and little things, that’s kind of important for us right now.”
When asked about the linebacker competition, Edwards said: “They’re competing, I said that in the spring and there’s gonna be movement there.”
The Chiefs practice with the Minnesota Vikings Thursday evening, and Edwards said that the practice is always fun—even though the last few times have been a little testy—he looks for the practice to be very productive.
“At this point in time players like seeing another uniform, I think we’ll do a good job of competing and that’s what we want to do; we want to get something out of it for both teams,” Edwards said.
When asked about former Chiefs defensive tackle Jared Allen, Edwards said: “Yeah, we’re probably going to hard count him. Jared did a great job here as a football player.”
Edwards said it will be good for rookie offensive tackle Branden Albert to go against a pro-bowler in Allen. “It will be a good test for him [Albert], the more he’s in that situation the better he’s gonna gain confidence.”
Of the scuffles occurring the last few days of practice, Edwards simply said, “Things flair up, that’s gonna happen and the good thing about it is that it happens and now it’s over. I just think it’s competitive, training camp brings that on sometimes.”
Extra Extra...
At 8:42 an air horn sounded to signal it was time for the team to warm up and stretch on Ramer Field before practice. Practice officially started at 8:52 to the sound of another air horn.
Quarterback Tyler Thigpen’s right calf muscle was wrapped for practice. This is the first time during camp he has had his leg wrapped. He appeared to be moving on his leg just fine during drills.
Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham and Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie talked about football while walking from Ramer Field to practice field three.
Head Coach Herm Edwards signed autographs for a few children while heading to the practice fields from Ramer Field. One little boy mentioned how he wanted to be like Edwards when he grew up. Edwards responded, “You wanna stand on the sidelines with me? You might wanna rethink that man. People throw stuff at me, man!” Later on, he asked the children if they wanted to come sit on the sidelines and watch. Edwards had them escorted onto Ramer so they could enjoy a better view for the rest of the practice.
Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs saw quarterback Brodie Croyle standing on the 46-yard line during one-on-one drills. Croyle was yelling “go” each time a new player would step to the line. Gibbs screamed jokingly, “Quit (messing) up our drill!”
During today’s 11-on-11 drills, Head Coach Herm Edwards told the players, “Do your job. Don’t worry about anybody else’s job. Do your own job.”
There were new porter potties brought in during practice to begin the set up for the Chiefs/Vikings practice. Miller Lite beer was also hauled by truck near the concession stand for the upcoming festivities.
Linebacker Napoleon Harris took a few minutes after practice to speak to the media. He mentioned that he was taking full advantage of the opportunities that the coaches are giving the players to show what they can do. When asked about his thoughts on this morning’s practice, he responded, “If you wanna be a good team, you can’t be lopped-sided. The offense can’t be dominating each day and neither can the defense.”
Cornerback Brandon Flowers also took time to talk to the media after practice. He said he’s all about business during the season. After practice, he goes back to the residence halls and reads about future teams and studies plays. He knows he can have fun after the season is over. “I wanna come in and work hard,” Flowers said. During this up-coming season, his plans are to “Have fun. Make plays. Win ball games.”
While his teammates stretched, tight end Tony Gonzalez took a few passes from the left and right from Assistant Equipment Manager Allen Wright on the sideline. Wright and Gonzalez jokingly argued about the amount of points Gonzalez averaged while playing basketball in college. “Did you look at how many points I averaged as a starter,” Gonzalez asked Wright. Wright said no. “Look at what I averaged as a starter. That’s the good stuff,” replied Gonzalez. Quarterback Damon Huard was standing on the sidelines, and Gonzalez asked him how his hand was doing. Huard said that he had taken some Benadryl, so he was “feeling kinda trashed, but the swelling has gone down.”
At the finish of practice, Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham joined several of his players signing autographs for eager fans along the fence. The players signing were defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, running back Larry Johnson, safety Jarrad Page, cornerback Tyron Brackenridge, cornerback Rashad Barksdale, wide receiver Jabari Arthur, defensive end Jason Parker, wide receiver Kevin Robinson, safety Jon McGraw, cornerback Brandon Flowers, running back Jamaal Charles, defensive tackle Tank Tyler and tackle Branden Albert.
Center Rudy Niswanger spoke briefly to a reporter after practice. “I feel like I am physically the best fit at center,” Niswanger said. When the issue of players switching from left to right tackle was brought up, Niswanger said it’s an asset to any team to have players who can play at multiple positions. He made a reference to tackle Damion McIntosh saying McIntosh went seven or eight years playing tackle on one side, and this year switched to the other side. “He’s done a great job transitioning.”
Fans
Sometimes camp can lead to newly found friendships. This is the case for Sean and Danielle Garneau who have meet a new group of people in River Falls, the last four years. The Mechanic Falls, Maine, residents will be here until Sunday, and plan on watching the Chiefs/Vikings scrimmage tomorrow night. They said River Falls is a great little town; it reminds them a lot of Maine because the people are so nice. Danielle was a little disappointed to see her two favorite players gone: fullback Boomer Grigsby and defensive end Jared Allen. They are looking forward to seeing the rookies including defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, as the Chiefs rebuild the team.
Chiefs fan Barry Davies—accompanied by his grandson Aidan Easley— traveled from the Kansas City, Kan., area to catch a few practices. Young Aidan said he was having a good time so far, and his favorite player is running back Larry Johnson. Aidan is able to catch Kansas University basketball games because he is from Lawrence, Kan., which is where the Jayhawks play.
With football cards in his hand young Logan stood with his father Chris as the Emholtz family watched the practice at the south end of Ramer Field. Last year Logan rode his bike to practice every morning seeking autographs from the football players. He said he has always had more luck getting autographs in the morning. Chris said last year Head Coach Herm Edwards rode up in a cart to a group of young kids and signed memorabilia for all of them.
A lot of fans got a glance at preparation for the Chiefs’ scrimmage against the Vikings. Father Mike, with his 13-year old son Eric, and 9-year old son Nick all enjoyed their first training camp practice. Nick said his favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez and he enjoys seeing him up-close.
This marks the fifth year that Terry and Debbie Hiatt from Warrensburg, Mo., attended the Chiefs training camp. Both thought the Wisconsin weather was a great break from the weather they had been experiencing back home. Terry said that terrible storms hit back home and delivered over 15 inches of rain. Debbie’s favorite Chief is linebacker Derrick Johnson. Both Terry and Debbie are excited to watch former Chiefs’ defensive end Jared Allen at the Chiefs/Vikings scrimmage Thursday night.
Richard Uppelhans and his son Sasha of St. Louis, Mo., attended Chiefs camp for the first time. Both are making the most out of it. Sasha is an autograph machine. He has his football and hat almost completely covered with player’s autographs. Richard said that he plans on making Chiefs camp an annual trip. Both Richard and Sasha were amazed by the size and speed of the players.
Jerry Cerr and his wife Maggie will be at camp with their grandson Pat and son Joe all week. All four really enjoy the River Falls area. Jerry and Maggie are from Fort Scott, Kan., and Joe and Pat are from Atchison, Kan. Their favorite place to dine is the Copper Kettle. Jerry said, “They have fantastic walleye there.” Pat’s favorite player is Chiefs’ running back Larry Johnson.
Frank Captain and his son Caleb from Chelsea, Okla., were at their first Chiefs training camp. Frank is a high school football and track coach. He and Caleb are pulling for rookie running back Dantrell Savage to make the team. He is from Oklahoma State, which just happens to be Frank’s and Caleb’s favorite University. Both send greetings out to their family Madelyn and Tyler.

