Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Andy Reid's physical training camp awaits the Chiefs

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- His new teammates tried to prepare Kansas City Chiefs rookie defensive lineman Chris Jones for what he’s about to face in his first training camp under coach Andy Reid.

“Everybody told me we’ve got the hardest training camp in the NFL,’’ said Jones, the Chiefs’ second-round draft pick. “I’m ready to see what it’s all about.’’

The process begins Wednesday as the Chiefs begin a three-day minicamp mostly for rookies and young players at Missouri Western State University.

These practices will offer Jones only a taste since they will be conducted without pads. The Chiefs will don pads next week, shortly after full-squad training camp begins Saturday.

Then Jones will experience a Reid camp in all of its glory. The Chiefs do a considerable amount of hitting once they get the pads on.

For that, Reid offered no apologies.

“I’m sure there are some [camps] that are equal to it or are tougher,’’ Reid said. “The main thing is that we get ourselves right and ready to play. This isn’t a competition to have the toughest camp. … I believe the game is still blocking and tackling. So we do those things. We’re going to get out and work. Nothing comes easy. If you’re going to win the Lombardi Trophy, they don’t just give those things away. You’ve got to go earn that thing. That’s a tough thing to do. You’ve got to be mentally prepared to do that. So that’s the way we do business here and we go about it.’’

Reid said he hasn’t received any pushback from players about his physical camps, at least not since joining the Chiefs in 2013.

“I’ve never worried about that with this crew,’’ Reid said. “When I first got here, they said, ‘Hey, you just tell us what you want to do and we’re going to do it.’ Honestly, that’s been the attitude since I’ve been here. I’ve never worried one bit about this group working, and I’m coming in here thinking it will not be any different [this year].’’

Alex Smith has a different view of Reid’s camps, perhaps because he’s a quarterback and the physical nature of these practices doesn’t apply to him. Quarterbacks in practice wear bright yellow jerseys, a signal to the other players that they are off-limits for any contact.

Smith called Reid’s camp practices “extremely player-friendly as far as our time goes and keeping our bodies fresh.’’

All of the Chiefs’ camp practices except one begin in the morning and finish before noon. So the Chiefs usually beat the often-brutal Missouri summer heat.

“One of my favorite [things] is waking up and practicing,’’ Smith said. “I love practicing first thing in the morning. I think it’s a great simulator for game day. Game day is very similar to that. The noon kickoff at home comes quick. There’s no time for meetings or walk-throughs or film work before a game. Really, it’s eat breakfast and all of a sudden you’re warming up and playing a game.

“I do feel it’s a great tool [to get ready for the season]. You’ve got to be ready to roll.’’

^ Back to Top ^