#293 Packers Unscripted: This and that

round with Kendall Donnerson. There wasn't one signed in free agency, like with a Mod Brooks being brought in at the end of training camp last year. We haven't seen a move like that. One guy that uh the coaches have mentioned him GM Brian Goudacunst has mentioned him. The guy that is going to have a lot of eyes on him here is number ninety three, Reggie gil Albert. Um. I guess technically he's still a first year player in terms of service, but he's actually going to be going

into his third year now in Green Bay. Tell us about Gilbert because his path to this point has been a bit unusual. I don't like to get into the whole hyperbo League game. I think I've said that numerous times over the years on this show. Um, but Reggie Gilbert has a chance, in my opinion, uh, to be one of, if not the best undrafted edge Russia that the Packers have had. And I don't say that lightly because there have been guys that have come in and

made impacts. You know, you look at Frank Zambo, Uh, you know, Desmond Moses, Jaron Elliott, some guys that came in and in short intermediate spurts, Andy Maleomba, Yeah, that

came in, made the roster, made their presence. Felt. The thing I like about Gilbert is this is year three, that was rookie Camp number three, and he had such a unique skill set coming out of Arizona, being a you know, hand in the dirt rusher, working inside as you know, that elephant type inside pass rusher on third down situations that he seemed to align with what the Packers like to do with their guys. It took time, uh, you know that first year he pushed a little bit,

wasn't really in the conversation. Last year I thought he pushed more. But they had so many of those guys, uh that that were in that running and then they claimed Chris owed him off waivers from Atlanta. But at the end of last season he remained patient and he really bawled out those last two games. Now the hay is not in the barn for him. He needs another good summer here to put himself in conversation for a

roster spot. If the Packers aren't going to go with a high pick on an edge rushing position, I think a guy like Reggie Gilbert looks at that and sees that this is my opportunity to not only get a chance at making the fifty three for the first time out of camp, but making an impact once he gets there. Yeah. I do think if the draft had fallen a little bit differently, I do think the Packers would have taken

an edge rusher earlier than the seventh round. But that being said, the fact that they didn't it does speak a little bit to a vote of confidence they're giving to Reggie Gilbert and what they're seeing in his development here. His his transformation in a sense has been pretty remarkable, because you mentioned it. He was sort of an interior defensive lineman at times in college at Arizona. He's transitioned

completely to outside linebacker. He's dropped about twenty pounds from the mid to high two seventies into the mid to high two fifties in order to play the position. Mike McCarthy has talked about, you know, the change in his body and what he's done. I talked to him a little bit about it for for a story on our website.

He really had to dedicate himself. He was kind of joking like, yeah, you know, I go back home out West and there's in and out Burger and all this kind of stuff, and you know, he really he had to stay dedicated to the to the plan that that the team's nutritionist, Adam Cores and had him on in order to uh, to remake the body a little bit and everything. There's a lot that's gone into this for him. And then, as it turned out, at the end of last season, Nick Perry needed had to miss some time

there with some injuries. At the end, he finally got an opportunity to be on the active roster and then wasn't just on the active roster, but was in the game and then that entire I believe it was a Saturday night game Week sixteen, against Minnesota, it was like he was spending the whole game in the Vikings backfield. I mean he he was. It was instant impact and and then he went on to get his first NFL sack the following week in Detroit in the finale. So

flashes of what perhaps is to come. But as you said, the hey is not in the bar and there's more development to go here. But definitely a promising guy to keep an eye. And here's the thing. He has played in two NFL games. I'm not trying to put this guy in Canton or anything like that. I just think it's important to remember this is not a new guy on the block. He was waiting for that opportunity. He

finally got it. And I think from the Packers perspective, you have to be intrigued and touching on your other point earlier, Mike, the Packers could have easily the first and second round using outside linebacker draft pick on an outside edge rusher. It was obviously in the cards, it was in the conversation you and I really speculated a lot about it in the day's leading up. But no matter what or where they picked a guy, whether it was at number fourteen or in the seventh round, like

