WEBVTT - #705 Packers Unscripted: Rookie recap 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:10.760 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:13.840 Packers dot com. I am Mike Spofford. He is my 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:16.639 partner in Crime West and Hodkowitz. We're coming to you 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:19.639 from different locations at lambeau Field and West. Speaking of 0:00:19.720 --> 0:00:23.000 different locations, you are in a brand new spot. My friend, 0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:26.799 tell me, tell me what sent you from whence you 0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:27.880 are now coming? 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:30.560 Well, Duke Bobber is the one that sent me from 0:00:30.560 --> 0:00:34.520 whence I'm now coming. When you use your boss's office 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:36.920 too much, eventually he just kicks you out. So I 0:00:36.920 --> 0:00:39.760 think actually the format of the show now moving forward 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:41.600 should be I just end up in random parts of 0:00:41.600 --> 0:00:45.800 the building for Packers Unscripted today, we are coming to 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:49.440 you live from the fifth floor suites or the hallways 0:00:49.479 --> 0:00:51.000 right outside of it. I'll be honest with you, Mike, 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:53.360 this is pretty nice. It's my first time seven years 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:56.000 is a Green Bay Packers employee, my first time ever 0:00:56.040 --> 0:00:58.000 being on the fifth floor, and uh huh. 0:00:58.040 --> 0:00:59.640 I could get used to this, okay. 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.360 I like the I like the nice, nice new look. 0:01:02.400 --> 0:01:04.840 I like the background looks shark well at. 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:06.880 The feel I think is what Tyler Gayeski calls it 0:01:06.959 --> 0:01:07.680 depth Okael. 0:01:07.920 --> 0:01:10.520 Okay, Well, that would yes, that would be Tyler. Tyler, 0:01:10.600 --> 0:01:15.640 our meticulous photographer in our in our uh video department. Well, 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:18.919 we're here to talk about the happenings of this past 0:01:19.000 --> 0:01:22.480 weekend at lambeau Field, and specifically I'm talking about the 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:28.640 annual Rookie Mini Camp, the introduction of the draft class, 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:32.920 the undrafted rookies, also several tryout players who were taking 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.800 a crack at making the ninety man offseason roster, and 0:01:35.840 --> 0:01:38.000 we'll talk about that a little more later on in 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.399 the show as well. But Rookie Mini Camp has come 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:45.039 and gone now for twenty twenty three. And what were 0:01:45.080 --> 0:01:48.960 your impressions, Wes? What what sticks with you? As as now? 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:50.920 The next time we're going to see these players on 0:01:50.960 --> 0:01:53.880 the field will be during OTA's got our first look 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:55.120 at him this past weekend. 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:58.040 Yeah, as always, Mike, I mean, you take the Rookie 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:00.480 Mini Camp with the grain of salt, because on these 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:02.760 guys are just trying to understand the process here in 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:04.880 Green Bay. They're trying to teach him how to practice, 0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:08.560 what the expectations are. In two it's really our first 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:10.960 time getting in front of these players in the locker room. 0:02:11.000 --> 0:02:13.880 So those are always the biggest two takeaways from this weekend. 0:02:14.520 --> 0:02:18.120 But I'll be honest with you, in my now ten 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:22.079 years twelve years covering rookie mini camps, I don't know 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:25.399 if I've ever seen anybody more physically impressive than Lucasfanas. 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:28.240 Uh he. It's one thing. 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:30.200 When you and I are sitting here writing these bulletin 0:02:30.240 --> 0:02:32.640 reports and during the draft and doing the stories and 0:02:32.720 --> 0:02:35.560 asking the questions afterwards. It's one thing to look at 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:38.720 six foot five, two hundred and seventy two pounds, eighty 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:42.600 one inch wingspan, seventeen size shoe, as he told us 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:45.200 in the locker room on Friday, But when you actually 0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:47.200 see him out on the field, and even look at 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:50.920 some of Evan Siegel's photos, Lucas fan asked for a 0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:55.120 twenty one year old man, is a pretty impressive physical specimen. 