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First days of NFL are good for Roach
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Like many football fans, Brad Roach grew up watching the likes of Ray Lewis play on television.
Roach had a much more close-up view of the NFL star over the weekend. The former Williamston High School and Catawba College standout, a free-agent signee, competed on the same field as Lewis during the Baltimore Ravens’ mandatory minicamp.
“There was a little bit of a ‘wow’ factor when I saw him,” Roach said Sunday evening, shortly after returning to Washington from the team’s minicamp in Owing Mills, Md. “I mentally prepared for it, though. I’m there for the same reason as everybody else.
“It doesn’t matter that I might have come from a smaller school. We’re all equal now and all trying to do the same thing.”
Roach and his Raven teammates went through five practices from Friday through Sunday. His first NFL practice was a wet one as the team practiced during a rain Friday morning.
“I already had some nerves going since it was my first practice,” Roach said with a laugh. “Add in the rain and that made the ball a little wet.”
Things got a little chippy during Friday afternoon’s indoor practice. Another skirmish broke out during another practice, but Roach said, “that’s just football.”
Roach, who is competing with veteran Kyle Boller, second-year player Troy Smith and first-round draft pick Joe Flacco at the quarterback spot, said he was pleased with his overall performance.
“I think I did pretty well,” said Roach, who wears No. 8. “I stuck my nose in the playbook pretty hard.”
Trying to grasp the playbook proved to be one of the more daunting challenges for the rookie Raven.
“They basically give you the book and say, ‘here, learn this,’” Roach said. “It’s a big three-ring binder. It was kind of overwhelming when I first got it. I was just like, ‘where do I start.’
“Every chance I got, I was studying it. One of the biggest differences from college to here is that the plays are so long. There’s a lot of verbiage that goes along with it.”
Roach and the rest of the Baltimore quarterbacks are in the same boat as they’re all learning a new system under new head coach John Harbaugh.
“There wasn’t much competition between us (during camp),” Roach said. “There’s a new staff and we’re all trying to learn a new system so we’re just trying to help each other out. We’re trying to do what’s best for the team.”
While Boller and Smith have been through NFL camps before, it’s a new experience for Roach and Flacco. With Flacco being the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft, he’s getting plenty of attention. That’s just fine with Roach.
“I think him getting the attention might help me some,” Roach said. “I don’t have to deal with all those distractions. It puts me a little more at ease.”
Having some gifted receivers to throw the ball to, including veterans Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason, also helps.
“The receivers are great guys,” Roach said. “They can really catch the ball. You can tell they are professionals. They catch anything that’s thrown their way.”
Roach will rejoin his Raven teammates Thursday for the start of OTA’s (organized team activities). The team’s rookie minicamp will be held May 20-22.
The 6-6, 245-pound quarterback is excited to put on the Ravens’ helmet and jersey once again.
“It’s a great feeling to wear them,” he said. “They’re so pretty. We practice in game replica jerseys because the coach says to play like you practice.
“I’m excited.”
Roach had a much more close-up view of the NFL star over the weekend. The former Williamston High School and Catawba College standout, a free-agent signee, competed on the same field as Lewis during the Baltimore Ravens’ mandatory minicamp.
“There was a little bit of a ‘wow’ factor when I saw him,” Roach said Sunday evening, shortly after returning to Washington from the team’s minicamp in Owing Mills, Md. “I mentally prepared for it, though. I’m there for the same reason as everybody else.
“It doesn’t matter that I might have come from a smaller school. We’re all equal now and all trying to do the same thing.”
Roach and his Raven teammates went through five practices from Friday through Sunday. His first NFL practice was a wet one as the team practiced during a rain Friday morning.
“I already had some nerves going since it was my first practice,” Roach said with a laugh. “Add in the rain and that made the ball a little wet.”
Things got a little chippy during Friday afternoon’s indoor practice. Another skirmish broke out during another practice, but Roach said, “that’s just football.”
Roach, who is competing with veteran Kyle Boller, second-year player Troy Smith and first-round draft pick Joe Flacco at the quarterback spot, said he was pleased with his overall performance.
“I think I did pretty well,” said Roach, who wears No. 8. “I stuck my nose in the playbook pretty hard.”
Trying to grasp the playbook proved to be one of the more daunting challenges for the rookie Raven.
“They basically give you the book and say, ‘here, learn this,’” Roach said. “It’s a big three-ring binder. It was kind of overwhelming when I first got it. I was just like, ‘where do I start.’
“Every chance I got, I was studying it. One of the biggest differences from college to here is that the plays are so long. There’s a lot of verbiage that goes along with it.”
Roach and the rest of the Baltimore quarterbacks are in the same boat as they’re all learning a new system under new head coach John Harbaugh.
“There wasn’t much competition between us (during camp),” Roach said. “There’s a new staff and we’re all trying to learn a new system so we’re just trying to help each other out. We’re trying to do what’s best for the team.”
While Boller and Smith have been through NFL camps before, it’s a new experience for Roach and Flacco. With Flacco being the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft, he’s getting plenty of attention. That’s just fine with Roach.
“I think him getting the attention might help me some,” Roach said. “I don’t have to deal with all those distractions. It puts me a little more at ease.”
Having some gifted receivers to throw the ball to, including veterans Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason, also helps.
“The receivers are great guys,” Roach said. “They can really catch the ball. You can tell they are professionals. They catch anything that’s thrown their way.”
Roach will rejoin his Raven teammates Thursday for the start of OTA’s (organized team activities). The team’s rookie minicamp will be held May 20-22.
The 6-6, 245-pound quarterback is excited to put on the Ravens’ helmet and jersey once again.
“It’s a great feeling to wear them,” he said. “They’re so pretty. We practice in game replica jerseys because the coach says to play like you practice.
“I’m excited.”
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