Kendall Donnerson. They needed this current group behind Nick Perry and Clay Matthews to take a jump. That's where they're going to get the biggest impact, regardless of what they did going into two thousand and eighteen. So I look at Reggie Gilbert, I look at Vince Bagel now coming back from both of those foot surgeries. Even a guy like Kyler Fackrel still trying to, you know, fill out

his talent in that body. It's gonna be interesting to watch even a guy like Chris Odom, you know, now with the full off season in this program to see what he offers. But as far as Gilbert's concerned, I think what he proved at the end of last season was that he should have been in that conversation for a roster spot to begin with because of what he put out on the field. And I think that's something Packers are really gonna have to consider this summer. Yeah,

a player whose arrow is definitely still pointing up. With that, we will go to a break back with more on Packers Unscripted right after this. H Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford in this chair. Wes Hodkowits in that one in West. A lot of times on this show, we talk about the perseverance of players, and those paths can take many different directions in terms of what players have to overcome through their careers to get to a certain spot, to get to the NFL, or to get to a

Pro Bowl, or whatever the case might be. I'm not sure if I've ever seen or heard a story of perseverance quite like that of the Packers new long snapper and seventh round draft pick Hunter Bradley, because every time I hear his name, all I can think of is one thing. Three A c l S. You've been working on a story on our website. You've talked to some people, including Hunter his father. What more do you know about

this story? Because it's awfully intriguing it is, and the the hardest part of this is, you know, Hunters the only son of a football coach. He has a sister, but I mean growing up his dad, who was a long snapper and offensive lineman at Delta State, Michael Uh. They grew up football together every Friday night. Michael has been on assistant football coach Uh in their community in Collierville for twenty five years, so every Friday night Hunter was at his games and then ended up playing for

him once he got to high school. It was a phenomenal tight end, terrific athlete, really good in baseball, but long snapping was just always something he did along the way, but tight end was the position he thought he was going to be able to get to the next level. His goal for so long, like so many kids growing up in the southern portion of the United States, Southeastern portion of the United States, wanted to play in the SEC and he started getting recruited by Dan Mullen in

Mississippi State. The interest started to pipe up, and then right before two days his senior year, he pops the first A c L and that was just demoralizing one that the kid didn't get to play senior season high school for the football team. He was gonna be everything. He was gonna be tight end, he was gonna be fullback, He was a really good defensive end. He played basically

every play of the game, and now he's gone. Um. But the thing that I think, talking to his dad, Mike, he mentioned is that even after he tore the A c L and then he ends up getting the preferred walk on deal in Mississippi State instead of the actual scholarship. He was up at five o'clock every morning, He did all of his PT all of his rehab before school at seven to make sure that he was doing everything he could to get back on the right track. He goes to Mississippi State, tears the left a c L.

Then what happened with the right one? Is he actually at that time when he had done in high school, they were still using cadaver uh, you know, a c L tendons at that point. History has shown that's not really great for an athlete you want to do graphs, So then they redid that. Just a long path he's been on, but really inspirational from the standpoint of this

is not a guy who had a scholarship. He was paying his way through college and then, as it turns out, now getting a chance to be drafted in the NFL as the only long snapper taken in this year's class. Yeah, and he'll be competing with Zach Trainer, who is the other long snap around the Packers roster. Here at this stage of the offseason. We'll see how that competition shakes out through O T A s, which begin next week.

And then into a into training camp this summer. But going back to something that Bradley mentioned in his conference call with the Green Bay Media when he was first drafted, Um, I forget if it was after the second or the third a c L or what was it after the third one? The timeline where he's he's h he's in the training room at Mississippi State and uh and a player comes by, one of the star players on the team.

He wouldn't say who it was, but just looked at him and said, you know, what are you still doing here? Like basically, you know, you've all you've been is hurt you. You've been basically useless, Like get out of here, and you know, leave this to the rest of us. And uh, he just kind of swallowed it, brushed it off, and uh and lo and behold, look he got drafted. Well. And it's something too. This isn't a kid that goes

home and cries to his mom and dad. Talking to Mike, he said he never even Hunter never even mentioned to his parents that that incident had happened until way down the road. Uh. The thing that is interesting there was sort of the serendipitous sort of fate to this whole situation though, because one of the things that became clear,

they certainly were very intrigued in Mississippi State. Dan Mullen was with his athleticism and his ability to play tight end, but there always was this underlying thinking that he could play snapper, and they wanted him at some point to play snapper for them. So once that last a c L happened, he went home with his dad. They started snapping. His dad credits Chris Bono, who's in a special assistant Mississippi State, the former Cowboys kicker, for for really helping

him um and harnessing his technique. And as I don't want to say his fortune would have it because it's terrible for the guy in front of him, but the long snapper before him ends up tearing his a c L. That's what gave Hunter the chance to get on the field.

