Aug 07, 2012; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Ryan Williams (34) leaves the field after the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals practice at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Training camp officially got under way, after the first 3 days in shorts the team was in full pads for the first time and boy did the hits sound real good. The building had its largest crowd this week for camp.
I could see every player start to put their best effort in live action, mainly in the Oklahoma drill that allows nothing but physical hitting while blocking for a runner, it is very physical and this drill usually shows who the tough guys are.
When the level of play goes up and the physicality gets even greater then of course injuries will play a part, hopefully just minor short term injuries but nevertheless an injury is bound to happen.
Today I noticed that wide receiver Robert Gill was not in pads today, and I got the opportunity to ask him was he OK and why he was not participating in practice, and he nodded his head in disappointment and grabbed his left hamstring pointing it out to me that was the problem, I then joked with him he is to fast and ran to a hamstring, “yep” was his response.
Also I noticed Daryn Colledge was carted off the field with some type of leg injury and have not been able to find out much about it as of yet, but it did not look that serious.
Lastly one injury that will just turn the stomach of most fans, Ryan Williams had to come out of the pads and walked off the field, later returned with his right knee heavily rapped in ice, I was not able to find out the seriousness of the injury but it just did not look good seeing him on the side watching and limping again.
When Williams left the field I watched him walk off with his head down and he really looked concerned, but hopefully he will be OK, he really cannot afford to be out right now with all of the backs eager to take his spot on the second team.