Terrell Manning had waited all of training camp for this moment.
After checking out of the initial read, the sea of offensive linemen had parted. A wide-open lane to Cincinnati quarterback Bruce Gradowski was the only thing in Manning’s line of vision. The Green Bay Packers rookie inside linebacker had the perfect opportunity to finally get noticed.
Lost in the final charge toward Gradkowski, Manning flip-flopped about whether to go for the sack or try to defend a possible pass. His body expression mirrored the conflicting battle in his mind.
While Manning’s eventual pressure up the middle forced Gradkowski to discard the ball, he also learned an important lesson – don’t hesitate.
A fifth-round pick out of North Carolina State, Manning realizes his first training camp has been more silence than spark at times, but Thursday’s game was a step in the right direction. It was a jolt of confidence the 22-year-old linebacker sorely needed entering the final week of camp.
“It was the first play I had the opportunity to make, really,” Manning said. “It was kind of like I don’t want him to throw the ball, but if he throws it I want to be able to make an impact. Great coaching point for me because it was a great time to make a play, but at the same time I realize just need to go at him and make the play, and let our coverage guys do their part.”