He thought he'd only be doing it one year. He ends up doing it for two and a half because of that injury, ends up getting the scholarship, you know, and his parents traveled to every game that he played in college just such an emotional I should say, every game, with about two or three maybe exception South Carolina. They missed because there was a football game Friday night and then they played at eleven the next morning in South Carolina.

But whatever the case, maybe his kid's been through a lot and he's fought through it in the nice thing for him to put that injury history aside. He played those games at Mississippi State without incident after he made that transition to snapping. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see now as we go through the summer because it's been

a few years now. The Packers have been looking for a long term replacement at long snapper for Brett Good, who has handled the duty, been the primary long snapper for about a decade now in Green Bay and done the job phenomenally. But when things haven't worked out with other guys, they have tried, whether whether because of performance or because of injury, whatever the case might be. Brett Good keeps coming back over these last couple of years and he is still available now. But the Packers have

two long snappers in camp. They used a draft pick on one. Maybe this is the year that that they find potentially that long term replace. I think they're gonna let it play out. The nice thing too, as far as what Bradley gives you. He's tremendous in coverage. If you go back and watch some of his film. I mean, he made a lot of tackles at Mississippi State as well. It's gonna be a little different because now you know, the game changes for long snappers at the next level.

But his athleticism is through the roof. Alright, with that, we're going to go to a breakback with more on Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford right here, West Hodko wits over there. West. You mentioned earlier in the show you don't like to speak in hyperbole, and I don't like to either. But this weekend, yeah, this past weekend, we may have seen the birth of a new trend, certainly a social media trend.

In the NFL. We saw a couple of Green Bay Packers walk across the stage getting their college degrees, and they were wearing their NFL jerseys, their Packard jerseys underneath the graduation gowns. And it made a pretty big splash socially, um across across the landscape with with football fans. I'm talking specifically about Aaron Jones, the running back from U TEP and first round draft pick Ji Year Alexander from Louisville UM. Alexander had his green number twenty three. Jones,

I believe had the white number thirty three. But they were showing they were they were they were showing those off and uh And I think I think this is something that could catch on with NFL players who after they're drafted, or after they've been in the league a year or two, like Jones, go back to college and get their degrees. Maybe this is the new fashion trend here. Well, first and foremost, I love the fact that you look at Alexander wearing his jersey underneath his his you know,

graduation goun He signed it to a signed jersey. I mean that that takes him swagger to do that. I know I've thrown that that we're out there a couple of times now to describe him. But he just has it. He has that in factor, he has that confidence. Uh And and I'm impressive to him. I mean, you tipped your cap to him. He graduated in three years after being an early in role, after early rolling at Louisville,

getting his criminal justice degree. As far as Aaron Jones is concerned, This is really emotional for him and his family because he completed his degree. I believe he was the last sibling of Elvin Sr. In Virgus his children to to get his degree. His brother Elvin Jr. Got it as a graduate, not a graduate, but as being a red shirt fifth year player at Tip. And when he declared, when Aaron declared early last year, made that

commitment to his parents. I remember talking to his dad last year, but how important it was for him to go back to school eventually. I don't know if they planned on him doing it in a year, but for him to go back complete his degree, gets his degree in Multidisciplinary Studies uh and and now going back to focus on his NFL career pretty pretty emotional imagine for

their family. Yeah. Well worked out conveniently for Jones. He was able to work with an advisor um at U TEP to essentially take the remainder of the classes that he needed. He was able to take them remotely through through u TEPS online system. Another um you know, another another way in which technology changes changes the game in

some respects. But we also should mention ha Clinton Dix recently a week or two ago, he also walked across the stage at Alabama got his degree, something that he had been talking about, and we talked about his off the field stuff with getting the internship at the Brown County Courthouse and the work that he's been, you know, furthering his own studies in criminal justice while he's been

while he's been here in Green Bay. And then also seventh roundraft pick Kendall Donnerson earned his degree from Southeast Missouri and graduated as well. Always good to see these guys, you know, taking um taking that step to finish things. I remember even talking to uh to Casey Hayward after he'd been in Green Bay for a year, had this great rookie season with the Packers, he went back to Vanderbilt and and finished up. So a lot of these

guys they take it very seriously. Whether it's a promise they made to themselves, a promise they made to other family members, it's a big deal when when they do it and they know they've always got that in their back pocket no matter what happens with football. Yeah, and and the Randall Cobb going back two years ago to finish a Kentucky as well. Uh, the how Clinton dicksone is is special because it was something that how Clintics is gonna be really successful in the game of football.

