*This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by clicking here. *
A day circled on the calendar of every sports fan – the official beginning of the NFL season – will arrive this Saturday when the Green Bay Packers kick off the 2014 campaign at Ray Nitschke Field.
- Coming off a 2013 season that saw Green Bay post its fifth straight winning season and its third consecutive NFC North title, the Packers will begin to write this season's story in front of fans at Nitschke Field.
- A tradition first started under Curly Lambeau in 1946, training camp in Green Bay remains one of the most intimate settings in all of professional sports. 2014 marks the sixth summer at the newly constructed Nitschke Field, just a short bike ride away from the team facility.
- Nitschke boasts the same playing surface as Lambeau Field and seating for 1,500 fans with unobstructed views and sideline access to their favorite players.
- Just as it does at Lambeau Field, new traditions blend with historic ones at Packers training camp, as players continue to ride children's bicycles to practice, a tradition first started under the legendary Vince Lombardi. Players continue to stay in the dorms at St. Norbert College, the NFL's longest training-camp relationship between a team and school.
- According to the Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, training camp, along with Packers Family Night, will attract nearly 90,000 visitors from across the nation and as many as 20 foreign countries from July 26 through the final open practice on Aug. 27. With an economic impact estimated at $9 million, training camp is a financial boost to many area businesses.
- Media and fans can visit www.packers.com for the most up-to-date information regarding the practice schedule, events, dining and accommodation options, activities and more throughout training camp.
*This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**. *
SAVE THE DATE
Important dates to remember (all times CDT):
- Friday, July 25 – Players report to training camp
- Saturday, July 26 – First practice, 8:20 a.m., Nitschke Field
- Saturday, Aug. 2 – Packers Family Night, Presented by Bellin Health, 6:25 p.m., Lambeau Field
- Saturday, Aug. 9 – First preseason game, at Tennessee Titans, 7 p.m., LP Field
- Saturday, Aug. 16 – Preseason game at St. Louis Rams, 3 p.m., Edward Jones Dome
- Friday, Aug. 22 – Preseason game vs. Oakland Raiders, 7 p.m., Lambeau Field (Midwest Shrine Game)
- Tuesday, Aug. 26 – Roster reduction to a maximum of 75 players by 3 p.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 27 – Final practice open to public, 10:15 a.m.,Nitschke Field
- Thursday, Aug. 28 – Preseason game vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 6 p.m., Lambeau Field (Bishop's Charities Game)
- Saturday, Aug. 30 – Roster reduction to a maximum of 53 players by 5 p.m.
THE MONTH AHEAD
- Green Bay's training camp schedule features 17 open practices, including an evening practice, Family Night and four preseason games.
- The first 10 practices of training camp will all be open to the public, with the first six practices taking place at 8:20 a.m. Packers Family Night will be on Saturday, Aug. 2 at 6:25 p.m., and the only other evening session will take place Monday, Aug. 4, at 5:30 p.m. The final two open practices before the first preseason game at Tennessee on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. will be at 12 p.m. on Aug. 5 and at 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 6.
- The next week the Packers will have two practices open to the public (12 p.m. on Aug. 12 and 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 13) before the second preseason game at St. Louis on Aug. 16 at 3 p.m.
- The three Packers practices before the preseason home opener vs. Oakland on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. will all be open to the public (12 p.m. on Aug. 18, 11:45 a.m. on Aug. 19 and 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 21).
- The final week of camp will feature two open practices (11:45 a.m. on Aug. 25 and 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 27) prior to the preseason finale vs. Kansas City on Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.
ST. NORBERT AND THE PACKERS
- Continuing a tradition started under Packers coach Scooter McLean in 1958, the Green Bay Packers will call St. Norbert College home for a 57th consecutive training camp this summer. The relationship between the private college in De Pere, Wis., and the Green Bay Packers marks the longest continual use of any training-camp facility by an NFL team.
- Players will take up residence in Victor McCormick Hall, a 60-room coed dormitory used to house 225 students during the academic year. **
- St. Norbert, founded in 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, borders the Fox River and enrolls around 2,000 students.
- The Packers use their own practice and team-meeting facilities at Lambeau Field during training camp, with the college serving as housing headquarters.
- Players return to St. Norbert via cars and vans every evening for team dinner.
