Lincoln's Free fits in with Cowboys
By Steve Clark
Herald Times Reporter
For Doug Free, most of his first training camp with the Dallas Cowboys was spent trying to get his foot in the front door.
Literally.
"(For the players being released), they would get to them before they got into the facility," the Manitowoc Lincoln alum said in a phone interview from Dallas earlier this week. "So, usually, if you could make it inside the door, you were fine."
Making the team was not a problem for Free, who was selected in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft after a standout career at Northern Illinois University. The 6-foot-6, 324-pounder was one of five offensive tackles to make the Cowboys' roster and is listed third on the depth chart at left tackle on www.dallascowboys.com.
Still, his spot wasn't assured until Saturday when the team's roster was announced.
"I was fairly confident I would make the roster, but still at the same time, you never know," said Free, the son of Dave and Lois Free of Manitowoc. "It definitely felt good to know I made it."
Although he has made the team, Free said he isn't sure, yet, what his game-day role will be with the Cowboys and admits that there was the possibility that he could be put on the inactive list — which means he wouldn't dress for the game.
However, he had worked some with the kickoff return team during training camp and could land a spot on that unit for Sunday night's opener against the New York Giants, and is preparing himself to be ready to step in on offense if needed.
"I'm definitely going to prepare to play every week," Free said. "We've got two great starting tackles right now (Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo), so I'm still in a great situation to learn as much as I can from them."
That was Free's main focus during the team's mini-camp, OTAs and especially training camp, where he said he had to adjust to a long schedule.
When the Cowboys had two-a-day practices, Free said he would arrive at the practice facility by 7 a.m. and wouldn't leave until about 9:30 p.m., following meetings. When the team had only one practice, his day would start at 9 a.m. and again wouldn't end until well into the night.
"They were long days. Basically, I would just come back to my hotel room and sleep," said Free, the first Manitowoc Lincoln graduate to make an NFL roster since Don Davey's final NFL season in 1997. "(Training camp) was a lot more physical than mini-camps and the OTAs. Even when we didn't go to pads, it got pretty physical."
As a rookie, Free also had to endure the usual "welcoming" by the veterans.
Although mum as to most of what he had to endure, he admitted — with a chuckle — that for a good portion of training camp he had showed up every day with one side of his head shaved.
"It was just something the older guys had the young guys do. As a rookie, you just have to go along with it," Free said. "It wasn't a big deal and it's a good way to be on common terms with the guys."
If sporting an interesting hairdo was a lowlight of training camp, Free had no trouble picking out the high point of the six-week experience.
With Adams recovering from an injury, Free was tabbed to start the Cowboys' preaseason opener — a 23-10 win over the defending Super Bowl Champions Indianapolis Colts that was nationally broadcast on FOX.
"It just happened that they announced the starting offense for the game, so I got to run out through the tunnel with fireworks shooting off behind me," said Free, who suffered a slight knee injury in the game but is back to 100 percent. "It was definitely a thrill. I was a little bit nervous, but it was a fun time."
Herald Times Reporter
For Doug Free, most of his first training camp with the Dallas Cowboys was spent trying to get his foot in the front door.
Literally.
"(For the players being released), they would get to them before they got into the facility," the Manitowoc Lincoln alum said in a phone interview from Dallas earlier this week. "So, usually, if you could make it inside the door, you were fine."
Making the team was not a problem for Free, who was selected in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft after a standout career at Northern Illinois University. The 6-foot-6, 324-pounder was one of five offensive tackles to make the Cowboys' roster and is listed third on the depth chart at left tackle on www.dallascowboys.com.
Still, his spot wasn't assured until Saturday when the team's roster was announced.
"I was fairly confident I would make the roster, but still at the same time, you never know," said Free, the son of Dave and Lois Free of Manitowoc. "It definitely felt good to know I made it."
Although he has made the team, Free said he isn't sure, yet, what his game-day role will be with the Cowboys and admits that there was the possibility that he could be put on the inactive list — which means he wouldn't dress for the game.
However, he had worked some with the kickoff return team during training camp and could land a spot on that unit for Sunday night's opener against the New York Giants, and is preparing himself to be ready to step in on offense if needed.
"I'm definitely going to prepare to play every week," Free said. "We've got two great starting tackles right now (Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo), so I'm still in a great situation to learn as much as I can from them."
That was Free's main focus during the team's mini-camp, OTAs and especially training camp, where he said he had to adjust to a long schedule.
When the Cowboys had two-a-day practices, Free said he would arrive at the practice facility by 7 a.m. and wouldn't leave until about 9:30 p.m., following meetings. When the team had only one practice, his day would start at 9 a.m. and again wouldn't end until well into the night.
"They were long days. Basically, I would just come back to my hotel room and sleep," said Free, the first Manitowoc Lincoln graduate to make an NFL roster since Don Davey's final NFL season in 1997. "(Training camp) was a lot more physical than mini-camps and the OTAs. Even when we didn't go to pads, it got pretty physical."
As a rookie, Free also had to endure the usual "welcoming" by the veterans.
Although mum as to most of what he had to endure, he admitted — with a chuckle — that for a good portion of training camp he had showed up every day with one side of his head shaved.
"It was just something the older guys had the young guys do. As a rookie, you just have to go along with it," Free said. "It wasn't a big deal and it's a good way to be on common terms with the guys."
If sporting an interesting hairdo was a lowlight of training camp, Free had no trouble picking out the high point of the six-week experience.
With Adams recovering from an injury, Free was tabbed to start the Cowboys' preaseason opener — a 23-10 win over the defending Super Bowl Champions Indianapolis Colts that was nationally broadcast on FOX.
"It just happened that they announced the starting offense for the game, so I got to run out through the tunnel with fireworks shooting off behind me," said Free, who suffered a slight knee injury in the game but is back to 100 percent. "It was definitely a thrill. I was a little bit nervous, but it was a fun time."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:20 AM
<< Home