practicing with the Thunder

I headed to Jerry’s after I got up this morning to pick him and equipment up to take to Lewiston for the practice. We got there early so Jerry could talk with the coach and listen to what he had to say to some of the players who were requested to be there early. I started to get my stuff on. It was fun to put on my gear and get out there. I was a little bit worried about everything as I am one of the smallest guys who plays the line.

We started by running around the field. It is about the same distance as running a lap around the track. Actually it is probably a little less that that. Then we started to stretch. I was feeling like I was having a hard time getting all the air I needed so I took off my helmet when I got to the lines to stretch. I was not the only one. We did our stretches. Then we had to run lines. We did five yard increments form the five to twenty-five yard lines. We did that four times. Then we started to work on some different tackling drills.

I was blocking against some of the different guys or working on making a tackle. It was fun to hit some of the guys. It was not hurting at all. Then I went against Jerry one time. That is when I hurt my thumb. I cowboyed up and kept going and forgot that it was really hurting for the rest of practice.

We broke into groups by position. Linemen in one place and backs in another. They worked on passing and we worked on some of our blocking drills. That went on for a while. We finally got back together and put the stuff together and did blocking plus running some plays. I was having a lot of fun doing that. After practice was over we did our final running. It was a fifty-yard dash with a game of tag included. The loser would have to do ten up-downs. I lost on the first one. I was running down the field when I saw Stu was it. I was one of the last guys around. I turned on the after-burners but Stu had the angle on me. He tagged me as I fell to the ground and slid across it on my shoulder for about five or six feet. It was fun.

Then when I got up and crossed the line someone said who lost. I said I think that would be me. I started to run in place and do the up-downs. On my fifth one I was having a hard time getting up. But the team rallied around me and cheered me on. A couple guys acted as spotters helping me get up. Then when I was done the next run started. They said I did not have to do that one. Another lineman got lost that run. They came back towards me again. Yet another lineman lost. Then I ran the last one. A lineman lost that one.

After the practice I got out of my uniform and was cold and sore, but I had fun. My thumb was now killing me. We went to the Super China Buffet for some lunch/dinner. I got one plate of food and some salad on another plate. There was about six of us there. We just talked football.

Jerry and I headed back to his place. I helped him unload his stuff from my truck and went home. I had to take a shower because I was muddy and dirty for practice. I went to the fire station and the store. I talked to Jenny for a tiny bit down there. When I went home I just relaxed and watched some TV. It was my first night not being on duty in a week. So I did not do anything hard. Around midnight a call came out for an unknown-injury roll over accident North of town. I went on it and it turned out to be non-injury.