With training camps going full-force all around the CFL this week, players in every camp are busy preparing their bodies and minds for the long regular season.
It doesn’t matter if you are a fresh-faced rookie or a grizzled veteran, training camp is both a mental and physical trial as well as a fight for your livelihood.
Couple the strain of two-a-day practices with the stress of new coaches and front office personnel evaluating talent from the first second of camp, and you have the makings of a real-life Survivor situation.
Even in the midst of all that pressure, the Edmonton Eskimos’ second-year safety Sammy Okpro was gracious enough to spend a few minutes with me discussing his state of mind and body heading into training camp.
How do you feel heading into your second camp with the Esks? Prepared? Ready to make an impact?
Sammy Okpro—“Leading up into camp, I was very anxious to get going. It has been a long off-season and I have worked very hard to get ready. While at camp watching rookies, I realized that I wasn’t one anymore. I knew the routine now, which made me feel much better than the previous year. Most definitely, I feel better prepared than training camp last year.
Knowing what to expect makes it much easier to train in the off-season and get your body ready. After a year on the sideline I am ready to contribute wherever the coaches need me to. With that being said, I am also looking to push for the starting safety spot. Wherever they decide to place me, I am definitely ready to make an impact.”
What’s the vibe around Coach Hall? Can you already tell a difference with the new coaching staff?
SO—“Living here in the off-season, I had a chance to meet with Coach Hall and his staff before training camp started. Right from the moment he got here I could tell the difference. With all the off-season acquisitions, we’re already a better team going into camp. Talking about what kind of team we were going to be just got me even more excited heading into camp. Training camp this year has been tough. Pushing ourselves to the limit, with the ideology of getting better everyday.”
How’s the adjustment to a new position going?
SO—“All of last year I have been on the scout team as the safety. For the most part, the adjustment took place last year. However, running scout cards and actually playing safety in Coach Hall’s defence are two different things. With the scheme being vastly complex, it really puts a lot of stress on the mental aspect of the game.”
Did you prepare any differently knowing the change to safety might be coming?
SO—“In January, I was notified that I would actually be making the move to safety. Talking with KP, he explained it was all about how you move, ‘You can be the strongest person on the field, but if you can’t get the ball carrier, what use is it?’ With that in mind, I made it a primary focus to get faster, leaner, and more flexible. I did a lot of running outside in the winter cold which tested my mental strength. I combined that with plenty of footwork in the gym and hot yoga for more flexibility.”
What can you say about all the new faces in camp? Anybody stand out yet?
SO—“For the most part the rookies they have brought in are all men of great character and athletic ability. They are very talented and many of them will be pushing veterans for roster spots. The two guys that stand out most are Mo Lloyd and Kitwana Jones. They were both brought over from Saskatchewan to join Richie Hall in Edmonton. They add an attitude and swagger which was missing here.”
It seems like your team made a conscious choice to get quicker in the secondary this season, on the whole defence actually. Is there a difference in Coach Hall’s system to go along with the new personnel?
SO—“Yes, Coach Hall’s system is very complex, with several defensive play calls. It forces guys to be able to think on the run and adjust to different formations on the fly. With that being said, speed is a necessity in the defence. We will now force teams to throw short and rally to the ball to make tackles.”
Any perks to being a second-year player?
SO—“Yes, because I have now gained the respect of veterans on the team, I am no longer looked at as just a young rookie, but rather a young player about to start his career."
Do you feel a little more comfortable digesting the playbook this year as opposed to breaking in last season?
SO—“Not really, Coach Hall’s system is much different than last year’s playbook. Several more plays have been installed at this point than there were during last year’s training camp. As a safety you are known as the “quarterback” of the defence. This means it is vital that I know my own position as well as everyone else’s position in the secondary. The margin of error is so small that one mistake could lead to a touchdown.”
What goals have you set for yourself for the first half of camp?
SO—“The primary goal I have is to prove that I am ready to play. The secondary goals I have set are to be assignment-sound and to be much better on one-on-one coverage as opposed to last year.”
What’s more important for you at this point—practicing well all camp, or showing well in the Esks’ two pre-season games?
SO—“Both are equally as important, as practice is a mirror image of the way you play. If you perform well in practice, it will be a good indicator of the way you will play on game day. The most important thing is to have fun and fly around.”
Posted Jun 11 2009, 04:22 PM by Jack Bedell
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