I think he, you know, if health provided, he's going to play for a long time in this league. And I just thought last year doing that story on him and his internship at the Brown County Courthouse, the fact

that he was coming off in All Pro year. He was coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance, but it meant that much to him to finish off that degree, a promise that he made to his mom, he made to his friends, and obviously his coach, Nick Saban was very adamant too about him going back as soon as he completed or at least enrolled and declared early for the NFL draft. UM. So for him to get it done while he's in school, I think says a lot about him. Kendall Donnerson, I didn't get a chance to

talk to him yet. We haven't had, uh, you know, the access at O t As. I remember hearing him speak at the rookie camp about how when he was going out, I was trying to get into college, academics

were an issue for him. That's one of the reasons why he landed at Southeast Missouri UM so I have to imagine, just based on his Instagram and some of those things, that was very emotional for him and his family to be able to complete that degree and now have that in his back pocket as well as he tries to make the NFL dream come, no doubt about it. With that, we're gonna go to another break back with moren Packers unscripted right after this Welcome Back to Packers

Unscripted Mike Spofford joined by wes Hodkwits and West. There's some information we should get out there for fans because if you cannot wait until the start of training camp to get your Packers fixed and you want to see some of these players in person. The the upcoming schedule of o t a S, which stands for organized team activity. If I'm not mistaken, I've been call him o t as for so long you forget what it actually means.

But the Packers have a handful of those practices that will be open to the public at UM I believe on Clark Kinkle Fields actually gonna okay typically nik Field, Yeah, behind uh behind the Don Hudson Center there and the dates to keep in mind May May thirty one, June four, and then also the mandatory minicamp from June twelfth to the four Those are all days that the packers will

be on the practice field around midday. Hasn't been settled yet. Yeah, eleven thirty for the O t A. So you know, if you're in the area, come on out to come on out to Nisky Field and and get a look at your Green May pack whether permitting, just to throw that out there, Yes, and there have been there have been some spring rains that have moved those practices inside

in the past years, for sure. I was talking to one of my beat writing friends who shall remain nameless about this, and the nice thing is, I think probably the beat writers get more excited about when these dates come out than the actual fans to some extent, because

we can start to plan our summers a little bit. Yeah, you can figure out how I'm gonna take a day off here and get off here because because the practice is closed, I don't want to go when you need to be reporting back to Green Bay for training camp. But be that as it may. Yeah, in training camp starting July. Shareholders meetings is actually gonna be July now with them doing that at night. Yeah, first time, first time.

The shareholders meeting will be at night, and it will be on the eve of the first practice of training camp. Quick turnaround from Mike Spofford and West Hogcoitz. Yeah, we'll off to see who ends up writing the story on deadline that night. But regardless, I think this is an exciting time getting a chance to you know, obviously, fans usually the dissipation for these things, the amount of people that turn out for them is always quite incredible. Uh.

And from the packers perspective, this is it. This is as you we were talking about before, and this is where you have your final installs, you get ready for training camp, the final push for these rookies before they really are going to be thrown into the fire. So a very valuable asset for the packers and and now they know exactly when it's going to take place. Yeah, and just a just a tip for those who are maybe trying to plan a little spring outing to catch

the packers. If you're looking at that mini camp June twelve to past experience would tell us that one of the last two days of that mini camp, either or the team is not going to have practice, They're going to have a team activity that will be often a private location not for public viewing. So if you're looking at the mini camp, just be aware that you're probably not going to see the packers all three of those days. You'll have an opportunity to potentially see them two out

of the three. Your best bet is going to be on day one, June twelve and twelve to catch that because typically, um, let's say, the Kers would have that team building exercise in the middle day there. Um sometimes they end up dismissing the veterans for the last day, even though that practice is open to the public. So it's just one of those things. I know, one of the things I got to on inbox. Um. There will be no bike riding either. I know some people always

ask about that spike riding. Spike riding is training camp only the players take their cars over to Nisky Field during O t A. If you want to turn out and bring your bike and wait for Mike Spofford at the gate, I'm not saying that he won't ride your bike. There's a possibility there, but if you're wanting an actual player, it's gonna be a little bit more difficult to find. Yeah, that'll be that'll be a little tricky, but again uh um.

The start of training camp will be July, with the shareholders meeting the night before on that on that Wednesday. It's going to be an interesting start to training camp this year, will be all right? With that, we've got to sign off on Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team on Packers dot com on Twitter. He's at west hot I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We'll see next time. M HM.