• We just fit our entire offensive line into a Honda Prelude. It’s a training camp miracle. #

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On August 12, I reported for camp, moved into my dorm room, and went to a nice little team BBQ. On August 13, I was unceremoniously hurled into a swirling vortex of football madness among with my Grinnell Football brethren.

Camp comes up on you fast. I spent my entire summer thinking about it, working for it, looking forward to it; as soon as it arrives, however, I want it to be over sooner than an old school Roy Jones Jr. fight. The grind that football puts on my body — especially on my knees — gets put in the express lane as soon as camp begins.

I definitely feel older off the field. Last year, I spent my time in between practices and meetings watching episodes of Dexter and hoping for ungodly amounts of lightning. Now I sleep pretty much any chance I get, which is part of the reason that this blog has been dry for weeks.

It didn’t help that I had to miss a couple practices early on in camp due to a concussion resulting from a head-on collision with this guy. Now that the headaches are gone, I’ve been trying to enjoy the little things in camp, like times in meetings when Coach Pedersen says something like this:

“Guys, when is breakfast tomorrow?”

“6.”

“What are we hoping for?”

“Scones.”

“What are we gonna do if there aren’t any scones?”

(Silence)

“Bagel it up!” (Accompanied by writing “BAGEL IT UP” on the white board)

I consider myself lucky to be part of a team that can work extremely hard but still cut loose and laugh every once in a while. Offensive line meetings contain plenty of instruction, but we don’t forget to take time to laugh at Coach Hollibaugh for engaging in Child’s Pose to stay out of the camera’s way during one-on-ones.

More than anything, I’m focused on trying to be a leader. As a team captain, it’s up to me to pick guys up when there’s a lull in practice, even if the lull is in part due to my frozen molasses running speed. I’m also trying to help the freshmen get acquainted to their new setting, since I know what it’s like from having had to do it twice.

Ultimately, camp will always be a physical and mental grind, no matter what school you’re at. I consider myself blessed to be going through it with this group of players and coaches.

• So I guess I won’t be hearing from you then. RT @juliaharmon32: When ND beats Texas you are the first person I’m contacting! #
• Just finished up a fantasy draft. Tim Tebow ended up being Mr. Irrelevent, and I’m ashamed that I wasn’t the one that picked him. #
• It’s about that time. RT @losuno: Just finished my last workout in florida…off to the midwest in the morning…#Godisgood #
• I think I just might have to rank “Return to Fat Camp” right behind “Jersey Shore” for my favorite MTV programming. #
• Just got some big knee braces to keep me from going down Boobie Miles style. Thank you insurance! #d3fb #
• Moved in at Grinnell and went to our first meeting of the year. Camp is officially underway. #d3fb #

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• I had a dream last night that someone stole my last NFL Films paycheck and endorsed it as Jamarcus Russell. A nightmare indeed. #
• Homeward bound, just made it through Pennysylvania. Apparently it’s “go slow and brake intermittently on the highway” day there. #
• The Oklahoma boys from @EricLeeCombs territory are holding true to the old “Sooner” tradition. $85 mil guaranteed between 2 rookies. #
• Woke up this morning in New Jersey, going to bed 840 miles down the road in Illinois. I feel like a trucker. #
• For the first time in my life I’ve seen a flight be delayed, only to have the delay itself canceled. I’m not complaining. #
• Just touched down in Denver for the first time since March. It’s a good thing. #
• Secret: it’s no coincidence I flew to Denver today. I’m a last-minute replacement RB for the Broncos after Moreno and Buckhalter went down. #
• I haven’t gotten a haircut all summer, and today’s the day. Getting a nice buzzcut for camp; I hate having lots of hair under my helmet. #
• Just went down for a set of squats and let out the biggest fart of my life. 400 pounds on your back will do that to you. #
• Remind me to never visit Jacksonville in summer. RT @losuno: Its so hot outside…about 110 degrees. #
• If I’m Haitian, I vote for Wyclef Jean. He might not solve any problems but the nation will always have music as a natural resource. #
• Just saw a movie trailer that said “who’s taking who?” Who’s taking WHOM. Learn the rules, Hollywood. #
• Watching the 2000 Miami-FSU game. Lots of big names in this one: Ed Reed, Jonathan Vilma, Javon Walker and Jeremy Shockey, among others. #
• Dear makers of the Shake Weight: no matter how much science you throw at me in your commercials, I will never buy your product. #
• Completely out of breath. I hate conditioning at altitude almost as much as Albert Haynesworth hates conditioning at sea level. #
• Don’t worry Pat, not all of us expect it. RT @d3football: There are 238 schools. Not everyone can be Top 25. #d3fb #
• Just got back from an NFL Films shoot at Broncos training camp. Fun stuff. #
• Grinnell College running back @losuno just came out with a sweet mixtape. Check it out, it’s inspirational stuff: http://tinyurl.com/262hx5a #
• Call me snobbish, but I don’t believe that putting a few steel guitar riffs in Uncle Kraker’s “Smile” makes it a country song. #

