Sports
NFL Rookies, Vets Work Out in Mahwah During Lockout
With NFL lockout still in place, Mahwah Velocity becomes training ground for NFL stars
As most know the 2011 NFL season has been in limbo for almost four months as the infamous lockout is now past its 100th day.
As mediation sessions continue in Minnesota and Boston involving owners, a “decertified” players union, lawyers and billions of dollars, many would not expect the high profile lockout to hit so close to home, and we are not talking solely about season ticket holders to Giants and Jets games.
A group of NFL players and undrafted free agents have been hunkered down in Mahwah, training at the sports and athletic training complex, Mahwah Velocity at 300 Route 17 South, in the hope that they can get a chance to return to the game they love very soon.
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Two of the trainees at Mahwah Velocity are Kyle Auffray from Cornwall, N.Y. and Dan DePalma of Verona who have shared NFL dreams since they were kids growing up, right through their college careers.
Affray was a quarterback for Mississippi State before he transferred to New Hampshire, where he became the team’s tight end and punter.
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“I’ve been coming to Mahwah Velocity for three years now during the off-season at college. Now I am just waiting for this lockout to end. I treat each workout like job training until this lockout ends,” Auffray said as he took a break between exercises.
“The lockout has been difficult. As a free agent it, affects our OTAs; without a team, I haven’t been invited to a camp yet. If the lockout ends today, a player has to get busy and learn the offense quickly, whereas if drafted, the player has it easier and can learn from teammates,” Auffray added.
DePalma is not concerned about the lockout; he’s not going to worry about things out of his control and believes he can make an impact on a team. At 21 years old, DePalma has been tabbed as a wide receiver/kick return prospect because of his great speed, 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, according to the Star Ledger.
“I look at this as a positive; I’m in good shape, and I have been working out consistently. I have mastered cramming a playbook. At Shepard College, they gave me a huge playbook; then at West Chester, I had to learn an entirely new scheme,” DePalma said.
DePalma has already worked out for the Giants, Jets and Eagles this off-season, mostly during player organized camps.
Still, the loss of time with an NFL franchise this summer has Velocity trainer Sean Donellan, who has been working with NFL athletes for more than six years at the Mahwah training complex, a tad worried.
“What we try to do here is very important,” Donellan said. “The free agents and players would be in camps right now. They are missing a big window of opportunity to show what they can do.”
There are no contact drills, no pads or helmets. The players have to keep their focus on weight training, strength and conditioning and other work similar to that of the combine.
Even current NFL players, like Packers running back Ryan Grant, Giants defensive ends Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka and Giants tight end Kevin Boss have been training with Donellan at Mahwah Velocity.
“Most of the NFL guys have been here since the end of last season. They have been here consistently during a week,” Donellan said.
Grant was spotted lifting weights and giving pointers to the free agents. He was Green Bay’s starting running back, until he missed the second half of last season and the Packers Super Bowl run due to an ankle injury. He is ready for next season to begin.
“With this long layoff, you have to do a lot of the drills on your own,” Grant said. “With what I do here, each session of workouts at the Velocity is important.”
Donellan added, “Ryan has been here for six years. He is the most persevering athlete I have seen. Nothing gets in his way, and his ankle is 100 percent.”
With the season in limbo, all the players are considering options. Auffray says he would consider the UFL if the NFL doesn’t work out right away.
“They have a team in Hartford, Conn. and I plan on going to their mini-camp to see what it’s like. The UFL is a good option for those who are undrafted rookies because it’s a short season and you can still end up on an NFL team,” Auffray said.
For his part, DePalma doesn’t want to consider the UFL or CFL right now. His goal is to make it to an NFL roster this year when the league opens up again. “This lockout will not stand in my way,” DePalma said.
When asked about his thoughts on the lockout, Grant offered this optimistic tidbit: “It won’t be long; I think within the next month I see the lockout ending.”