- The 6.62-mile commute is estimated at 11 minutes each way.
- A look at the longest active training-camp tenures in the NFL:
Team Training Camp YearsGreen Bay St. Norbert College 57
Minnesota Minnesota State, Mankato 49
Pittsburgh St. Vincent College 49
MEET THE DRAFT PICKS
- Training-camp storylines always hover around new players and just how they figure into the depth chart. This past May, the Packers added to an already deep and talented roster with a nine-man draft class.
- S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the second safety ever drafted by the Packers in the first round (Alabama S George Teague, No. 29 in 1993), was a consensus All-America selection in 2013 as a junior, earning first-team recognition from The Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America and Sporting News. He played in 38 games with 20 starts in his three seasons at Alabama and registered 100 tackles (58 solo), including four tackles for a loss, seven interceptions, a forced fumble and 17 passes defensed. He was part of an Alabama team that won back-to-back national titles. The Orlando, Fla. native led the conference with a career-high five interceptions as a sophomore in 2012.
- The Packers selected WR Davante Adams out of Fresno State in the second round, making him one of two Fresno State receivers (Henry Ellard, 1983) to ever be picked in the first two rounds of the draft. In 2013, he led the nation in receptions (131) and receptions per game (10.1), while ranking second in the country in receiving yards (1,718) and receiving yards per game (132.2). He also registered 24 TD receptions, eight more than any player in the country and the most in school and Mountain West Conference history.
- Green Bay drafted DT Khyri Thorntonwith the first of two selections in the third round. He earned second-team All-Conference USA honors and was a finalist for the Conerly Trophy, which is given to the state's top collegiate player, as a senior in 2013. Thornton is the highest-drafted defensive end from Sourthern Mississippi since Richard Byrd was chosen in the second round by the Houston Oilers in 1985.
- With their second pick in the third round, the Packers selected TE Richard Rodgers out of the University of California-Berkeley. Rodgers, who played tight end for his first two seasons before moving to inside receiver in 2013, recorded at least one reception in 19 consecutive games to end his career. He played in 35 games with 11 starts in three seasons at Cal and totaled 59 receptions for 896 yards (15.2 avg.) and two TDs.
- Green Bay selected LB Carl Bradford out of Arizona State in the fourth round. The former Sun Devil earned first-team All-Pacific-12 honors at defensive end as a junior in 2013 after recording 61 tackles (45 solo), including 19 tackles for a loss, 8½ sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception that he returned for a touchdown, and five passes defensed. Bradford posted 40½ tackles for a loss over his final two seasons at Arizona State (2012-13), which was tied for fourth in the country over that span.
- The Packers picked CCorey Linsley out of Ohio State with the first of two selections in the fifth round. He was named first-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and the media as a senior. Linsley was one of five team captains and was part of a line that helped the team set school records for points scored (637), yards per carry (6.8), touchdowns (87) and TD passes (38) in '13. The Ohio native was part of a Buckeye team that won 24 consecutive games from 2012-13.
- Green Bay drafted WR Jared Abbrederis out of the University of Wisconsin with its second selection in the fifth round, making him the first Wisconsin native drafted by Green Bay since T Mark Tauscher (Marshfield, Wis.) in 2000. The former walk-on finished his career at Wisconsin tied for the school record for receptions (202) and ranked No. 2 all-time in receiving yards (3,140) and TD receptions (23). He also ranks No. 8 all-time among Big Ten players in receiving yards.
- The Packers selected CB Demetri Goodson out of Baylor with their sixth-round choice. After playing just eight games in his first two seasons at Baylor due to season-ending injuries both years, he was granted an extra year of eligibility and earned All-Big 12 recognition in 2013 after appearing in 11 games with 10 starts and posting career highs in tackles (26), interceptions (three) and passes defensed (16). Before playing football for the Bears, he spent three seasons playing basketball at Gonzaga (2008-11).
- With their final pick of the draft the Packers selected WR Jeff Janisout of Saginaw Valley State in the seventh round. The first wide receiver from SVS ever to be selected in the NFL Draft finished his career as the school's all-time leader in receptions (241), receiving yards (4,274) and receiving TDs (46). Janis was twice named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Back of the Year. He was also selected to the Little All-America team by The Associated Press in 2013.
*This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**. *