0:02:55.160 --> 0:02:59.680 And as important and as as deep as this draft 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:03.720 I feel was for Green Bay in terms of finding 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:05.799 the guy that getting off the bus is going to 0:03:05.840 --> 0:03:08.760 strike fear into opponents. I think the Packers hit the 0:03:08.760 --> 0:03:10.800 target with Lucas Fanas. Yeah. 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:13.400 It is interesting, how because we spend so much time 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:16.440 both pre draft, during the draft, the you know, the 0:03:16.480 --> 0:03:19.040 heights and weights and all the measurables, and you know, 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:21.639 the numbers are just the numbers, right, And then suddenly 0:03:22.120 --> 0:03:25.680 you see you see these these young men in person, 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.959 and it's like, oh, the numbers, the numbers actually mean something, 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:33.000 They represent something, and they do make a physical impression 0:03:33.040 --> 0:03:33.280 on you. 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:33.760 I was. 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:36.680 I was also impressed, not not in the same way 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:40.160 in terms of just overall stature, but in watching the 0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:44.320 two tight ends, Luke Musgrave and Tucker Craft. Now granted 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:47.480 this is just you know, running around in shorts and helmets, 0:03:47.520 --> 0:03:50.720 you know, no no pads or anything like that, but 0:03:50.800 --> 0:03:52.840 you can see why the packers are so high on 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:56.640 the athleticism of these tight ends and the potential different 0:03:56.960 --> 0:04:01.440 dimension that they could bring to the offense. Obviously, there's, uh, 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:03.320 there's a long way to go in terms of them, 0:04:03.480 --> 0:04:06.080 you know, learning the playbook and and you know, the 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.040 coaches figuring out exactly what their roles are going to 0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:12.720 be and and and what they do best. But when 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:14.560 you see a couple of tight ends that are six 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:17.760 five sixty six and look like you know, they're maybe 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:20.640 a half step slower than the wide receivers so to speak, 0:04:20.680 --> 0:04:22.880 you know, not not that much difference in terms of 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:25.680 that off the off the line of scrimmage speed and 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:28.960 and breaking into routes and and whatnot. It does, Uh, 0:04:29.000 --> 0:04:30.880 it does make an impression on you. And it'll just 0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:34.400 it'll be interesting just to watch these players develop now 0:04:34.440 --> 0:04:36.960 through OTAs and then into training camp and put the 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:39.800 pads on for the first time. It's a h I 0:04:39.880 --> 0:04:42.719 don't care whether you're Tucker Craft coming from South Dakota 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:45.200 State or whether you're Lucas van Ness coming from you know, 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:48.279 Iowa and the Big Ten to the NFL. It's a 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:51.800 it's a big it's a big step physically and mentally 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:54.159 and uh and quite frankly, these young men don't have 0:04:54.240 --> 0:04:56.480 a whole lot of time, especially if you're going to 0:04:56.520 --> 0:04:59.080 be counted on to play and contribute early. They don't 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:01.080 have a whole lot of time to get ready for 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:04.159 it and prepare for it. But you know, but they're 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:05.880 going to be asked to They're gonna be asked to 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:08.560 do everything they can to be ready for week one. 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:09.200 Yeah. 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:12.159 Especially you know, if if Mercedes Lewis isn't back, you 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:14.880 have two guys at six foot five, six foot six 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:18.080 in that ballpark of two hundred and fifty five pounds. 0:05:18.520 --> 0:05:21.560 That are the I don't want to. 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:25.120 Say only inline traditional tight ends on the roster, but 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:29.279 Josiah Deguara obviously more that Swiss army knife, that h 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:32.400 back type of role. Tyler Davis is still you know, 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:35.440 has the frame to be a really solid tight end, 0:05:35.520 --> 0:05:38.320 but you know was a former college quarterback, had had 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:41.960 to make that transition to tight end. Luke muskrat in 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:44.360 Tucker Kraft, I mean, these guys have been tight end 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:46.800 since birth basically. I mean when you look at the 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:49.920 way they're built and the way in which they can accelerate. 