RICHMOND — Training camp can be long and exhausting. The dog days of summer eat at you and fatigue starts to set in after a while. So, one way teams break up the monotony is to have a little fun with the rookies.
Each team usually has a few nights set aside for rookie skits. This is when all the rookies on the team get on the stage and perform in front of the veterans and coaching staff. Some years, rookies have great creativity and do really well with the skits. This, apparently, is not one of those years.
The Redskins began rookie skits last night and veteran safety Ryan Clark was not impressed at all.
“Guys have no creativity, it’s frustrating,” he said. “With the Twitter and Instagram age and as much as they want to be in front of cameras, you’d think they ‘d be good at making us laugh. It was terrible. I just want to cut all their hair.”
Clark said last week that these guys have it easy in today’s NFL, not having to participate in two-a-days like he used to in the past and not having to wear pads all the time during camp either. This just tops it off in his mind.
“You figure they’ve got time,” Clark said. “You have a gang of time to make something funny, to make me laugh so I can enjoy camp and you can’t even do that. Laziness man. I’d rather just go to meetings so I can get out earlier and call my family.”
He seemed genuinely disappointed.
One rookie that got up on stage without a skit was rookie kicker Zach Hocker.
Big mistake.
If you don’t have a skit, you won’t have much hair a few minutes later.
“I got up on the stage and they put up three different pictures for the team to vote on,” he said. “I guess this was my look and so they kinda let me have it and there I went.”
“The look” is a strip of hair that goes from one ear to the other across the top of his head. It looks like he’s wearing headphones across the top of his head. It’s quite funny and receiving a lot of attention.
“I really didn’t expect all the hype because a lot rookies get their haircut. But, I guess this is taking it to another level for Redskins fans.”
Oh, it’s a new level. As far as how long he has to keep it?
“The rule is I have to keep it for a week,” he said. “I’m still debating with all the veterans if I could shave before the patriots game. Right now they’re saying no, so it’s not going as I planned.”
I have a feeling we’ll be seeing this one for a while.
In case you were wondering, it was kicker Kai Forbath who shaved his head.
That’s right, the guy who’s job Hocker is trying to take.
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