I’m sure everyone has found out by now that Matt Millen has been fired, even those who know nothing about football are aware and all are happy.
Matt Millen was nothing but a first-class man from the day I met him. They made the move last night, but waited until this morning to announce it. I went in there today to work out and watch some film, and actually found out on 95.5 FM when I was listening on the way in.
His office was all boxed up and I passed him in the hallway. I thanked him for drafting me and believing in me. I remember he would constantly stop me in the hall and ask how I was doing and numerous times told me how excited he was for me to get out onto the field. He seemed in good spirits this morning, all things considered, and I wish him nothing but the best.
So, back to why I went in today in the first place, which was to work out. Coach Loeffler likes to use film analysis to break down my drops and throwing mechanics. This really has helped me understand my drop better and actually see what is occurring and try to correct it afterwards. I have had a lot of success, as I feel I am a visual learner. We videotaped yesterday, so today we went in and broke it down frame-by-frame to see areas I need to improve. He uses four different angles of footage throughout my drop to analyze each aspect and areas that need improvement.
Right away we found something that needed to be changed, that could dramatically increase the velocity on my ball. I thought I just felt off because I could not grip the ball with all my strength, but after making this adjustment the ball was coming out today as good as it ever has. Something so small can make all the difference in the world in being more efficient in your drop.
I really like working with Scot because he presents information in a way that I can digest it and make it my own. I was really excited about correcting that and knowing that my thumb is all back to normal. We strictly filmed throws to my right, as throwing to the left is a completely different body positioning.
Of course, that is what I will be filming tomorrow. We will film all of the same throws from those different angles to my left and then break the film down the next day.
My bye week is different from the majority of the other players, who escape to nice destinations or their other homes. I plan on staying here in town and relaxing, plus getting organized around my house with all the down time. I will continue to go into the facility every day and get my thumb stronger along with running, lifting and throwing, but of course much later than usual. I am really looking forward to a Saturday filled with nothing but me sitting on the couch watching college football from sunup ’til sundown. Seeing the Spartans improve to 4-1 and hoping for a Badger victory. Then waking up Sunday, going to church and doing the same thing all over again.
After that, we are in it for the long haul, and my mind will be fresh for 13 more grueling weeks.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for playerpress.com runs regularly at www.drewstanton.com.
Written By Drew Stanton
January 22, 2009
For those of us players not preparing for the Super Bowl, it seems that we are all doing whatever makes us happy.
For some, it is a vacation to a warm destination. Others, including me, continue to dwell where we play or are from, for various reasons. My main two reasons are that I am getting married in June, and I have been anxiously waiting to see who our offensive coordinator and quarterback coach are going to be.
First, getting married is something I have been looking forward to since the day we got engaged. Unfortunately, once you really get down to the nitty-gritty, it can become frustrating at times. Luckily, my beautiful bride-to-be has been unbelievable in coordinating things and the majority of stuff has gone smoothly. Registering at stores, on the other hand, can be extremely overwhelming.
Cake tasting, though, not overrated at all.
During the off-season I really get a chance to relax and focus on the things I deem important outside of football. Obviously, the wedding is important, but spending more time with my fiancée has been great.
Being an athlete I can only go so long without wanting to do physical activity, that is just how I am wired. But it is important to try and find that balance of when the season ends and when you get back to training very hard. I think this year I have a good understanding and have everything mapped out for an off-season program. I have started doing yoga 5 times a week and enjoy it tremendously. I have been doing yoga off-and-on for about three years now, but have become very dedicated to my practice this year. It is amazing all the benefits I receive from doing it, and I try to do it as much as possible when we report back. Plus it helps having your fiancée be a yoga instructor. A new yoga studio has open in downtown Plymouth called The Yoga Room, and I have been going there a lot and will continue to do so.
I really do not have much to report about Coach Schwartz. He called me yesterday and left a message from the Senior Bowl. I do not know how much you can take from a voicemail, but I was very excited after getting the message. I called him back, but his phone went to voicemail right away, which meant he was probably on the plane back to Detroit. I then went in today to introduce myself in person, but he was in an interview with someone who I would love to get here in Detroit, but will remain nameless at this point. His secretary informed me that it would probably last the rest of the day, so I will attempt again tomorrow.
I will give you updates as I get them, but my first impression of Coach Schwartz is a great one. And people around the building seem to share my sentiments.
Look for my Super Bowl predictions coming very soon, as I give my opinions on each team on both sides of the ball.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com.
It is crazy that in one week's time we lost our starting quarterback for the year and traded away one of our star receivers, but I would not say I'm surprised by either move.
I understand the need to build for the future and find answers for the current predicament we find ourselves in.
The first topic that unfolded on Monday had a direct effect on me in many ways. There were ramblings of Jon going on IR (injured reserve) at the end of last week, but I thought it was just hearsay, and he would be alright in a week or two. The past season and a half I have been around Kit I have not seen a more tough individual endure so many hits and continually get up to keep fighting. He is by far the toughest football player I have been around and I have seen many tough guys in my 15 years of playing football.
I sent Jon a text to thank him for everything he had done for me, which was a lot, but did not want to overstep my boundary. I know he is upset with the situation, so I have tried to respect his privacy. He was a great leader who taught me many things over the past two seasons and has assisted me greatly in my development on and off the field. I do not know what he has in store for the future, but whatever he does I know he will be successful.
As far as the events that went down on Tuesday, I think that was a direct sign that the Lions know Calvin is their franchise receiver and they are looking to build at other positions. We are fortunate to be so deep at receiver, so losing Roy hurts but it is not devastating as Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald are great talents.
