Photo by Tony Gonzales
Sunday, August 10, 2014
By Nick Roach
Linebacker
Twitter: @ricknoach
The game went pretty much like a first preseason game. It was a little bit less sharp than I would have liked, at least for our side of the ball, but I was really happy with how we played. I think we played hard, for sure, but we definitely still have some things we need to clean up in general.
I think the past two weeks have been good from the standpoint of just getting to know each other in general. When you spend 10 or 12 hours a day around people, you get to know their personalities and just how you can work together better; things like that. I think we definitely got a head start on that and then all the reps we're getting together is just going to add in the season and make it a lot easier to communicate with certain guys and how to get them to be as effective as they can be. It's been productive.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
By Nick Roach
Linebacker
Twitter: @ricknoach
I'm excited to go back to the Midwest. A couple of my family members are coming to the game so that'll be cool to see them, and I'm just excited to play a little bit of live action.
We had a little game planning today in practice, and then tonight we'll actually take a look at some film of what they do and we'll start preparing for a real road trip.
The biggest thing for the young guys is the uncertainty. It's just not knowing what to expect and how much more intense it's going to be. An NFL practice is already more intense than college, and so you can't really picture how much more intense a game is going to be compared to college games. There's a natural bit of nervousness and some anxiety, but I don't think it's anything that's unhealthy.
These next days are a small scale of what it's going to be like during the season, like when you have a short week. You get out and you get recovered as fast as you can, whether it's the cold tub, obviously making sure you're stretching and just trying to keep everything loose as you can. That's just kind of how it is; that's the grind of the preseason so it's kind of unavoidable.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
By Nick Roach
Linebacker
Twitter: @ricknoach
Today was a work day. Coach said it probably wasn't our sharpest day, there were just some balls on the ground and some things like that, but the effort was always there which is number one.
The coaches have been sprinkling stuff for the game in over the last couple of days, and because it is only the first game, they won't do too much as far as game plan goes. Tomorrow will still probably be mostly us practicing against ourselves and we may have a period or so on Minnesota.
Training camp is still pretty grinding. It's still the preseason. We haven't even played the first game yet and we have four games. It's a long preseason. It's definitely a mental marathon to stay in it and to every day approach what you need to work on.
The next four weeks are really just like dress rehearsals. What you get is a full go, live look at some of the things we've put in, and getting a chance to actually tackle to the ground, and work on stuff you normally can't do in practice every day, so it does have some value. It's just a month long.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Monday, August 4, 2014
By Nick Roach
Linebacker
Twitter: @ricknoach
This week is the same right now. Before the first preseason game we still do mostly training camp stuff until the last couple days of the week, right before the game, then we'll actually focus on it. Leading up to the game, it'll be pretty similar to what we've been doing, but there's a little bit of a different mindset. In the back of your head you know you're getting ready to play somebody else.
The preseason always takes me back to my rookie year, just the thoughts going through my head, all the uncertainty and all the new experiences, and not knowing what to expect. How confident should I be about not getting a lot of reps when I know I'm going to get a whole bunch of reps? There are just a lot of thoughts swirling through your head as a young guy.
There's something about when a new season is starting out, that the last year is already so far gone that I feel like we have to prove it all over again. We have to make sure we earn everything. I don't take it for granted that I'm starting right now, or that it means I'm the best or anything, I might just be the best available right now.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Saturday, August 2, 2014
By Nick Roach
Linebacker
Twitter: @ricknoach
Today was good, man. It was a nice, little style of practice. It was a change-up from the normal routine. We tried to make it like a game with a couple of series of plays and mix in some special teams.
Knowing Family Day is after practice just makes it so much better. Before training camp, the monotony can kind of get to you, but when you have something nice like this to break it up, just knowing your family is coming up and you get to relax for the rest of the night; it's always good.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Friday, August 1, 2014
By Nick Roach
Linebacker
Twitter: @ricknoach
Today was a good day. DA [Dennis Allen] gave us a little break and took us out of the pads for the day. That was a big deal and a good opportunity for us to get our legs back a little bit and rest up for tomorrow, because tomorrow will be a little more intense with the Family Day practice.
It's always fun. I think we're going to do some non-scripted team drills, so it's always nice to get into a little more realistic team situation. That's when it's really fun; you're just playing football.
The hardest mental adjustment for getting back to football is probably the first couple of days because you go from being off, straight on vacation mode - you may be working out - but you go from that to 12-plus hours a day of football and it takes a few days to get into it. But once you're into it…most guys have been doing it for so many years.
I would say after day two, you feel like you've been there for a week already.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Thursday, July 31, 2014
By Nick Roach
Linebacker
Twitter: @ricknoach
Today was good. I felt pretty good today. I think my legs are starting to get up under me from the first few practices. It finally felt good and it's always fun once we get a few more calls in because we have some more variety with the ball out there, and just more plays we can run against the offense. I try and keep them on their toes.
The second practice after the off day was easier than the first one. Yesterday, I sweated it out a little bit and had to get moving. Coming out here today felt 10-times better.
My routine doesn't change at all today. It's the same thing. The biggest thing for me is to get that nap in the middle of the day. A power nap really serves a big purpose for rejuvenation.
I think you definitely notice big improvements just from day-to-day. Communication has been pretty good actually since the beginning. But I think now with the pads on, and seeing how it works full speed and with a little more finish on plays, you can really tell that we are able to play off each other, just from having these few days and more real-life situations.
We have a pretty physical team. I'm sure everybody would say that. There have been some pretty loud pops since we've been in the pads. Especially number 52 [Khalil Mack]. Khalil is a strong guy. You don't have to watch very many plays to realize that he can pretty much overpower a lot of people.
Photo by Tony Gonzales
Raiders LB Nick Roach will check in during Training Camp 2014, presented by the California National Guard, and update the Raider Nation on what's happening in training camp for the second year in a row. Here is his first blog entry.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
By Nick Roach
Linebacker
Twitter: @ricknoach
Camp is going pretty well so far. I think we're five practices in now, so you're definitely starting to feel the physical fatigue, but it's getting to be a little more fun since we have more of our package in and we have some more plays we can call and we've been doing more competition stuff. It's fun.
The off day was great. As much as we all love playing, it's always good to go hard and then get a little bit of time to rest, so it's nice just being able to go home and spend a little bit of time with the family and kick back a little bit.
I wouldn't say we have rust to knock off after the off day. I would love to actually see some physiological research on what your body actually does when you don't practice for a day and then try to come back. What makes it a little bit more to overcome? I don't think it's necessarily the rust; it's just something about missing a day and then trying to come back on level 10. It's just a hard thing to do.
I think there's something to say just for the focus of going away for camp, because you automatically know that when training camp comes, all you're really going to be thinking about is football, the season, your role, what you can do to get better, your team. So just leaving from your home, it's a whole lot of stuff out of your every day life that you could be potentially distracted by, that, plus the camaraderie of being around guys for 12 hours a day.
I get up around seven, and I like to try to read a little bit before I go to work to kind of set my mind straight and then I go get breakfast. It depends if we lift or meet first, but then I get in a little workout or meet, and then I try to get a nap after lunch for at least 30 minutes. I usually try to get 45 or an hour, and then I get over to practice about an hour before we need to be on the field, just because I don't like to be rushed getting ready and whatnot. I get over there around two and then I get ready to go.
