Why NFL players choose to train @ UM

[SACKMARINO]

WSVN's sports xtra just did a segment on why many NFL players choose to workout with strenght coach Andrew Swasey at University Of Miami as apposed to with their teams during the off-season. this is what mcgahee had to say:

 

i wanna comeback where it all started, its gonna pay off in the long run, i dont know when , i dont know where, but its all gonna pay off

 

Swasey currently trains 20 NFL Players including Edgerrin James, Jeremey Shockey, Bubba Franks, Sean Taylor, Ed Reed, Javon Walker. One of the exercises Swasey has the players do is run in sand, and do the tire exercise in the sand which is supposed to stregthen tendons in the feet and ankels.

 

thats about all they said.

[Sound_n_Fury]

"i dont know where"

 

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

"i dont know where"

 

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NFL Players are fully aware that the length of which they stay with their current team and or they're time in the league in general is usuaully pretty short. I don't read too much into it

[Dennis in NC]

There was a great article a few weeks back, but the link no longer works, so here is the article:

 

Stars do post-grad work at UM field

'Canes in the NFL work out with current players.

By Carlos Frias

 

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

 

Friday, May 06, 2005

 

CORAL GABLES — To participate in football's toughest off-season workouts, you have to remember one rule: Everyone is treated the same at "The U."

 

Former Miami Hurricane players frequently find their way back to campus to train alongside current players, some of whom are future NFL stars. Egos, bank accounts and reputations are checked at the door. MVP awards, national championship trophies and Super Bowl rings aren't going to move that barbell.

 

Effort is the only currency.

 

"Never forget where you came from," Buffalo Bills running back Willis McGahee said. One morning this week, he was one of six former Hurricanes in town, getting ready for the NFL season.

 

McGahee was joined by Jeremy Shockey and William Joseph (New York Giants), Santana Moss (Washington Redskins), Bubba Franks (Green Bay Packers) and Chris Myers, drafted last month by the Denver Broncos.

 

"I like working out with people I started out with," McGahee said. "We just push each other."

 

NFL executives and teammates often grumble when they hear of a former Hurricane skipping voluntary team workouts to train in Coral Gables. Shockey, the Giants' tight end, endured a mini-soap opera in New York last week when teammate Eli Manning publicly asked him to train with his current team instead of returning to his alma mater.

 

When Shockey made a two-day appearance at Giants' camp, his performance and conditioning closed the controversy.

 

"He came up here last week, and he was in the best shape I've ever seen him," Giants General Manager Ernie Accorsi said. "He's not down there laying on a chaise longue."

 

That's why Shockey quickly returned to UM's Fellowship of the Spring.

 

"People around the NFL, they just try to keep you healthy," Shockey said. "Here, they push you with the young kids. It's a lot more aggressive."

 

James began tradition

 

Edgerrin James is the godfather of this program. He was the first to train regularly with former UM teammates, and did it after rushing for more than 1,500 yards in 1999, his rookie season with Indianapolis.

 

His decision to work out with the 'Canes rather than in chilly Indianapolis peeved the elder Manning brother, Colts quarterback Peyton. But James dismissed the criticism and continued with his alma mater. The next season, he rushed for more than 1,700 yards, and word of his training program spread. Now, during any off-season, as many as 15 pros return to work out.

 

Regulars include Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis), Sean Taylor (Washington), Ed Reed (Baltimore) and Jonathan Vilma (New York Jets). Redskins running back Clinton Portis, with the Broncos in 2002-03, irked coach Mike Shanahan by choosing to work out in Coral Gables instead of Denver.

 

Part of the appeal is that current UM players are not awed by the famous alumni.

 

"They come here because they're not celebrities here; they're family," UM wide receiver Ryan Moore said. "They don't have to worry about people coming up to them, watching them. They just do their thing."

 

Shockey, who was drafted in 2002, remembers Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp working out alongside his teammates.

 

"The kids are used to it," Shockey said. "They're not gawking or staring. They're working hard."

 

OK, there are some stares when an $80,000 ride pulls into the parking lot. McGahee backed in his sparkling-new 6-series BMW, black with chromed-out 20-inch rims. Its powerful speakers put out so much bass that nearby windows shook. More than one college kid scrunched his face into a painful look that said, "That ride is too hot."

 

But if a freshman asks for an autograph during a workout, he'll learn a harsh lesson.

 

"That's just not done," UM lineman Alex Pou said. "They'll get on you pretty good for that."

 

UM strength and conditioning coach Andreu Swasey maintains the serious tone, chewing out the pros when necessary, as if they still were students.

 

"Everybody likes the glamour life, wants to feel special," Swasey said, "but they want to belong, too."

 

Finding 'a brotherhood'

 

The pros arrive in early April, lifting weights and running agility drills with UM players, who push their pro counterparts.

 

"I think it's harder than the NFL," McGahee said. "These guys are hungry; they're at the stage where they're trying to get to the next level."

 

The Hurricanes, young and old, drill with typical UM swagger and just the right amount of trash talk.

 

"If you slack a little bit, they're going to let you know about it," former UM quarterback Derrick Crudup said.