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:52.320 I forget who was saying this to me after the 0:05:52.839 --> 0:05:58.360 rookie mini camp got done, I believe on Saturday, looking 0:05:58.400 --> 0:06:00.960 at them running just some of the routes on air, 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:04.240 and there was a period where there you know, it's 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:06.440 the quarterbacks, and then some of the assistant coaches are 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:10.120 throwing passes. They're doing like five wide type sets, and 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:15.960 both Craft and Musgrave took passes underneath and the way 0:06:16.040 --> 0:06:18.480 in which they not only caught the ball in rhythm 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:22.120 but then accelerated upfield. Again, there's no pads, there's no defense. 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:24.599 You always want to add these caveats, but Yeah, you 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:26.640 can just tell that these guys are different type of 0:06:26.680 --> 0:06:29.880 athletes and in that same vein you know, Jaden Reid 0:06:30.160 --> 0:06:35.240 I thought very much came as advertised. The conversation I 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:38.960 had with Larry mcchaern about this was he's just a smooth, 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:42.880 smooth football player. He gets in and out of his brakes. 0:06:42.920 --> 0:06:45.760 And it's one thing to be successful when you're cutting 0:06:45.800 --> 0:06:48.480 and you're you're doing change of direction stuff, but when 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:51.479 you can do it with fluidity, I think that's where 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:53.839 you see these Tyreek Hills of the world sort of 0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:57.720 separate themselves. And in that regard, I think Jayden Reid 0:06:57.800 --> 0:07:00.120 has a lot of intangibles that you look for and 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:03.520 this next generation of receivers. So as far as those 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:06.279 first two days of the NFL Draft were concerned, I 0:07:06.360 --> 0:07:11.960 felt like watching those four players perform on Friday and Saturday, 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:16.120 they are what they are supposed to be. From an 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:17.720 athletic standpoint. 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:21.239 Yeah, I would totally agree. We also get our first chance, 0:07:21.240 --> 0:07:24.120 obviously to meet these players, to talk to them, you know, 0:07:24.240 --> 0:07:26.680 try to try to get a sense of their personalities 0:07:26.720 --> 0:07:30.240 and whatnot a little bit. And over the next you know, 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:32.240 week and a half, two weeks Wes and I'll have 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:36.520 some some follow up stories on these draft picks based 0:07:36.520 --> 0:07:38.760 on some of those interviews and other things that we 0:07:39.040 --> 0:07:41.920 dig into. But in terms of those impressions, I just 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.800 I have to say I have to give Penn State 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:48.440 quarterback Sean Clifford a heck of a lot of credit 0:07:48.520 --> 0:07:51.920 because the media, you know, the media comes in for 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:56.200 the open locker room session to do interviews, and what's 0:07:56.280 --> 0:07:59.920 immediately noticed by everybody, of course, is that Sean Clifford 0:07:59.920 --> 0:08:04.320 is sitting in Aaron Rodgers old locker and you know 0:08:04.440 --> 0:08:07.000 it's it's his name played up there, Clifford number eight, 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:11.760 but it's where Rogers has been forever, right. And as 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:14.840 the media in waves, you know, come up to Clifford 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:18.480 to to talk to him, he's you know, asked by 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:21.520 you know what, maybe at least a dozen different reporters, Hey, 0:08:21.560 --> 0:08:24.200 did you know that this is Aaron rodgerss like, yeah, yeah, 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:26.800 I think somebody informed me of that along the way. 0:08:27.160 --> 0:08:29.720 And he, I mean, to his credit, he uh, you know, 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:32.040 he even made a joke about it that that you know, 0:08:32.520 --> 0:08:34.439 he was he came to Green Bay on a pre 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:37.600 draft visit and saw in the locker room where Aaron 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:40.079 Rodgers locker was and then now when he comes back 0:08:40.120 --> 0:08:42.760 as a draft pick like that was his locker, I'd 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:46.319 imagine that that is something that that feels a little overwhelming. 