, July 30, 2008: Afternoon Practice
It was another pleasant afternoon at the Chiefs training camp. The sun was shining bright in the sky and the temperature was 86 degrees. The players, coaches, staff, and the 117 fans in attendance were refreshed by a 12 mile per hour wind coming out of the northwest. The humidity hung right around 39 percent.

Special Teams
Punter Dustin Colquitt demonstrated why he is one of the best in the league at his position. Colquitt’s punts drew positive responses from people watching on the sideline. “That thing was up in the clouds,” said one man who commented on Colquitt’s impressive hang time. While Colquitt punted, cornerbacks Rashad Barksdale, Maurice Leggett and kick returner B.J. Sams worked on timing, calling and locating the ball for the return.

Another punt drill had Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer asking for Kicker Connor Barth. “Barth, where is Connor Barth?” he questioned the players as Barth ran from the sideline to the 30-yard line for the next drill. Barth simulated punts as members of the cover unit practiced shooting through the gap and blocking the punt.
Kicker Nick Novak missed two kicks from the 37-yard line from the left hash while warming up. His first hit the left post and his second was wide left. However, Novak would make all of his four kicks during the actual drill. He kicked from the left hash 20, middle 22, right hash 27 and left hash 32-yard lines. Kicker Connor Barth would kick and make two during the drill. He kicked from the right hash 20 and middle 32-yard lines.

Defense
Just as at practice this morning, defensive ends Tamba Hali, Brian Johnston and Trevor Johnson didn’t suit up this afternoon. Hali and Johnston participated in the low-contact drills, but Johnson didn’t take part in any drills.
Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham really focused on his linebackers covering the man in motion throughout today’s practice. He spent quite a while on practice field three having his men shuffle while an offensive player went in motion. Not only did they practice covering the basic motion, but a quick run through on how to cover the i-motion was also practiced.
Members of the offense got together with the linebackers to work on covering the short pass. Linebacker Derrick Johnson tripped and fell while covering tight end John Paul Foschi. Foschi was still unable to make the grab for a completion. His next time up, Johnson covered his man well, and his fellow linebackers complimented his improvement, “Good job, baby, good job,” they cheered. Linebacker E.J. Kuale almost made a pick during the drill. Later, linebacker Demorrio Williams had an interception, and Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham told him his work was “outstanding.”

When the defense came together as a whole and ran some drills with the dummies, Defensive Coordinator Gunter Cunningham seemed irritated when he hollered to his players, “in Spanish, they say ‘uno’, in German, they say ‘eins’, in English, we say ‘one.’ Got that?! ONE!”
Rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers had an interception off quarterback Tyler Thigpen during a 7-on-7 drill.

During an 11-on-11 drill, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey was having difficulties with his pads, so defensive end Turk McBride gave him a hand. When linebacker Pat Thomas failed on his coverage, allowing a pass to be completed to tight end Brad Cottam, Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham said, “I’m gonna kill him. Hey Pat! There’s no excuse for that.” A nicely thrown ball to wide receiver Maurice Price was dropped when cornerback Rashad Barksdale applied good pressure. While the second and third strings worked, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie worked with Dorsey on clubbing with his arms and getting by the blockers.
The team would split to practice more drills before coming together again for more 11-on-11. Defensive end Turk McBride made an excellent stop for what would have been a huge tackle in a live-game scenario. This lit up fellow defensive end Tamba Hali. “Good job, Turk. Good job, Turk. That’s how you practice now!” Hali hollered. When defensive end Jason Parker grabbed a hold of running back Kolby Smith’s jersey, Head Coach Herm Edwards had to yell down field, “Don’t grab his jersey. Don’t grab his jersey, please!”
The team then ran a situation drill that lasted two minutes. On the offense’s final play, cornerback Dimitri Patterson came up with an interception in the end zone. Patterson’s big play ended the drill in a win for the first string defense. The second string offense was who prevailed when they ran the drill, however. A key defensive play came from safety Jon McGraw when he got his hands on a ball from quarterback Tyler Thigpen intended for wide receiver Will Franklin. McGraw didn’t make an interception, but his deflection stopped Franklin from completed a huge play.

