FOXBOROUGH — They don’t make training camps like they used to.
Nowadays, NFL teams can’t have more than one practice a day, there’s a limit on the padded sessions they can hold, and they can’t practice more than four days in a row at any point in the summer.
That wasn’t the case when Bill Belichick arrived in Foxborough back in 2000. Back then the team was still holding training camp at Bryant College and on The Ryen Russillo podcast, former Patriots offensive lineman said it was so grueling he considered quitting football.
“Coach Belichick’s first training camp, that was my second year in the league,” Woody said. “I just remember he came in and he was like ‘Listen, don’t ask for a break because there will be no breaks. Put your head down and go to work.’ When I saw that I was like ‘Holy smokes, we’re about to be in trouble.’ Literally we had three weeks straight of two-a-days. Guys were dropping like flies. Retiring.
“I literally questioned like, ‘Do I really want to play football from here on out? Like, seriously is the money really that good where I want to play football?’ It was crazy.”
Fortunately for everybody involved, Woody didn’t quit football and went on to have a very successful career, both in New England and elsewhere. When he left in 2004, Belichick lauded his role in bringing a pair of Lombardi Trophies to Foxborough.
“Damien gave the Patriots five solid years and was an important part of two Super Bowl champions,” Belichick said. “He is a tough, flexible, team-oriented player.”
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