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:50.080 But to Clifford's credit, you know, all he's you know, 0:08:50.160 --> 0:08:52.560 all he talked about. All he's focused on is to 0:08:53.000 --> 0:08:55.400 is to learn the playbook, to get the offense down 0:08:55.520 --> 0:09:00.400 to to uh to play whatever role the coaches need 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:03.760 him to play relative to Jordan Love while also competing, 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:06.680 you know, with Danny Ettling for the backup quarterback spot, 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:10.320 and that competition will really get going, you know, a 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:12.560 little bit in OTAs, but even in a more full 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:15.480 fledged sense in you know, training camp, in the preseason games. 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:18.959 But the first impression of Sean Clifford is this is 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:22.680 this feels like a very grounded young man who has 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:26.480 has quite the head on his shoulders. And you can 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:29.200 just tell he's an experienced guy. You know, forty plus 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:32.280 starts at Penn State, thirty plus victories as a starting 0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:35.600 as a starting quarterback in the Big Ten, and I 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:37.360 think he's going to be an interesting guy to get 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:40.360 to know as as his rookie season goes along well. 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:43.160 And I think the same thing of like a Stetson Bennett, right, 0:09:43.240 --> 0:09:46.679 Like these guys that have played in big moments in 0:09:47.320 --> 0:09:51.839 football hungry cities, in college campuses. They come in as 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:54.720 Day three picks, but in reality they kind of have 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:57.120 a Day one mindset in terms of how they approach 0:09:57.200 --> 0:10:00.440 the job. When you look at Clifford situation, and again, 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:03.240 a kid that beat out Will Levis for Penn State's job, 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:05.880 he rotated with him the first year there and then 0:10:06.200 --> 0:10:10.320 ultimately Levis decided to transfer and then was the man 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:14.440 for the next what two and a half years. So 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:17.880 the other thing too, that I think people have to understand, like, well, 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:20.240 why would they give away Aaron Rodgers locker with the 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:23.120 thirteen player draft class. This isn't like the Mike McCarthy 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:25.439 era ten years ago where seventh round picks were just 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:28.000 kind of thrown into the Green Mile with all the 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:31.520 other undrafted guys. The Packers give lockers to all their 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:35.160 draft picks in the main area. If you don't make 0:10:35.160 --> 0:10:37.559 the team, then they'll transition you back to the practice 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:40.960 squad or the Green Mile. So with a thirteen player 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:43.760 draft class and as many returning players they have, I 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:46.760 think there's like maybe three lockers in the entire main 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:49.680 area right now that aren't spoken for, and one of 0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:52.360 them is directly next to Jordan Love. And if you 0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:55.560 know anything about the way that we do press conferences 0:10:55.559 --> 0:10:58.760 here in Green Bay, you absolutely do not want to 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:04.360 have a locker immediately directly next to the starting quarterback. 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:07.000 So you need to have some room there for that individual. 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:09.439 But all that being said, I thought Clifford took it 0:11:09.480 --> 0:11:10.839 and stride in. To be honest with you when you're 0:11:10.840 --> 0:11:13.160 talking about this. I had a conversation with Sarah Quick 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:16.040 Or assistant director of PR on Saturday after Grant two 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:19.200 Boys got done, and I'm a really interesting conversation between 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:23.320 my among myself and Grant and Jason Wilding Cassidy Hill, 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:25.240 and I said, I was like, man, I've just been 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:27.240 blown away by you know, Grant in a lot of 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:29.319 these prospects. And Sarah even mentioned she's like, yeah, I 0:11:29.360 --> 0:11:32.160 think all the guys are really good last weekend, and 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:34.839 I have to agree. I mean, I thought if I 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:37.680 didn't get to everybody but watching between watching the videos 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:41.160 and participating in these interviews, I