Offense
Quarterback Brodie Croyle sat out the no-pads afternoon practice as well as the morning session. Tight end Tony Gonzalez and offensive tackle Damion McIntosh also sat out the afternoon practice.
The offensive line split up and worked on blocking three teammates with pads while the quarterbacks warmed up throwing balls to wide receivers. Assistant Offensive Line Coach Joe D'Alessandris told his offensive line to, "play with a lot of energy," as the players worked on coming out of their stance.

While the rest of the team worked on field goal formations, running back Larry Johnson leaned on a dummy and wide receivers Devard Darling, Jabari Arthur, Dwayne Bowe and Kevin McMahan all played catch.
The tight ends, running backs and linebackers then faced off in a one-on-one drill as Head Coach Herm Edwards encouraged the linebackers to, "stay outside! Make the play but stay outside." At that same time the wide receivers caught balls from the quarterbacks with the defensive backs covering them. This drill was highlighted by a diving catch made by wide receiver Bobby Sippio that may or may not have been ruled a completion as he was being covered by cornerback Rashad Barksdale.
After a near-grab wide receiver Dwayne Bowe jumped up and ruled it a catch, prompting cornerback Patrick Surtain to argue with Bowe over the legitimacy of the play. Bowe jokingly yelled in Surtain's face: "The ground can't cause that!"
Right at the start of the offense versus defense session, quarterback Damon Huard, who looked like a different quarterback in Wednesday afternoon's practice than he has all of training camp, completed a 40-yard pump-and-go to wide receiver Dwayne Bowe down the sideline.

Wide receiver Bobby Sippio continued to have a great afternoon practice when he made a leaping catch on a high throw from quarterback Tyler Thigpen during an 11-on-11 session.
Quarterback Damon Huard continued to look good as he went 5-6 during a 7-on-7 drill, including a 20-yard strike to rookie tight end Brad Cottam, which Cottam made a great one-handed grab on.

Quarterback Damon Huard started the two-minute drill by marching the first string offense down the field to the defensive 23-yard line after converting a 3-and-10 when wide receiver Jeff Webb made a leaping catch to keep the drive alive. Huard then took a shot into the end zone intended for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, which was incomplete, but Bowe thought he was interfered with. Head Coach Herm Edwards responded to Bowe's complaining by yelling, "we're on the road, ain't gonna be no call on the road!" Huard was intercepted on the next play, thus thwarting the first string's touchdown hopes.
Quarterback Tyler Thigpen completed 6-9 passes in the second string's two-minute drill as the backup squad marched down the field. Thigpen found wide receiver Jeff Webb for three of his six completions before hitting wide receiver Bobby Sippio for a touchdown from the 2-yard line.

The In-Zone
He’s consistent. He’s solid. He’s looking for a starting linebacker position. He has received practice time with the primary and secondary teams and, like so many other players on the team, Demorrio Williams has just over two weeks of training camp left to make his goal a reality. Although his fate is uncertain, the Chiefs—who acquired Williams as an unrestricted free agent from the Atlanta Falcons in March—are certain about his abilities. Williams’ speed and consistency will enable him to contribute as a right outside linebacker and make him a presence on special teams.
Williams entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft. He is a University of Nebraska alumnus that started his colligate career playing at Kilgore, Texas, Junior College. The first-team All-Big 12 Conference selection graduated with a degree in sociology. The Beckville, Texas native currently resides in Kansas City, Mo.

Today at Practice:
1. He worked on keeping low and light as he worked with fellow linebackers running a series of patterns in a drill that focused on reading the pass and run routes of the ball carrier.
2. Lining up on the 30, Williams hit dummies that represented the offensive line. He drove the dummies up in the tackling simulation drill.
3. “Get in there, we’ve got to fight,’ said Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham as Williams ran through a drill the involved a five-man sled. He went down the line hitting every other pad from the left to right before doing the same thing going from the right to left. This simulated the crossover move. He was fired up with energy and passion as he did the drill and let out plenty of grunts.
4. At 4:26 he joined the offense for a run of 11-on-11. He played against quarterbacks Damon Huard and Tyler Thigpen switching in and out as the playmaker.
5. Williams would participate in a 6-on-6 drill in which he would intercept a pass. Cunningham would tell him his work was “outstanding.”
6. Williams had a friendly shoving match with wide receiver Bobby Sippio after Sippio sneaked by Williams on a route to the right sideline during another session of 11-on-11.
What Willilams Thinks of the Chiefs
“I played in the Midwest before and I kind of like the fans and the crowd. I also like the young team here and I think that we are building something special. We’ve got a lot of young guys who are working and I feel like that is a plus for this team. Last year the record wasn’t that good, but I think this season’s team has big plans.”

Extra Extra...
At 3:27 an air horn blew to signal it was time for warm ups and stretching before practice began. The players that began their warm ups at this time were mostly players who contribute on special teams. While special teams worked on practice field two, quarterbacks, linemen and other players who don’t play on special teams warmed up under the instruction of Strength and Conditioning Coach Cedric Smith on field one.
Fullback Chris Manderino spoke with a member of the media for a few minutes after practice. He discussed how he has made his transition to the fullback position and said it is a position he has become accustomed to. “Keep working hard. Stay healthy and just impress people out here,” said Manderino of how he will make it through camp and find a place on the roster, “I’ve had a good camp so far.”

