Bryan Bulaga and Mike Neal have no idea what an NFL offseason is supposed to be like. A year ago, they were preparing for the draft.
Now, at a time when they should be taking part in the Green Bay Packers offseason program, theyre locked out because of the labor situation.
Thanks to a couple of veteran players and a respected local fitness program, theyre doing their best to replicate a normal NFL offseason. Bulaga and Neal, the Packers top two picks in the draft last April, have been working out at the Green Bay branch of House of Speed, a training center founded by former Packers receiver Don Beebe. Also at the facility, located less than four miles from Lambeau Field, is Packers second-year tight end Tom Crabtree and former running back Ahman Green, the Packers career rushing leader.
Theyre believed to be one of the only groups of Packers players committed to working out in Green Bay full time during the NFL lockout. Theyre doing so under the tutelage of trainer Scotty Smith, a longtime business partner of Beebes.
They work out at the Ashwaubenon training facility four days a week Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for at least two hours a day. Thats the same schedule Packers coach Mike McCarthy and strength coach Mark Lovat follow during the Packers regular offseason program.
What weve tried to do is stick with their core workout and make it as similar to what theyve done in their offseason, Smith said. I have a pretty good understanding of what their regular lifts were. So what were doing is combining their lifts with our explosive stuff and speed stuff that we do.
The players are doing so at their own expense.
Most had been working out at Packers headquarters until the lockout on March 11.
The lockout was on a Friday, Smith said, and they were here on Monday.
Because the Super Bowl run prolonged the season, McCarthy hadnt planned to begin his offseason program until April, a month later than usual.
Its hard to replicate (the offseason program) because I obviously dont know what wed be doing, said Bulaga, who started most of last season as a rookie at right tackle. I know wed be refreshing everyones memory of the offense and defense, but obviously thats hard to replicate when youre not with the coaching staff. But (before the lockout) we got the program from coach Lovat and got the program over here to Scotty, and were trying to make it as similar as possible.
Neal had spent the first six weeks of his offseason working out at the posh and expensive Saddlebrook resort in Tampa, Fla., where he was training with former college teammate Dustin Keller of the New York Jets among others but came back to Green Bay to resume his workouts at House of Speed, which he said is significantly more affordable.
I came back here because I wanted different climates to train in, said Neal, the defensive end who missed most of last season because of a shoulder injury.
Neal said he saw team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie last week injured players can still see team doctors during the lockout and McKenzie told him he should be ready for training camp. The problem is, no one knows if training camp will start on time.
I just wanted to try to keep things as normal as I can as far as football goes and as far as working out, Crabtree said. I didnt want to be back home in Ohio because when youre back home, youre not in your normal routine. Here, youre working out with guys that know what it takes.
One of those guys is Green, whos trying to continue his career in the CFL. He applauded Bulaga, Crabtree and Neal for staying in Green Bay to work out.
When youre here, its easy to stay focused, Green said. I never went through this, a lockout, but I think if I was on an NFL team now, I would do the same thing theyre doing, so that when the lockout broke, Im ready to go.