just I mean, you 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:44.199 could see why these players jumped off the page to 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:46.719 Green Bay, regardless of whether it's a Lucas van S 0:11:47.200 --> 0:11:51.960 or a kid, you know, like Quarantine Carenton Valentine from Kentucky, 0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:54.640 twenty one years old in the seventh round. You can 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:57.280 just sense that fire with them and just that professionalism 0:11:57.320 --> 0:11:59.720 and the idea that I, hey, I'm striving for something 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:02.320 more here in Green Bay. And for that reason, I 0:12:02.320 --> 0:12:04.480 think once training camp comes around in July, this is 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:07.160 going to be a very exciting year to be covering 0:12:07.200 --> 0:12:08.280 the Green Bay Packers. 0:12:08.559 --> 0:12:11.720 Yeah, well, do keep an eye out over the next 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:14.400 couple of weeks, Wes, and I'll have follow up stories 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:18.120 based on some of those interviews over Rookie Mini Caamp 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:22.400 Weekend on the Draft Picks. Some interesting stories to be 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:25.719 told there and another story and interview I want to 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:27.360 get to in a moment, Wes, But I will take 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:31.600 care of some sponsor business. Serious XMNFL Radio delivers hard 0:12:31.679 --> 0:12:34.520 hitting analysis and up to the minute NFL news that 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:38.200 true football fanatics need twenty four to seven, three sixty 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:40.400 five and have cousin subs. We have something for everyone, 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:43.080 like our Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Mac and Cheese, Golden Prize 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:45.880 and creamy shakes, all paired with your favorite sub or 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:49.720 sub and a bowl cousin subs fifty years of better. 0:12:51.400 --> 0:12:53.360 All right, a. 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:57.040 Story that you wes have already posted on our website. 0:12:57.080 --> 0:13:02.120 Earlier this week, the pack were allocated a player for 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:06.000 the first time in what the NFL calls the International 0:13:06.640 --> 0:13:11.280 Pathway Program, and it's a young man named Kenneth Odemegu 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:17.000 from Nigeria. Has a very interesting story and you've already 0:13:17.000 --> 0:13:18.880 written about it. It's on our site for anybody who 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:21.480 wants to check it out. I will just say six 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:23.960 ft six, two hundred and fifty nine pounds. He is 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:26.640 quite the athlete, and you meant used to use the 0:13:26.679 --> 0:13:33.240 phrase physical specimen earlier. He certainly falls into that category. 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:37.720 But this is you talk about literally learning the game 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:41.400 of football from scratch and trying to go from being 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:45.840 being an athlete and a very impressive looking one, to 0:13:46.520 --> 0:13:49.400 all the way to becoming an NFL player as an adult, 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:52.640 you know, a as a young man. This is going 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:55.920 to be a very interesting story here, and he certainly 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:57.320 has an interesting story to tell. 0:13:57.600 --> 0:13:59.520 Yeah, he definitely does, Mike, and it's funny to me too. 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:03.080 You're mentioned the physical specimen. Well, much like Lucas Vaness, 0:14:03.160 --> 0:14:07.160 who has the nickname Hercules Kenneth Dumagu. He actually also 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:10.439 has the nickname Hercules, so those two are gonna have 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:12.720 to kind of banter and battle over this thing. But 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:16.360 you can see why, I mean the most impressive thing 0:14:16.360 --> 0:14:18.440 about him. In addition to just that, you know, it 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:20.640 was such a fun interaction he had with the media 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:22.200 and just kind of telling a little bit of his 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:26.200 story and where he comes from. When Odemagu actually said 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:28.720 a year ago, I didn't even know what a line. 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:29.360 Of scrimmage is. 0:14:29.720 --> 0:14:33.440 To today, I mean now being in a position and 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:36.160 he's grateful for it. To learn the game at the 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:39.720 highest level from some of the best coaches and practitioners 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:42.360 of the sport is going to be very exciting for him. 