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I’ve recently been made aware that I am a “young” person. Having turned 20 at the beginning of the summer, I suppose my time on this earth has been somewhat limited to this point. Colleagues at NFL Films tend to express surprise and/or disdain upon learning that I’ve spent two summers there and that I have yet to enter my junior year in college. However, despite how much I may hear it from others (especially Mike Bogard), I don’t feel very young.

Above: Lifting belts help me keep from crapping out my spine while squatting.

As last week came to a close, so did a summer of editing segments for the NFL Network and lifting with guys who closely resemble Mike “The Situation” from The Jersey Shore. It was a very productive summer for me, and it seemed to go by too fast; I always wish I had more time to prepare for camp. After my last day, I packed up my belongings and prepared to head westward for my third college football camp. The hard work I’ve put in since last season has made me a much stronger, more powerful football player. But that doesn’t denote a lack of pain.

I’ve heard NFL players say before that they “age in dog years”, and anyone who has seen John Elway recently would agree. Even though I am significantly younger than most NFL superstars, I feel as though my body ages at the rate of Robin Williams in Jack. My frame was not meant to support 265 pounds, even though it is 265 pounds of twisted steel and sex appeal. For over half my lifetime, I’ve spent every fall playing offensive line and every offseason undergoing hard lifting and running. It’s made me much more physically dominant — today I found a neoprene knee sleeve I used for middle school wrestling, and it now works as a pretty nice elbow sleeve. There is a price I have paid, though, especially in my joints.

I would describe my knee condition as “Rice Krispie knees”: any time I move them, I can feel snaps, crackles and pops. My cartilage has slowly worn down, resulting in a grinding pain that gets worse as the season goes on. It doesn’t affect my performance at all, and that’s because I’ve spent nearly as much time taking care of my body as I have trying to make it better on the gridiron.

For starters, I smear on my knees a hodgepodge of arthritis cremes that are marketed towards people three times my age.  I take glucosamine twice a day to fight the effects of gravity and blunt force trauma on my joints. Ice is applied liberally to my knees and my shoulder, which has had nagging bursitis since February. I’ve also periodically done acupuncture to keep my body properly tuned for carnage.

My gym this summer offered free yoga classes, so once a week I downward-dogged and warriored my way to better flexibility and core strength for increased performance and injury prevention. I tend to be somewhat of an outlier in yoga classes, seeing as I (a) am a male, and (b) outweigh every other participant by at least 100 pounds. But I take personal pride in being just as flexible as anyone else in class, thereby exhibiting the offensive lineman’s status as a true athlete.

I feel like I’ve done a pretty decent job combating the increasing levels of pain caused by football-related activity. I wouldn’t have transferred to Grinnell in the first place if I wasn’t completely committed to becoming the best football player possible. So at the end of the day, I’m willing to put up with the pain to continue my attempts to win a Midwest Conference championship and become a Division III All-American. Despite my joint problems, I feel poised for my best season yet.

Ultimately, when I feel my knees snap, crackle and pop when  I’m 50, I won’t grimace and curse myself for continuing my football career as long as possible. The pain serves as a reminder of all the hard work I’ve put in for a noble cause, and of all the great memories I’ve made playing the game that I love. Sappy as it may be, the more my body aches and breaks, the happier I’ll be on the inside.

Questions? Comments? E-mail me at chris [at] thed3experience.com. All original material copyright © 2008-2010 Chris Jarmon.

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