Linebacker Pat Thomas spoke with some members of the press after practice. He said camp has been going good so far, and the competition among the linebackers makes it even better. Thomas says that adjusting to the new defense is where he has been putting the most work in. When asked if he felt he could be the starting middle linebacker, Thomas looked at the reporter with a confident face and said, “I can be our middle linebacker.” When the topic of fellow linebacker Napoleon Harris battling for the same spot as Thomas was brought up, Thomas said the decision is up to the coaches, but “may the best man win.” When asked what it was like to work with Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham, Thomas said, “I’d like to say ‘hell.’” Thomas then chuckled and continued by saying that Cunningham pushes the linebackers, and they take his hard attitude for what it’s worth. Thomas feels the practice with the Vikings will be refreshing. “It will be good to hit someone in a different colored jersey,” he said. Thomas also addressed the scrum he was involved in during this morning’s practice. Not many comments were made, but he did say, “Linebackers don’t take nothing from nobody.” To close his interview, Thomas commented on how training camp reminds him of playing for North Carolina State in college. The time off the players are given needs to be taken seriously. People need to get ice on sore body parts and stay in bed if they’re tired, Thomas thinks.

Linebacker Derrick Johnson also spent some time with reporters after practice. When asked how he looked forward to seeing former Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen – who happens to be a friend of Johnson’s – at the Vikings/Chiefs practice, Johnson said, “Jared Allen’s crazy. He’s off the wall, but in a good way. He’s a silly character, so we’re kind of expecting some sort of gimmick. But we respect him, and he respects us.” Johnson views the Allen trade as a win/win situation for everyone who was involved. Johnson was also asked about playing under Defensive Coordinator Gunther Cunningham. “Everyone thinks he’s crazy, but he’s just very passionate. He’s not as crazy as you think,” Johnson said. “He instills great football into us so we can be great.” Next, Johnson talked about rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. “Dorsey’s a beast,” Johnson said. Johnson thinks that having Dorsey at the tackle spot will open him up to make plays. Johnson knows that offenses are going to have to focus more attention on Dorsey, and that’s what the linebackers like. “Dorsey’s not just a big guy. He can make big plays, too.” Running the man-to-man is working out well for Johnson, who says that his athleticism makes it easy to adjust. He ended his interview by saying that working with tight end Tony Gonzalez is good for him as a linebacker. “Tony’s the best tight end in the league and a future Hall of Famer, so of course it’s good for me to go up against him.”

ESPN’s John Clayton was at Wednesday’s practice. He said he’s already been at eight training camps so far. He said the Chiefs, “look like a young team.” Despite all of the traveling and long hours Clayton said that he loves his job.
Fans

Lee’s Summit, Mo., sent Chief and golf enthusiasts Don and Judith Vogelsmeier and John and Wendy Acker to the 2008 Kansas City Chief Training Camp. What started out as a guy’s trip years ago has evolved into a family/friend’s social trip. Don and Judith like the area so much that they said even if the Chiefs stop coming to River Falls they still would. They said, “the seven hour drive here was worth it.” While in the River Falls area, they will golf at many of the various golf courses. Don has had Chief season tickets for the last 38 years. Their favorite place to dine is the Copper Kettle in River Falls.
Al King and Roy Johansen made the nine-hour trip to Chiefs camp from Pleasant Hill, Mo. This is their seventh year attending the camp. King is predicting the Chiefs to win six or seven games this season and even more in the next couple of years. Both Johansen and King love the River Falls area but wish the Chiefs training camp was closer to home.
Ron and Betty Tempest from Independence, Mo., are enjoying their time at Chiefs training camp. This is their first year coming and both are impressed with the practice fields and facilities. They will be watching the Chiefs all week and are looking forward to watching how Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen will be welcomed when he comes to town Thursday night.
The Watter family has made the Chiefs camp an annual family trip. Brian, with wife Linda, have been bringing their three children Chelsy, Amanda and Zachary to Chiefs camp for the last three years. They are camping at Willow River State Park and plan on staying all week. Brian really wants to get Chiefs offensive guard Brian Waters’ autograph before they head back home to Stewartville, Minn. Brian has a sports bar in his basement full of Kansas City Chief autographed memorabilia.

After practice, Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe joked with reporters about rooming with quarterback Brodie Croyle. “Brodie is old school. I know he is young but he is the old school type.” Bowe went on to talk about how he is trying to get Croyle to like hip-hop music. When asked if he would listen to Croyle’s country music Bowe said, “I would listen to it. At the very least I would give it a shot and learn the lyrics.” He is still waiting for Croyle’s wife to mail them some country/rock music. Near the end of the interview, Bowe said that tomorrow night will be just a little preview of what to expect this upcoming year.
St. Paul, Minn., residents Drew and Tina Backus made there way to River Falls this afternoon to catch the practice. The two aren’t really Chief fans, but do like Herm Edwards as a coach because he presents himself strong vocally. Last camp the couple made their way to Mankato, Minn., for the practice between the Chiefs and the Vikings and plan on being back tomorrow for the local version.

Veterans of 16 years at camp Terryl Lilluis joined by her husband, enjoyed camp in the east end bleachers. Terryl talked about wanting to come to the Chiefs and Vikings practice on Thursday, but their daughter is in a state soccer tournament. The two locals said they have had fun in past years seeing the fireworks at Family Fun Night. In the past the two enjoyed when wide receiver Randy Moss and quarterback Daunte Culpepper came to RF with the Vikings.

A concerned fan, Doug Flaherty talked about the possibility of the Chiefs leaving River Falls in the near future and moving training camp to Arrowhead Stadium. He said it would be too hot down there and too much of a zoo. Doug is from Pocahontas, Iowa and has been at camp since 1990 when Marty Schottenheimer was the head coach. While Doug is in RF he plans on shooting some golf at the Clifton Hollow course tomorrow. He said they have a promotional Chiefs deal that allows him to shoot golf for $30, with a cart included.