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:44.240 For as much as he didn't know, though, I really 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:45.640 give him a lot of credit for the amount of 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:49.120 time he spent really diving into the sport first and 0:14:49.200 --> 0:14:53.840 foremost oc Yu Manura. You look at the International Pathway Program, 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:57.400 everything they've done out in London to try to grow 0:14:57.480 --> 0:15:01.400 the game internationally but also give people opportunity that maybe 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.240 not otherwise would have had them to play this sport. 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:07.680 Odemegu is a perfect example of that, because this is 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:10.640 a kid that grew up in Nigeria playing soccer. 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:13.280 He outgrew the sport. I mean, you don't see a lot. 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:15.880 Of six foot six, two hundred and sixty pound, you know, 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:19.560 soccer players, midfielders out on the field. He transitioned to 0:15:19.600 --> 0:15:25.080 basketball and ultimately working through educational basketball program out in Nigeria. 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:28.640 They felt like, hey, his best spot potentially could be football. 0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:31.240 Oman Eura looked at him, said, hey, you're a defensive end. 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:33.520 Brought him into his camp at the NFL Africa camp 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:37.240 in Ghana. He won the Defensive MVP award there. As 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:39.240 he said, he still has yet to actually play an 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:41.720 organized football game. All of this has been training and 0:15:41.800 --> 0:15:44.920 combines and all those things. But he's been staying up, 0:15:44.920 --> 0:15:47.240 you know, since coming to the United States in January. 0:15:47.520 --> 0:15:49.920 In addition to his physical training he's been doing, he's 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:53.280 been reading about this sport. He's been watching videos on YouTube, 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:56.200 which is something omen Eura kind of suggested to him 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:59.040 to do. And he talked about the decision he made 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:01.200 with his parents iding to try to make a run 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:03.400 at the sport, and there was a really good quote 0:16:03.400 --> 0:16:05.080 in there that I tweeted it afterwards. That was one 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:07.280 of my favorite bits just one little simple line where 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:10.120 he said there was something inside of me, something inside 0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:12.200 my heart that made me feel like this is possible. 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:14.440 And here he is chasing the dream. He already had 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:16.800 a chance to meet with Shan Gary. He'll be working 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:21.440 in that outside linebacker room with Preston Smith and Jason Rebrovich. 0:16:20.960 --> 0:16:23.360 And a neat moment. 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:25.640 Two on Saturday, you know he's going out there, he's stretching, 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:28.120 and Matt Lafleur, who actually wasn't here on Friday because 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:32.640 he was down in Madison for Greg Guards cancer charity, 0:16:33.000 --> 0:16:36.400 you know, fundraiser. Just a little bit of a fifth 0:16:36.400 --> 0:16:41.200 step from Matt Lafleur to odemagu at the beginning of practice, 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:43.720 and it's just like those are the little moments that 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:46.520 you know, to the onlookers you might not quite understand 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:48.200 what that means. But for a kid like this that 0:16:48.360 --> 0:16:52.440 is basically dedicated his life to the past year towards 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:55.040 being one of these eight players that did get allocated 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:57.960 to an NFL team, eternally grateful for and as he said, 0:16:57.960 --> 0:16:59.600 he wants to be a pioneer for the sport. He 0:16:59.640 --> 0:17:01.480 wants to and not only try to excel in this 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:03.720 and learn how to play it in the NFL level, 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:05.560 but also bring it back to his home country and 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:08.399 give kids the same opportunity he's been afforded now in 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:08.920 Green Bay. 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:09.560 Yeah. 0:17:09.600 --> 0:17:12.600 Well, it's a story that starts out as you know, 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:15.359 the longest of long shots, right, So it'll be really 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:19.320 interesting to see how this unfolds and the Packers will. 