 

A trip to South Florida wouldn't be complete without a visit to "South Beach." That's what the players call the sand pit at the edge of the practice field, where Swasey puts them through intense agility drills in the blazing sun.

 

Shockey came back for more this spring because he felt he had lost some of his edge. When he rejoined his Giants teammates briefly, he impressed onlookers.

 

"Make no mistake: I'd rather have him here for the simple reason of 'team,' where Eli could throw to him," the Giants' Accorsi said. "That being said ... there's no question in my mind he's working."

 

The Giants know the UM work ethic firsthand. In recent years, they have had several UM players, including Micheal Barrow, Jesse Armstead, Joseph and Shockey.

 

"There are a lot of great programs in this country, but I have said for years I've never seen anything quite like the brotherhood at the University of Miami," Accorsi said. "I have just a great respect for them."

 

Miami has put 21 players into the first round of the NFL Draft in the past five years, and 43 in the past 20 years.

 

"It's no secret that when our guys go to the NFL, they are well-prepared physically and mentally," Swasey said.

 

Devin Hester, UM's electrifying return man and cornerback, already has the NFL look down, from his eye-popping moves to the 22-inch chrome rims on his older Ford SUV.

 

Seeing former 'Canes flock home only makes him appreciate the brotherhood more.

 

"You can really see it's a great tradition," Hester said. "It's like a family. Once you're here, you can't stay away."

[SACKMARINO]

they also said the U makes them sign a waiver so they cant come after them if they get hurt there, and also they said if Swasey were to add up the contracts of the players he trains it would come to

 

350 million

 

wow

[BRH]

Part of the appeal is that current UM players are not awed by the famous alumni.

 

"They come here because they're not celebrities here; they're family," UM wide receiver Ryan Moore said. "They don't have to worry about people coming up to them, watching them. They just do their thing."

 

Shockey, who was drafted in 2002, remembers Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp working out alongside his teammates.

 

"The kids are used to it," Shockey said. "They're not gawking or staring. They're working hard."

I can dig this, but how is this different from training with your actual NFL team?

[Mark VI]

Does Swasey also moonlight as a bail bondsman ? That could be a key factor.

[Ramius]

Theres also the saying that i heard down here in tally, referring to the high crminal rate at UM that

"going to UM gets the players used to wearing orange"

[erynthered]

Theres also the saying that i heard down here in tally, referring to the high crminal rate at UM that

"going to UM gets the players used to wearing orange"

   

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There's no ScUM without UM

[Guest BackInDaDay]

I have no problem with anyone's allegiance to their old school, but I don't think it's by accident that there are many Rosenhaus clients amoung the pros that attend.

 

Before FA in the NFL, players knew their fortunes were tied to the guys playing beside them 'until trade or retirement do you part'. Now, that degree of allegiance to one's teammates may be detrimental to one's wallet. It's in Rosenhaus' (and any other agent's) best interest to strengthen the college bonds, rather than those that may form with the pro club. Less trouble convincing his clients they should shop their skills around when they can.

[scribo]

On the surface it seems fine to me. A bunch of A-list players working hard together. Hopefully they are sharing training and playing tips. I am strong believer that those who train with stars have a much better chance at becoming stars. Plus they’ve got a top of line strength and conditioning coach supervising.

 

But now look at Sean Taylor. He’s in a good deal of trouble down there. I guess it could have happened whether he was in Miami or D.C. He did get a DWI in D.C. last year. But I don’t like the fact that McGahee is hanging with players like Taylor. TD tries to build a team of players who keep their noses clean. As much as anything else, that is to help the younger players stay out of trouble.

 

Oh well, hopefully, McGahee stays as far from Taylor as possible after training sessions.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I can dig this, but how is this different from training with your actual NFL team? 

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The theory which is totally true om some cases and not important at all in others is that by training with your teammates it can help the team become a TEAM as you build chemistry and push each other to do better.

 

As best as I can tell there is no rule of you must be with the team for a voluntary worjout or its better to stay at a separae location with other athletes to workout.

 

If we're taling about the Pats they have achieved far more as a whole than should reasonably be expected from the added up talents of the individuals that I would encourage any and every player to hang with the team.

 

However, there are also many examples of teams where probably due to the example set by leaders of the group individual players play is probably diminished witth all the partying they do.

 

Likewise there are certainly individuals like Larry Centers who vocally told GW to go jump in the lake when GW expressed disappointment that Centers did not attend his first voluntary practice and expressed general concern about players not being ready to play.

 

Centers has a clear record of always showing up buff and ready to go and needed no hand holding.

 

GW should have made it clear that he knew Centers did not need hand-holding but that he needed Centers to be there to set an example for younger players about sacrificing your individual desires for the team. Centers should be around not cause he needs it but to show youngsters what it takes.

 

The Bills seem to have OK chemistry even without everyone being there. WM, MW are two of the prominent no shows who seem to have worked out productively on their own and as long as the Ws are there who cares whether they are there or not. Team leadership needs to make a judgment as Moulds did when he called Travis in last year whether an individual player lacks commitment and discipline and needs to be around or whether the team chemistry profits from the whole gang hanging out together.

[SF Bills Fan]

I don't care where he trains as long as it makes him better.