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Published on 08/12/2010 at Thu Aug 12 14:00.
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Former Bronco gives inside look at NFL training camp

Posted Thu Aug 12th by

Nate Jackson

In a phenomenal piece in the New York Times‘ Fifth Down Blog, former Denver Broncos tight end Nate Jackson (who was on the team from 2003-2008) breaks down what it’s like to participate in training camp at football’s highest level.

As one might expect, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Jackson breaks down the daily grind, the verbal abuse from the coaches, and how players spend their precious downtime (“however they can: napping, video games, reading, crying.”).

Okay, none of it is sunshine and rainbows.

The verbal haranguing (from the coaches) isn’t exclusive to the field. In meetings every day and night, it continues. The decibel level decreases, but it’s no less biting. Every play of every practice is watched on film by the whole team that same day. Morning practice is watched in the afternoon before the afternoon practice, and the afternoon practice is watched at night before going home. Practices are watched on huge screens with high quality projectors. When a player makes a mistake, it is pointed out and discussed.

Nothing slips through the cracks. Depending on the severity of the mistake, and the frequency of mistakes being made by the player, the reaction from the coaches will vary, but the feeling for the player is always horrible. Being called out in meetings and having everyone in the room watching you fail in slow motion — often with a laser pointer on your two-dimensional body — is demoralizing, and only intensifies the pain. This scrutiny is well intentioned, but often falls flat from overkill, the message trampled by the messenger.

If there’s one prevailing theme in Jackson’s piece — which is a terrific read from top to bottom, do yourself a favor and soak it all in — it’s that the physical toll of training camp, while significant, is nothing compared to the mental pounding the blue collar NFL player will endure this month. It’s the middle of the afternoon on Day 12 of camp as we write this; somewhere in Dove Valley, a Bronco is crying.

What an N.F.L Training Camp is Really Like [The Fifth Down Blog]

  • Igner Ant

    Wow, great piece by Mr. Jackson. Loved this part:
    “But in the N.F.L., the militaristic approach usually dominates: veiny-foreheaded dopplegangers berating players daily”

    That's at least five words nobody in the entire Raiders organization can even pronounce, let alone use in a sentence.

  • stuckinraiderland

    If you're counting, by the way, those five words are:
    militaristic, veiny-foreheaded, dopplegangers, berating, and of course, the most foreign word of all: dominates.

  • areferee

    The average NFL salary is around $800,000.00 per year. I and countless others had to put up with just as much crap from the USMC in boot camp for about $200 a week.

    Today's soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines may make a little more, but they are the REAL heroes. The NFL players only get shot at by cameras.

    Money may not be everything, but we all have a price to pay. (Except Congress, of course!) Today's athletes are privileged. Get REAL.

  • colomtn

    As a veteran I agree 100% with areferee. In boot camp we were considered, and I quote “lower than whale sh** and that's at the bottom of the ocean.”

  • Hansen

    A recent article in USA Today stated the average NFL salary is $1.2 M or $1.9 M (I forget, you can surely google it). In either case, oh boo hoo about the berating and haranguing! Last I checked, you voluntarily signed up for it; you were not forced, tricked, coerced, exploited etc. Its not a sport, its big business and big money. Big money for owners, coaches AND players.

    Try getting a real job. Granted, many working stiffs don't get “harangued” on a daily basis, but it isn't all rainbows in the 8-5/40 week either. You made more in five years than many will ever make. I shed no tears for professional athletes. You chose it! If you don't like it, come join the rest of the real world and struggle to pay the bills.

  • Nisse

    still, saying they have a chose in playing or not playing is bullshit. most most players dont have anything going for them after football.

    but what do we care? as long as they win we couldnt care less.

  • mikebirty

    who cares how much you're paid – no one should ever have to be bullied, which is what this amounts to. I don't care if you're a web designer, an army cadet or an NFL player.

    Why does camp have to be like this? Surely there's a better way?