Former Chiefs tight end Walter White was on the sidelines at practice. White spent five years with Kansas City from 1975-80. He wore No. 88, which is now worn by tight end Tony Gonzalez. “Tony has broken every record I had with the team,” White said with a smile on his face. White brought his good friend Tom Gunn up here with him. White is now in the banking industry. He works at Commerce Bank in Kansas City, working with pension plans and giving people financial advice. He’s here for a few days and is looking forward to watching the Chiefs/Vikings practice tomorrow night. He was seen with a rather large red, diamond ring. He received it while being a Kansas City Chief Ambassador, which is an organization that’s huge in community service. He said the Kansas City organization is a, “great organization that does lots of good things in the community. Their main objective is football. They’re also the loudest stadium in the NFL…by far!” White was also up here with Jody Kaaz, Alison Smith, James Gladuieux, and Andrew Berg who are all from Leavenworth, Kan. White, Kaaz, Smith, Gladuieux, and Berg attended a dinner, auction, and golf tournament to benefit United Way of Leavenworth, Kansas. United Way of Leavenworth, Kansas auctioned off a package for a few days stay to Chiefs Training Camp, which White received. Armed Forces Insurance with Commerce Bank covered the group’s stay and Kaaz-Lexeco Construction covered the group’s airfare.

Tom Condon from Claire, Iowa made the four-hour drive to training camp this morning. He drove up with his two sons and one grandson. They plan to leave Friday morning. He’s looking forward to seeing tight end Tony Gonzalez and punter Dustin Colquitt at the Chiefs/Vikings practice tomorrow night. His favorite players are Gonzalez and Colquitt. Condon and family are looking forward to indulging in Luigi’s Pizza before they head back to Iowa.
Ron Adams ventured nine hours north from Paola, Kan. He came here Monday and isn’t sure when his wife and him are going back home. He’s looking forward to seeing the draft picks and how they look on the field. His favorite player is tight end Tony Gonzalez. When asked about how the Chiefs are going to do this up-coming season, he said, “we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

Four small children were seen running and playing with a football in the grassy area next to the practice fields.
Chiefs Vice President Denny Thum was at today’s practice. He spent time on the sidelines talking to different coaches.

Glad to hear Sipp is having a good camp ... I truly believe he's a diamond in the ruff ....

Thursday, July 30, 2008: Chiefs/Vikings Practice
The Chiefs and the Vikings had nice weather for their combined practice this evening at the Ramer Field Sports Complex. A clear and sunny sky was accompanied with a temperature of 83 degrees. The 6,000 fans in attendance were able to enjoy a cooling seven mile per hour wind coming out of the northwest. The humidity was at 56 percent.

Defense
As was similar in the last two days’ practices, defensive ends Tamba Hali, Trevor Johnson and Brian Johnston didn’t participate in tonight’s practice with the Vikings.

The Viking offense worked on practice field No. 1 while the Chiefs’ defense did drills and ran sleds on practice field No. 3. The teams came together on practice field No. 1 where they did a 9-on-9 drill to work on executing and stopping different run routes. The 9-on-9 was minus wide receivers and cornerbacks. They were on the other end of the field working on running and covering pass routes.
During the 9-on-9, linebackers Derrick Johnson and Pat Thomas had a big stop on Vikings fullback Naufahu Tahi. Later, second-string safety Jon McGraw would come from deep in the backfield to make a big tackle on Vikings running back Albert Young. There wasn’t much talk coming from the Chiefs’ defensive coaches, especially considering how vocal they are during typical practices. After rookie defensive tackle Maurice Murray jumped off sides, Defensive Line Coach Tim Krumrie hollered, “Watch the damn ball!”

The Chiefs’ defense and Vikings’ offense came together with the rest of their teammates on Ramer Field and ran some 7-on-7. Linebacker Demorrio Williams had several big tackles including one on wide receiver Aundrae Allison and another on Vikings running back Albert Young.

Several of the Chiefs’ defensive backs showed good coverage while Vikings quarterbacks took their offense to the air. Cornerback Dimitri Patterson covered wide receiver Robert Ferguson well enough to force quarterback Brooks Bollinger’s pass incomplete. Rookie cornerback Brandon Carr also had some solid coverage on running back Chester Taylor. Vikings wide receiver Martin Nance ended up dropping a pass as a result of rookie cornerback Maurice Leggett’s tight coverage. Rookie cornerback Brandon Flowers got burned by wide receiver Aundrae Allison to complete the play from quarterback John David Booty. The play caused Flowers to say some explicit words and kick into the air.

During the 7-on-7 drills, the Vikings offensive line and Chiefs defensive line worked on the north end of the field. The offensive line set up blocks to prevent the defense from reaching the quarterback.
When the complete teams got together on Ramer Field, Vikings quarterback Brooks Bollinger completed a pass to wide receiver Nate Jones. The play would have resulted in a huge gain if it wasn’t for a massive tackle made by Chiefs linebacker Napoleon Harris. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson made some good moves on about three Chiefs defenders. The defensive coaching staff was not pleased. Safety Jon McGraw and linebacker Demorrio Williams had a sweet play on a ball thrown by Viking quarterback Brooks Bollinger. McGraw came from the weak side to get his hand on the pass, which sent the ball in Williams’ direction. Williams got his fingertips on it, but couldn’t bring it in to finish the interception.

