Photo by Tony Gonzales
Sunday, August 10, 2014
By Marcel Reece
Fullback
Twitter: @CelReece45
The first preseason game was good. Everybody had fun getting their feet wet. The best thing that was able to come out of it was that we didn't have any major injuries coming out of the game. Really, we got to see the young guys get after it and get some work in. That's always fun to see those young guys feel that excitement and get their feet wet for the first time.
I think that we've really grown as a team the past two weeks. I think guys are getting closer together. We've had a few skirmishes out there at camp during practice, but sometimes that's a good thing. It's nothing too serious and nothing carries on off the field; it's just guys getting after it and being aggressive. I think as a team we're really growing together. It feels good. I think we're really on to something here and these next few weeks are going to be huge for us.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
By Marcel Reece
Fullback
Twitter: @CelReece45
It was a good day today for us, mainly because we're getting ready to go to Minnesota and beat up on somebody else. That's the main goal for us and that's what we're all excited about. That's what's bringing excitement back. We had a good practice today and we're still in training camp mode, but we get to take a break from training camp by preparing for Minnesota now. Most teams have a little more time to prepare, but for us we're more worried about us right now. It's the second week of training camp. Everyone is getting everything under their belts and we're opening up the playbook here in training camp, and then we get here to the first preseason game and the vets get to get their feet wet again and just get the muscle memory back of playing someone else full go and bringing the pain to somebody else. The young guys really get to have their first live action and it's fun for vets like myself to get our plays in and have a good showing, give our fans something to be excited about and then be able to get back on the sideline and not necessarily relax, but focus on the young guys and see what we can help them with and see what they can do better and to cheer them on and help some of these guys make this team.
I look at everybody. I like to see the look in their eyes. I like to see the passion for the game. I like to see them never give up. I like to see them playing hard. I want no hesitation. That's what it's about really, because when those lights come on, that's all you really have. You don't have coaches behind you telling you what to do. You don't have other players screaming from the sideline. You don't have the training camp atmosphere or the practice atmosphere. This is a live game. The lights come on and you have another team, another guy on the other side of the ball trying to make a team too. Everybody's going full go, and it's a fun deal to watch guys grow and if you pay attention to games, you see guys grow every preseason game. Every game you see another young guy grow into themselves as a football player in this league.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
By Marcel Reece
Fullback
Twitter: @CelReece45
Today was a good day for us. Today was just like any other day for us, in that it was a learning day. As an offense we started out doing some really good things. We had a slight lull in our day, but we were able to pick it up a little bit, so we were able to go back and forth with the defense. You like to see that from a team, because once you get to know each other and start going at it, you get to know a team and you start to notice plays, and notice fronts and things like that. You know what's coming, so it was good to get some back and forth going with the defense and talk a little trash.
We did make some progress about finding out who trashed our room. There will be some consequences and repercussions for it, but I can't let it go who did it just yet, but we did find out.
We did some investigative work. Basically, Darren [McFadden] and I accused everyone until someone was guilty. If you start accusing people, someone is definitely going to end up telling on themselves.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Monday, August 4, 2014
By Marcel Reece
Fullback
Twitter: @CelReece45
It was a good day today, man. You come off a day off and you never really know sometimes what to expect as an entire team. Guy's bodies are a little stiffer. It takes a little bit more time to get warmed up, especially when you get into day nine and the second week of camp and it kind of gets repetitive, but today was a good day for us. We had a lot of fun.
D-Mac [Darren McFadden] and I came back to Napa with our room trashed last night. We haven't quite found out who got us, but we think we have a good idea. We did some investigative work and did some work and took some finger prints off all the toilet paper and we're going to get to the bottom of it. If we don't know exactly who, then we'll have to get every room here.
Obviously, the first thing you go to is Taiwan [Jones] and Tyvon [Branch]; that's our first instinct. If it's not them we'll use the process of elimination and narrow it down.
Knowing we're going to play a game on Friday kind of brings all the excitement back. It's human nature after you do something as a routine and do something that's repetitive, you lose a little energy and then you pick it back up and then lose a little energy and pick it back up, but when that first preseason game comes up all the energy just amps right up because you're just ready to hit somebody else to be honest with you. You're ready to beat up on another team and show what you got. It's our first time to really showcase what we have for as many plays as we get, whether it's five plays or 100 plays. You get to show out and show what you've done over this offseason and show how you're going to be better for your team and how your team is going to be better as a whole.