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:24.679 As an International Pathway Program player, he essentially is guaranteed 0:17:24.680 --> 0:17:27.159 a spot on the ninety man offseason roster all the 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:30.360 way through training camp, and then if he doesn't make 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:33.520 the fifty three man roster, which is the most likely scenario, 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:37.720 there is a practice squad exemption for him to be 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:40.520 able to stick around. So the Packers if they want 0:17:40.560 --> 0:17:43.639 to keep him on the practice squads, he becomes the 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:46.480 seventeenth practice squad player and you still have your normal 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:51.800 allocation of sixteen in players in that regard. Go ahead. 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:53.359 Yeah, And if I made too Mike, when you were 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:55.040 talking about the longest of long shots, I want to 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:57.240 make this point because it's not like, oh, they just 0:17:57.320 --> 0:17:59.560 found Odemega and it's like, yep, you're gonna come to 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:02.159 the NFL. Well, there was a pretty long process for 0:18:02.240 --> 0:18:05.120 him to make it the camp in Ghana him going 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:08.040 to the combine. Thirty eight players were invited to the 0:18:08.040 --> 0:18:12.240 combine in London, which was I think five days before 0:18:12.400 --> 0:18:15.720 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, five days before the Packers played 0:18:15.760 --> 0:18:19.720 the Giants. From that, only eight players were selected to 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:22.600 be allocated. It's two NFL divisions. I believe it was 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:24.240 the NFC North and I want to say it was 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:26.760 the AFC West was the other one. Those are the 0:18:26.760 --> 0:18:29.440 only two divisions this year that have this allocation process. 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:31.520 It's not like, okay, well they had thirty eight players 0:18:31.680 --> 0:18:33.399 and they just pushed them all around the league. 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:35.040 Only eight guys got to do this. 0:18:35.119 --> 0:18:39.920 So it tells you exactly how high both the Omenyurra 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:42.399 is on this but also the NFL to give him 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:43.240 this opportunity. 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:46.840 Yeah, and the Packers have already switched him, so to speak. 0:18:46.880 --> 0:18:49.359 He was in the original announcement. He was announced as 0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:51.919 a defensive lineman at six six, two fifty nine. The 0:18:51.960 --> 0:18:56.400 Packers have decided to to try to craft him, mold 0:18:56.480 --> 0:18:59.760 him as an outside linebacker in you know, with that 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:04.359 that Preston Smith sort of size and frame and uh 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:07.440 and hey, if oc Umnyura can do something for the Packers, 0:19:07.440 --> 0:19:10.159 aside from break the fans' hearts in those some of 0:19:10.160 --> 0:19:14.920 those uh bosses previously. Yeah, maybe uh maybe something uh 0:19:15.240 --> 0:19:17.520 something good to come out. I kid, of course, oc 0:19:17.680 --> 0:19:22.480 Umnyora is a tremendous, tremendous ambassador for the NFL, even 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:25.800 though uh he was the the enemy to Packers fans 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:28.800 on the wrong side of things in some of those postseasons. 0:19:28.840 --> 0:19:32.720 But we'll close close on this one west. As far 0:19:32.760 --> 0:19:36.240 as the news over the weekend from Rookie Mini Camp, 0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:41.679 there were fourteen players who were invited to the Packers 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.800 rookie Mini camp on a tryout basis, and in that respect, 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:49.360 they're you know, essentially trying to earn a contract as 0:19:49.440 --> 0:19:53.600 an undrafted rookie, as an undrafted free agent onto that 0:19:53.800 --> 0:19:56.760 ninety man offseason roster, and the Packers ended up signing 0:19:57.920 --> 0:20:03.560 three tryout players, Broughton Hatcher, a long snapper from Old Dominion, 0:20:03.960 --> 0:20:08.600 William Hooper, a cornerback from Northwestern State, and Antonio Moultrie, 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:14.119 a defensive lineman from Alabama Birmingham, u AB. And on 0:20:14.280 --> 0:20:16.960 the news side of things, other than obviously watching these 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:19.800 players to see if you know who might be the 0:20:19.840 --> 0:20:22.520 next you know, Lucas Patrick the you know, the tryout 0:20:22.520 --> 0:20:25.480 that player nobody had ever heard of, who maybe ends 0:20:25.520 --> 0:20:28.919 up becoming a regular player in the NFL. But Hatcher, 0:20:29.000 --> 0:20:32.320 the long snapper from Old Dominion, has replaced Jack Coco 0:20:32.560 --> 0:20:37.760