Viking quarterback John David Booty completed a play to running back Adrian Peterson. Chiefs’ defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and safety Jarrad Page made a big stop on the line of scrimmage, allowing Peterson to gain little – if any – yardage. Page came out of the pile with the ball, but the play was ruled dead after Peterson was tackled. Page was later involved with another big play when he put a big tackle on Vikings receiver Robert Ferguson. The collision forced Ferguson to drop the ball when he hit the ground, resulting in an incomplete pass. A later play was ruled dead, but Vikinsg wide receiver Nate Jones and Chiefs cornerback Will Poole exchanged a few shoves, regardless. The tiny scrum ended a few seconds later.

Chiefs cornerback Tyron Brackenridge and safeties DaJuan Morgan and Bernard Pollard spent some time on the sidelines talking with Defensive Backs Coach David Gibbs. Later, Gibbs pulled Brackenridge over and coached him on some footwork.
When practice finished, Chiefs defensive tackle Alfonso Boone left the field carrying a little girl and holding the hand of a little boy.

Offense
While the Chiefs and Vikings practiced special teams on Ramer field, the non-special teams players warmed up on the first practice field. Wide receivers Jabari Arthur and Kevin McMahan played catch during the special teams practice.
Tight end Tony Gonzalez played catch with a coach and wide receivers Will Franklin and Dwayne Bowe also threw the ball around in anticipation of the beginning of the offense’s practice.
In one of the first drills the Chiefs wide receivers went one-on-one with Viking defensive backs. Quarterbacks Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen completed the first five passes of the drill. Wide receiver Bobby Sippio made the catch of the drill after Viking defensive back Madieu Williams nearly made an interception; Sippio snagged the deflected pass and got both feet in bounds as the crowd gasped at the great play.

Special Teams
Fifteen minutes were put on the Ramer Field score board at 6:21 when practice officially started. During this time, the Chiefs and Vikings special teams ran through two drills. The first was a punting drill and the second focused on field goals.

Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt took eight punts. There was not a full rush during the drill. Returners focused on receiving the ball; they did not return the ball up field. The punt was dropped three times by Vikings wide receivers Aundrae Allison and Jaymar Johnson and cornerback Dee McCann. Colquitt kicked one punt—his third kick—out of bounds on the left sideline. Hang time was not an issue of concern for Colquitt who preformed well. He dropped punts between the 20 and 10-yard lines.
Moving up the field after every few punts, Vikings punter Chris Kluwe looked impressive. His eight punts had plenty of air time and depth. Chiefs kick returner B.J. Sams and cornerbacks Maurice Leggett and Rashad Barksdale took turns receiving the punts. Leggett dropped a punt on the 11-yard line. Leggett located the ball but it slipped through his arms on the catch.
At 6:36, the kickers from both teams took to Ramer Field for field goal attempts. Chiefs kicker Nick Novak started the drill. All of his attempts were good. He kicked from the left hash at the 27 and 34-yard lines and from the right hash of the 37. Chiefs kicker Connor Barth would make two and miss one field goal. He was good from the 31 and 40-yard lines on the right hash and missed from the right on the 36. Vikings kicker Steven Hauschka made all of his six attempts kicking from the same spots as Novak and Barth. There was no rush during the drill.

Extra Extra...
KC Wolf and Freddy the Falcon made rounds throughout the fan-filled bleachers. KC was dressed in a red jersey with the Chiefs logo, a red baseball hat and red, gold and black zooba pants.
At 6:12 an air horn sounded twice to signal to players it was time to warm up and stretch out before practice begun. The Chiefs and Vikings warmed up separately on opposite ends of Ramer Field. Chiefs Strength and Conditioning Coach Cedric Smith led the Chiefs through their warm up on the north end.

By 7:25 p.m. the ticket line to get in to the facility was down.
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe had some fun on the sideline during an 11-on-11 drill. Bowe sat down on a training table before asking a group of media members if they were having fun. He gave the media the peace sign while sticking out his tongue. One member asked Bowe if that meant he was having a good time. He said yes. A fan dressed in a Vikings jersey joked with Bowe about putting his picture up on MySpace. Bowe responded to the man by saying, “You better add me as a friend.”
Chiefs' tight end Tony Gonzalez spoke with several reporters at the end of practice. He said he felt his team did well during the practice, and even though the Vikings didn’t bring several of their key starters, the meeting still served its purpose. “It felt like we were only out there for 15 minutes,” he said. Gonzalez said the Chiefs found ways to get open in the red zone a lot this evening. When asked how it was to have the opportunity to face another team, he said, “It’s always best to go against someone else.” When asked about the absence of Vikings’ defensive end and former Chief Jared Allen, Gonzalez said, “It would have been a circus for him to come out here tonight.” Gonzalez went on to say that he and Allen are good friends and were most likely going to meet up for dinner in River Falls later that night. Gonzalez is happy with where the team is at, but said that they still have a lot of work to do. The team’s first preseason game at Chicago will be the first test he said.

Running back Larry Johnson took time to speak to media after practice. He mainly discussed his foot. “This was good. It was good on my foot. I had fun,” he said. When he was asked about the practice against the Vikings he said, “It was fun going high-speed and getting tackled.”
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe said the practice with the Vikings went pretty good. He mentioned that it got a little heated toward the end. When asked on his thoughts about defensive end Jared Allen he said, “I wasn’t surprised. It’s Jared Allen. He’s worth a billion dollars.”
Herm Edwards Press Conference

Head Coach Herm Edwards gave a short press conference regarding the night’s happenings. Overall, Edwards seemed very pleased with how the practice went. Edwards said, “I saw a lot of things I liked and I saw some things we need to correct, which is to be expected.” Edwards went on to talk about how this practice was a good experience for the younger players. He said, “Those young guys needed to see someone in a different color jersey.” When asked about the how the practice went, Edwards replied, “Both teams did a very good job keeping this practice very professional.” Edwards went on to say that linebacker Donnie Edwards got a hamstring injury, running back Kolby Smith received a groin injury and rookie offensive tackle Branden Albert “nicked” one of his ankles. Edwards finished the press conference by saying he was very happy both teams were very competitive.

