NEW BEGINNINGS!
Wow, what a week this has been! As many of you may know, I was named the starter for the 2007
season and this was stunning news to me. Many people have asked me did I know this was coming
and the answer is NO! I was as shocked as most of you are.
The day started as a normal day. I lifted weights like I normally do and then went to lay down in the
players lounge until it was time for team meetings. One of my teammates woke me up about 5
minutes before the meeting was to begin. I went into the locker room, where I sat down next to
Bobby McCray, who said to me "Congratulations". I had no idea what he was talking about, so I said,
"what are you talking about?" He thought that I knew the news but I really had no idea what he was
talking about. As it turns out, I was probably the last person to find out the news. Everyone in the
locker room had this puzzled look on their faces.
I was greeted outside the locker room by my quarterback's coach, Mike Shula who asked me "where
have you been, you heard the news right?" He said Jack wanted to talk to me in his office, so off I
went.
I sat down with Coach Del Rio and he explained to me the decision to make me the starter and the
rest is history. I don't think that I was able to breath for about 10 minutes. I thought I was still asleep
on the couch and dreaming.
Needless to say, I feel like I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime, one that I have been
waiting for since the day I was drafted. I am excited about being the starter and helping this team
become champions.
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May 16, 2007
MUCH NEEDED TIME OFF:
Hello everyone. I survived the first mini-camp. Of course it's not as hot as July training camp, but it
was still a little hot out there. Overall, I am very pleased with passing camp. It was the first chance to
get a peek at the rookie talent that has been added to the team. One major difference is the speed
of the receivers. It is very obvious that we are a whole lot faster now and the competition is going to
be interesting. Our third round pick, Mike Walker, has great hands and was pretty much catching
everything thrown his way. Broussard, another rookie receiver is amazingly fast! He runs a 4.3 and
is literally running past everyone on the field. It feels great being back on the field. We have a few
new offensive coaches that are bringing a fresh new attitude to the passing game. Our fans can
really look forward to seeing more deep strikes and a whole new look to the passing game. All in all,
I felt very good in camp. There is no rust and I am back to compete and get better. I know that
Byron has been named the starter, but that can't keep me from doing my job and playing the best
football possible. I know that I have a bright future ahead of me and I just have to keep moving
forward.
We are getting some much needed time off next week and I am looking forward to going fishing with
my wife and father-in-law. Hopefully we will score big off the coast of NC. We normally fish for
Mahi-Mahi, so we will see how it goes. I will also be heading to our lake house for some much
needed rest (and fishing of course). Hopefully, I can update my site with some pictures of the fish we
catch. Thanks for reading, I will talk to you soon.
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May 6, 2007
GETTING CLOSE TO CRUNCH TIME:
Our first mini-camp of the off-season is fast approaching. This weekend
will kick off the 2007 season and I am hoping that as a team we are on our
way to winning a championship. As you know, I have been working out
throughout the off-season here in Jacksonville. The draft was this past
weekend and we added some very talented players and it will be
interesting to see how well they adjust to the NFL. We didn't draft a
quarterback, so I am pretty happy about that. It feels like yesterday that I
was drafted in the 4th round and I know the feelings that these guys are
having. Luckily, I have been able to hang around and get some playing
time each year. My goal this year is to improve from last year and to get
better as a quarterback. It's tempting sometimes to settle into the backup
role and get complacent, but that's not for me. If the past few years are
any indicator of this year, there is a very good chance that I will see the
field again, and I want to be ready. Not only that, but it is also my job to run
the scout team and prepare our defense for the upcoming week. The
anticipation is growing in the locker room and I am ready to get going. Stay
tuned, I will give you updates after camp. This upcoming camp is closed to
the public, but the next camp, which is next week, is open to the public, so if
your in town, be sure to stop by and check us out. Talk to you soon...
David
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April 2, 2007
OFF-SEASON TRAINING BEGINS:
Last week started off-season conditioning. It's still not too hot, but it sure is coming. It feels great
being back on the field with the guys. A new year brings another chance to work towards a
championship. I've had a chance to get some work in with our latest addition to the receiving group,
Dennis Northcutt. I feel like he is going to be a great addition to this team. He brings that veteran
mentality that we have been needing since Jimmy Smith left. I am also doing extra work at the HIT
Center (High Intensity Training) here in Jacksonville. My goal is to be in the same shape I was in my
rookie year. I like my new website and the chance I get to share what is going on in my life with my
fans. Tomorrow, I will be golfing with some of my teammates, such as Earnest Wilford, Terry Cousin,
Rashean Mathis, and others at Amelia Island Plantation. There is no special event, just a chance to
hang out with the guys and play a round of golf. I have a colonoscopy of Friday, so be praying for
me. The doctors will be checking to make sure that I am still Crohn's free. That's about it for now.
Stay tuned.
David
UPDATE: The colonoscopy went great. No sign of Crohn's disease at all.