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Roach armed and ready for training camp
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
While most eyes this summer have been on Baltimore Ravens first-round draft pick Joe Flacco, fellow rookie quarterback Brad Roach wants to make sure coaches keep an eye on him during the upcoming training camp.
Roach, a free-agent rookie out of Catawba College, was invited to the team’s training camp at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. The All-American quarterback and a former star at Williamston High School will report with other rookies and selected veterans on July 21.
Roach is glad he’ll be a part of it.
“Throughout the whole summer, they haven’t cut anybody,” Roach said. “I know some teams around the league have been chopping down their rosters. I wasn’t sure what (the Ravens) were going to do, but I’m glad to be going.”
Roach, who threw for 7,874 yards and 62 touchdowns in his college career, is recently coming off a series of OTA’s (organized team activities).
“It was good,” Roach said. “You can have 14 practices. After OTA’s, we had rookie mini-camp and that went well. It was a good experience.”
The 6-6, 245-pound quarterback knows that was just to wet the whistle. He’s fully expecting a much more grueling schedule during training camp.
“I know it’s going to be a lot harder,” Roach said. “I think we have 42 practices in 20 days. Preseason games are split up in between. We’ll have a lot of meetings between those practices.”
As he was getting familiar with life as an NFL football player, so too were his rookie teammates. Staying together in a hotel helped those players get to know one another.
“All the rookies had to stay in a hotel for four to five weeks,” Roach said. “We bonded a bit and got to know each other better. Being up there this summer and getting to know the guys, I’m feeling more comfortable around everybody.”
One of his fellow rookies was Flacco, who is likely being groomed to be the starting quarterback. The 6-6, 235-pound quarterback out of Delaware was the 18th overall selection.
Because of the huge investment the Ravens made on him, Flacco is getting plenty of attention. Roach is trying to deal with that as best he can.
“Sometimes it’s hard because he’s the guy now,” Roach said. “Obviously, it cuts down on my reps, but I’m happy for the guy. It also challenges me that I have to go in and prove myself.”
With three weeks remaining until he reports to camp, Roach doesn’t plan on sitting around and relaxing. Instead, he’ll be studying the playbook and keeping in shape while staying with his parents, Keith and Amy Roach, in Washington.
“I’ll be in Washington working out, throwing the football and studying the playbook,” he said. “I still have a ways to go (with learning the playbook). By my fifth year at Catawba, I was pretty comfortable with (our playbook), but you’re still always learning. I still have a ways to go.”
While veteran Kyle Boller and second-year player Troy Smith have some NFL experience under their belts, all the quarterbacks are learning a new offensive system.
“We all bring different stuff to the table,” Roach said about the quarterbacks in camp. “Somebody might have a stronger arm, somebody might be quicker. All of us are going into a new offense and we’re all trying to help each other learn.
Kyle and Troy are good guys. They seem to be good leaders. They are good ones to learn from.”
Roach will get his initial taste of training camp with the first of two practices on July 22.
The Ravens will get their first test of the preseason Aug. 7 at New England. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Roach is already looking forward to playing the Patriots.
What will Roach be thinking when he steps on the field in New England?
“I can’t believe I’m here,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get over that quickly and I’ll learn that I do belong.”
Baltimore will play host to the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 16, play at St. Louis on Aug. 23 and then play host to Atlanta on Aug. 28.
Roach knows there is a lot at stake every time he steps on the field, whether it’s during the preseason games or during camp.
“I just have to do the basics,” he said. “The running game is a really easy thing to do, but you can mess it up if don’t do the footwork. On pass plays, you just think about the reads and execute. You can’t let everything around you distract you.”
Roach is excited about his opportunity.
“I’m just happy to be going back to training camp,” Roach said. “Obviously, I want to make the team. I just want to go there and do my best. I don’t want to worry so much and just let things fall in place.”
Roach, a free-agent rookie out of Catawba College, was invited to the team’s training camp at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. The All-American quarterback and a former star at Williamston High School will report with other rookies and selected veterans on July 21.
Roach is glad he’ll be a part of it.
“Throughout the whole summer, they haven’t cut anybody,” Roach said. “I know some teams around the league have been chopping down their rosters. I wasn’t sure what (the Ravens) were going to do, but I’m glad to be going.”
Roach, who threw for 7,874 yards and 62 touchdowns in his college career, is recently coming off a series of OTA’s (organized team activities).
“It was good,” Roach said. “You can have 14 practices. After OTA’s, we had rookie mini-camp and that went well. It was a good experience.”
The 6-6, 245-pound quarterback knows that was just to wet the whistle. He’s fully expecting a much more grueling schedule during training camp.
“I know it’s going to be a lot harder,” Roach said. “I think we have 42 practices in 20 days. Preseason games are split up in between. We’ll have a lot of meetings between those practices.”
As he was getting familiar with life as an NFL football player, so too were his rookie teammates. Staying together in a hotel helped those players get to know one another.
“All the rookies had to stay in a hotel for four to five weeks,” Roach said. “We bonded a bit and got to know each other better. Being up there this summer and getting to know the guys, I’m feeling more comfortable around everybody.”
One of his fellow rookies was Flacco, who is likely being groomed to be the starting quarterback. The 6-6, 235-pound quarterback out of Delaware was the 18th overall selection.
Because of the huge investment the Ravens made on him, Flacco is getting plenty of attention. Roach is trying to deal with that as best he can.
“Sometimes it’s hard because he’s the guy now,” Roach said. “Obviously, it cuts down on my reps, but I’m happy for the guy. It also challenges me that I have to go in and prove myself.”
With three weeks remaining until he reports to camp, Roach doesn’t plan on sitting around and relaxing. Instead, he’ll be studying the playbook and keeping in shape while staying with his parents, Keith and Amy Roach, in Washington.
“I’ll be in Washington working out, throwing the football and studying the playbook,” he said. “I still have a ways to go (with learning the playbook). By my fifth year at Catawba, I was pretty comfortable with (our playbook), but you’re still always learning. I still have a ways to go.”
While veteran Kyle Boller and second-year player Troy Smith have some NFL experience under their belts, all the quarterbacks are learning a new offensive system.
“We all bring different stuff to the table,” Roach said about the quarterbacks in camp. “Somebody might have a stronger arm, somebody might be quicker. All of us are going into a new offense and we’re all trying to help each other learn.
Kyle and Troy are good guys. They seem to be good leaders. They are good ones to learn from.”
Roach will get his initial taste of training camp with the first of two practices on July 22.
The Ravens will get their first test of the preseason Aug. 7 at New England. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Roach is already looking forward to playing the Patriots.
What will Roach be thinking when he steps on the field in New England?
“I can’t believe I’m here,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get over that quickly and I’ll learn that I do belong.”
Baltimore will play host to the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 16, play at St. Louis on Aug. 23 and then play host to Atlanta on Aug. 28.
Roach knows there is a lot at stake every time he steps on the field, whether it’s during the preseason games or during camp.
“I just have to do the basics,” he said. “The running game is a really easy thing to do, but you can mess it up if don’t do the footwork. On pass plays, you just think about the reads and execute. You can’t let everything around you distract you.”
Roach is excited about his opportunity.
“I’m just happy to be going back to training camp,” Roach said. “Obviously, I want to make the team. I just want to go there and do my best. I don’t want to worry so much and just let things fall in place.”
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