Brad Childress Press Conference
Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress spoke with media after practice. He went over a list of players who were exempt from tonight’s practice. When he reached defensive end Jared Allen, Childress said, “Jared Allen had a Kansas City exemption.” Several reporters chuckled after the comment. Childress said he simply told Allen that he wasn’t going to bring him to River Falls with the team tonight. Childress did say that he sent Allen a text message when he was entering Wisconsin. “I told him I was crossing the St. Croix River while he was on Lake Minnetonka. ‘What’s right about this?’ I said.” Childress said Allen replied, telling him to cancel the practice and join him on his boat. When asked how he felt the night went, Childress said it was great for their young guys. “We really got some premium work in,” he said. The last thing Childress touched on was quarterback Tarvaris Jackson’s improvements. Childress simply said he could see a noticeable difference in Jackson’s demeanor, which is a good thing. He ended his conference with, “What else would you rather be doing on a night like this?”

Fans
August 1, 2008--Fans’ spirits were high in anticipation of getting an up-close and personal look at players of both the Chiefs and Vikings going head to head at the practice. Joe Pomeroy, of Lakeville. Minn., brought his 5-year-old son Collin to his first Chiefs camp experience. “They’re so big,” said little Collin, as his eyes stared straight up into the sky to view the players passing by. “It’s really something to be able to get a close look at all these players with virtually no boundaries between fans and players,” added Pomeroy.

Along with the newcomers to the annual scrimmage came loyal, repeat visitors to the city of River Falls. Mary Jo Anderson and longtime friend Kristina Semak, both of Lexington, Mo., drove eight hours for their third straight year to view the team they love. “I come here to support my boys,” said Semak, referring to her beloved Chiefs.

The Johnson family, of Kansas City, Mo., was found tailgating prior to the event, sharing some quality time together before entering the gates to watch the practice. The Johnsons were so anxious for the upcoming football season that they could not wait any longer, and decided to take the family’s summer vacation up to River Falls for the big practice weekend. “It was totally worth the long drive,” said 12-year-old Timmy Johnson. Matthew and Liz Johnson also brought their 8-year-old daughter, Katie, and their dog Fletcher. As young Timmy Johnson and his dad tossed a football back and forth in the parking lot, a group of Chiefs fans walked by chanting, “KC, KC, KC.”

One of these people was Ryan Madera of River Falls and a student at UWRF. “This is the first time I have been able to make it out to the scrimmage and I am pumped,” said Madera. After the event Madera was found waiting for a chance to get some autographs from players and said, “Yeah, I’ll be coming out here more often over the next few weeks.”
UW-River Falls students Jason Meier and Neil Bland were in town and thought they would catch the practice this evening. Jason—who is the Student Senate Finance Director—said, “It’s a wonderful opportunity for River Falls to host a professional sports team. With the city supporting the team on multiple levels the collaboration between the Chiefs and the Vikings practices are a success.” Although the two aren’t Chiefs fans, both support a NFL team in their college town.

Long time Chiefs fan Maurice Dupree showed some confidence in starting quarterback Brodie Croyle. “Knowing that he’s the man, the offensive line can mold around him to be successful,” Maurice commented, “There’s also an improvement with the running game and play action with the new Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey.”

Die-hard Chiefs fans Mike Williams, Josh Sherman and Chris Hahn made the journey to River Falls to see their team hit players from another team. Mike and Josh are from Kansas City, Mo., and Chris is from Loveland, Col., all were disappointed former Chief defensive end Jared Allen “wimped out” and didn’t make it out to the practice field. They enjoy local establishments like the bowling alley, Coaches Bar and Grill and The Library. Chris predicted a 9-7 finish from the Chiefs this season to secure the last playoff position in the AFC.

Richard Strojny from Chippewa Falls, Wis., made it to his 18th Chief training camp in a row this year. Strojny came hoping to see a very talented rookie class, especially defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. Strojny plans on making it to Chiefs camp two more times this year and hopes that the Chiefs continue coming to River Falls in the years to come.
Terry and Jenny Akim from Independence, Mo., made it to Chiefs camp this year in time to watch them practice with the Vikings. This is their fourth year coming up to River Falls. Both are hoping they will get a chance to get Chiefs’ tight end Tony Gonzalez’s autograph. If they do, they plan on giving it to their 11-year old grandson Jason Akim. They plan on eating at the Copper Kettle, across from Ramer Field, just as they have in years past. Jenny said that the weather in Wisconsin is a big relief from what they are used to in Missouri.

Kirk Thomas and his two sons, Tyler and Brandon, made the journey from Des Moines, Iowa, in time to watch them practice with the Minnesota Vikings. Tyler’s favorite Chief is running back Larry Johnson and Brandon’s is tight end Tony Gonzalez. All three are excited to watch the Chiefs’ rookie class. This is their third year at Chiefs training camp. Kirk said that he is here to support anyone in Chiefs’ red.

Kansas City, Mo., sent the father/son team Richard and his son Rick Roberts to the 2008 Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training Camp. They arrived this morning and plan on staying ‘till Monday. This is their first time attending a Chiefs Summer Training Camp. It is also the first time they went on a camping trip together. Richard said that he would take Rick camping a long time ago and now they are finally making it happen. They are camping at River Falls Hoffman Park. Both are really impressed with the park’s facilities. They made the trip to River Falls to watch the rookies and get tight end Tony Gonzalez’s autograph. Both really enjoy the weather they are experiencing while camping in their tent.