  • dogheadbrew

    It does not matter how much money you make or how privileged a life you lead, if you are physically and/or mentally tormented you will feel wronged, and if some one is there to listen to you, you will complain about it. There are probably a lot of out-moded testosterone first and punitive approaches in the NFL, and that could probably stand to change. What I take from that, is that these pro athletes do work hard, and don't get to tip-toe through the tulips all day long. They are real people with real feelings.

    That said, they are not heroes because of their jobs. Our service men and women are. Our police and firemen are. Our school teachers are. Our social services counselors and providers are. Football players can be great people and do great things, but it has nothing to do with football.

    One final note. As I remember, and am often wrong, Nate Jackson did an excellent job of having a poor-me attitude which bounced him all over the depth chart and practice squad. I'm not saying what he said was inaccurate, but I would caution one to know the mind set of the source.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XOXBNHDCZQ7XZSCJETAWE3N4UY david

    we could put flowers in their hair and give them all first place ribbons. then tell them there are no looser only winners. the NFL should not even keep score cause it is painful for their psyche. As a matter of fairness we should not have a game,instead just exhibitions so they don't get their feeling hurt. we all know life should be fair and no need for emotional outbursts. It is a form of psychological abuse. why would anyone want to yell at a foot ball player or a military cadet . Yelling can be much more painful than loosing to the ball player . …….In order to succeed at anything You have to evaluate your self then compare your self to the best . Once you know where you stand in comparison to the best you need motivation to push your self beyond what you perceive is humanly possible. To be the best requires encouragement, reward, punishment, fear, even yelling. The best motivational speaker know what buttons to push and when to push them. Patton was not always nice man but neither was Rommel. George Patton said “When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty. It may not sound nice to some bunch of little old ladies at an afternoon tea party”, but it helps my soldiers to remember. You can't run an army without profanity; and it has to be eloquent profanity. An army without profanity couldn't fight its way out of a piss-soaked paper bag. … 'As for the types of comments I make, sometimes I just, By God, get carried away with my own eloquence. All through your Army careers, you men have bitched about what you call “chicken shit drilling”. That, like everything else in this Army, has a definite purpose. That purpose is alertness. Alertness must be bred into every soldier. I don't give a fuck for a man who's not always on his toes. You men are veterans or you wouldn't be here. You are ready for what's to come.”

  • Darwin

    Heroes are defined by what they do not by what is done to them. There is a transcendent quality to their reaction in a highly dangerous or stressful situation. To say being a participant in a certain occupation including the military means someone is an everyday hero diminishes the term.

  • Nisse

    i cant see why a yelling and screaming attitude is the only way to coach football players.
    army guys i can understand, they are trying to make young men murder without questioning the upper command in very questionble situations.
    football players know the coach wants them to win, and doing a certan thing is only making them better players, so the “do not question the upper command” isnt as important, they will do it without being yelled at.
    and if this team is as smart as mcdaniels wants us to believe, i dont se why they have to yell att players to get them to understand that they are doing something wrong.
    and didnt tony dungy use the no yelling attitude? it worked out pretty good for him.

  • Nisse

    i cant see why a yelling and screaming attitude is the only way to coach football players.
    army guys i can understand, they are trying to make young men murder without questioning the upper command in very questionble situations.
    football players know the coach wants them to win, and doing a certan thing is only making them better players, so the “do not question the upper command” isnt as important, they will do it without being yelled at.
    and if this team is as smart as mcdaniels wants us to believe, i dont se why they have to yell att players to get them to understand that they are doing something wrong.
    and didnt tony dungy use the no yelling attitude? it worked out pretty good for him.

  • Nisse

    i cant see why a yelling and screaming attitude is the only way to coach football players.

    army guys i can understand, they are trying to make young men murder without questioning the upper command in very questionble situations.

    football players know the coach wants them to win, and doing a certan thing is only making them better players, so the “do not question the upper command” isnt as important, they will do it without being yelled at.

    and if this team is as smart as mcdaniels wants us to believe, i dont se why they have to yell att players to get them to understand that they are doing something wrong.

    and didnt tony dungy use the no yelling attitude? it worked out pretty good for him.