Jerhawk
Well-known member
Aros":15kkn3lk said:sammyc521":15kkn3lk said:I wonder how different the camps were with Holmgren vs Carroll.Aros":15kkn3lk said:The days of Cheney seem like a million years ago.
I know you could get a lot closer.
Oh A LOT closer. The players and coaches would walk by on their way to and from the practice field and you were inches away from them. A simple chain link fence is all that separated you from them. We chatted with and got autographs from any player we desired (pretty much). Yes it was HOT but always worth it.
Holmgren didn't have music blaring and the pace was nowhere near as upbeat and intense as Carroll's Camps. He was a somber, looming presence that would blow his top and rip open a player or group heavily laced in profanities without warning if he saw something he didn't like. We would say "Mt. Holmgren's blowing his top!" He was feared, but also respected greatly.
He could just as easily be gentle with the fans and tease us lightheartedly as he could blow his fuse on a player or the team. It was unquestionably his way or the highway.
My favorite part was bumping into some of the players at the local watering holes. I drank a pitcher of beer with punter Jeff Feagles and he gave me some nice intel...Truly funny guy and a hell of a punter to boot (see what I did there?)
Training camp now looks and feels more like a sold out rock concert, and while it's still cool to go to, it will never have the charm and intimacy of Cheney, and I will forever miss that, not to mention the people we would hang out with (Les).
Awesome story man. Holmgren would go OFF at random, and it was hilarious. One time the entire team got into a scuffle after Alexander got tackled and roughed up, and Holgmren laid into the entire team.
Funny story, before I was old enough to drive, my mother was trying to parallel park, and one of the players walked behind our car during parking. She slammed on her brakes to not run him over. We looked back and it was Shaun Alexander. That would've been a horrible injury, considering it was before his MVP season