A group of fans stood against the east fence as they waited for the Chiefs and Vikings to start practice. Jacob McMillian, Chris Renfro and Travis Logan are residents of Independence, Mo. They came here to see the rookies, draft picks and the Vikings’ running back Adrian Peterson. These hardcore fans are planning on driving back six and a half hours home tomorrow.
Kelly Alterman of West Plains, Mo., attended his fourth training camp. He was excited to see the Chiefs/Vikings practice and defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey.

Jeanine and Ashley Kanellis from Cedar Rapids, Iowa drove up today. They plan to stay through Family Fun Night on Saturday. This marked their first training camp. Their favorite players are running back Larry Johnson and tight end Tony Gonzalez. “It’d be nice to get autographs,” said Jeanine.
Ty X-Factor Rowton from Kansas City, Mo., was up here for his tenth straight training camp. He was exhilarated to see all the rookies. When asked who his favorite player was, he responded saying, “every single Chief player.”

Kelly Kehler of Savannah, Mo., is here for four days. This is his second training camp. He was looking forward to seeing the Chiefs and Vikings practice. His favorite players are running back Larry Johnson and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.

Another family from Cedar Rapids, Iowa was Laura, Darrin, Abygail and Brenna Wood. It was Laura, Darrin, and Brenna’s second training camp, but Abygail’s first. Abygail is celebrating her seventh birthday tomorrow. They’re visiting camp for two days.

Former journalism interns, Jason Egerstrom and Troy Mallat were among the 6,000 people in attendance. Egerstrom interned one year from 1997-98. He currently works for the city of Woodbury in the communications division. Mallat interned three years from 1999-2001. He lives in Cottage Grove, Minn., and is a Web Communications Specialist at Dakota County. They were asked how it felt to be back at training camp and they replied, “We’re watching football on a nice day. It’s fantastic.”

Fans packed both bleachers on the east side of Ramer Field. Bleachers were brought in and set up behind the north end zone. People with special guest passes were able to sit on the bleachers. Some of the special guests were the Hunt Family, visiting coaches and college coaches.

http://www.uwrf.edu/chiefs/prev_upda...=08-1-08pm.htm

Since formerdb has left Cheese Curd land this is all we got left.:shake:

Monday, August 4 2008: Morning Practice
It was a warm and muggy start of the week at this morning’s practice. The partly cloudy sky was accompanied by a temperature of 78 degrees. A slight five mile per hour wind was blowing out of the northeast and the humidity was at 75 percent. One hundred and sixty-four fans were in attendance.
Defense

Offense
Offensive tackle Branden Albert was a no-show for practice and running back Larry Johnson was out on the field, but did not practice.
Tight end Tony Gonzalez was on field two working on routes while the special teams practiced on field one. Head Coach Herm Edwards took a moment away from watching the special teams to yell at Gonzalez: “Pro Bowl players here early today, wow!”

Centers Wade Smith and Rob Smith worked on shotgun snaps with Assistant Offensive Line Coach Joe D’Alessandris while the special teams worked on kicking formations.

After warm-ups the wide receivers split off with the quarterbacks and ran specific routes uncovered. Wide receiver Bobby Sippio made a tough one-handed catch look easy on a pass from quarterback Damon Huard.
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe ran a slant route across the middle of the field but dropped the pass from quarterback Brodie Croyle, prompting Head Coach Herm Edwards’s razzing. “You were worried about that safety hittin ya in the face, weren’t ya?” Edwards yelled jokingly at Bowe.
The offensive line and tight ends worked on blocking at the other end of field one during the wide receiver/quarterback warm-ups. Offensive tackle Barry Richardson and tight end Tony Gonzalez aggressively blocked tackle Herb Taylor and tight end Michael Allen. Assistant Offensive Line Coach Joe D’Alessandris cheered the duo on shouting: “There it is, now we got a moving double team, nice job!”

Running backs Jackie Battle and Jamaal Charles split carries with the first-string offense during the 11-on-11 drill. Charles hit a miniscule hole with the first-string and Edwards took notice, yelling: “Way to run 25, that’s the way to find the crack.”

Special Teams
Special teams got practice off to its start. Running backs Jamaal Charles and Dantrell Savage and kick return specialist B.J. Sams received simulated kicks from a Juggs machine. Kickers Nick Novak and Connor Barth worked on their approach. “Hey men don’t go through the motions,” said Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer during a short kickoff drill, “We’ve got a ball game in three days. Let’s go.”

A drill that emphasized getting through the block on the punt return followed the kickoff drill. Both sides of practice field one were used as players worked on “dipping and ripping” by their defenders. “Be violent. Get off the block,” instructed Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer. Practicing with the first squad on the left side were linebackers Derrick Johnson, Demorrio Williams and Pat Thomas. One the right side it was linebacker E.J. Kuale, running back Jackie Battle and safety DaJuan Morgan.

A cover drill was run at 9:05. Two players from the cover team worked from the 30-yard line heading north to the end zone as they tried to squeeze the returner with the ball to the middle of the field and stop their penetration. “Hey returners somebody make a play,” said Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer. Rookie running back Jamaal Charles stood up to the challenge and got through the two defenders trying to prevent him from going up field.

At 9:32—after splitting up to work on position drills—the offense and defense reconvened on practice field one to work on a special teams drill that focused on blocking the field goal attempt. On the north end of the field, kicker Nick Novak threw up a ball towards linemen who worked on getting “skinny and tall.” Their goal was to get their hands on the imitated kick. A big blue mat was placed on the 50-yard line for other special teams players. Long snapper Jean-Philippe Darche snapped the ball to kicker Connor Barth who then threw the ball at that mat. Players, trying to block the ball, dove onto the mat. At 9:37 an air horn blew and the drill was run in the opposite direction.

Uh, I'm still here.

Is Taylor still the LOT, or are the Chiefs considering moving McIntosh back over to the left side?