Plain and simple, Roy did not want to be here any longer and was going to demand an insane amount of money if there was a chance of him staying.
I think that trade worked out great for everyone involved. We ended up picking up essentially a first- and third-round pick, Roy got to go back to Texas, and the Cowboys got a great talent at wide receiver.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog runs regularly for playerpress.com at www.drewstanton.com.
It is not until a person has lost something that they realize how important it truly was in their life.
Well, that is why this blog is taking me so long to write, because I will be pecking at the keyboard for the next half hour or hour trying to get this down. But honestly, having my thumb in a cast makes everyday things seem difficult. Besides the obvious of not being able to throw a football, I didn’t realize how important my right hand was. Like trying to eat dinner, get my cell phone out of my pocket, and, of course, the worst, wiping my butt. I know that is gross, but honestly, it sucks. Also, trying to take notes in meetings is next to impossible. Lucky for me, or unlucky depending on how you look at it, I will only have this cast on for about a month.
The injury came about last Thursday. It was the final period of the day and I was running the two-minute drill. It was literally going to be my last throw of the day and we had a walkthrough the following day before the game (Saturday, home to Cleveland). I dropped back to throw, as I normally do, and was waiting for my wide receiver to break in on the route he was running. I stepped up in the pocket to avoid the rush and get the ball off. Well, one of our offensive linemen (who will remain nameless) was sliding back off of one block to help another guy in protection. I didn’t feel him, because I was just getting ready to throw the ball. I released the ball and my thumb went directly into his back. I tried to stop the motion but it was too late and my thumb went straight back. I was so focused on trying to complete the pass that I didn’t sense the guy coming over. I immediately knew something was wrong. I had hit a helmet before with my hand or thumb, but never to this extent. I went directly off the field and had it X-rayed in our training room within five minutes. There was no fracture, which was positive, but I had to go see our team doctor.
It turned out that our team doctor and a hand specialist were at the same hospital doing surgery that day, so I went directly there.
The result was me in a cast for a month, or so they tell me. I had it wrapped by the hand specialist and he said I strained my radial collateral ligament, which wouldn’t have been a big deal if it wasn’t on my throwing hand. Actually, he said I was fortunate, because usually you can get a “Gamekeeper’s Thumb” (Ed. Note: An injury to the ulnar collateral ligament, aka “Skier’s Thumb”) as it is called, which could be career threatening. He told me they would reevaluate it in a couple of weeks and go from there.
So now I just have to hope I am a fast healer, because there is nothing I can really do for it. I was disappointed to not be able to play these final two preseason games, because I was getting more and more comfortable, but I will continue to get better in other ways over the course of the next few weeks. I will not be put on IR, which I am extremely happy about, and now I will just try and get healthy as soon as possible.
Thanks to all the fans who read these blogs, I love the opportunity to share stories with you that you wouldn’t hear anywhere else. If there are any questions ask away…
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His playerpress.com blog runs regularly at www.drewstanton5.com.
Written By Drew Stanton
November 2, 2008
Let me start by saying I hope I don't embarrass myself with this blog, hahaha.
And then I need to reiterate the fact that sarcasm and emotion are not visible in the written word.
The great thing about the media is they provide a connection to our fans, and allow people to have a closer look at what goes on when only a few are able to watch. The problem arises when phrases or sentences are picked apart to fit certain stories or create more tension within a storyline because they are pulled out of context.
I think this was the case when Jim Colletto was talking to the media about me, and now I feel compelled to try and set the record straight.
Jim called me into his office and said the media has kept hounding him about me playing, and he simply told the reporters I needed more reps after missing ALL of last season and some of the preseason. He did, however, tell me he used the word "embarrass" twice, which he told me about. He knew how they were going to misconstrue his words and wanted to give me a heads up.
I was not upset with him for making the comments, just a little bewildered why he would use such a derogative term as EMBARRASS. But as I told the media, he decided to use those words and he said what he said.
They continued to poke and prod me for more information, but like the Daunte Cullpepper situation, I don't know anything else. So I tried to keep it as vanilla as possible, so they couldn't get those certain quotes they were dying to hear come out of my mouth.
There is NO anomisity between me and Jim on my behalf, and after being around him the past couple of days I don't feel it coming from him either. I think at this point in time everyone is frustrated, and perhaps not using the best adjectives to describe things.
Thanks for the continued support of Detroit fans, I do not say this with any falseness, but these are the greatest fans in the world. To endure what this town is going through and continuing to support these teams is tremendous.
Look for some more blogs in the near future as I will expand on Daunte's arrival and what is occurring in practice.
Thanks again and GO STATE!!!!
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com.
May 30, 2009
This spring has absolutely flown by. I have not had a free weekend to just sit at home and relax yet, but I am truly looking forward to that over the next couple of weekends before the big day.
My life has been consumed with mostly football, and any free time has then gone to my wedding plans and now the charity golf outing that I will partner on with Cystic Fibrosis.
Football has been as good as I could have hoped considering the situation I find myself in. I think it has to do with the fact that I enjoy just going to work now on a daily basis. My first two years I could not have said that and meant it, but now I really do. The offense is great, my coaches actually coach and teach, and I feel as if I am constantly learning.
We are on the back side of the mountain as far as the off-season program is concerned, but still have four more OTA's and a mini-camp to look forward to. Our offense has been installed for the most part at this point, and now it is just a matter of fine tuning things and running plays from different looks.
Coach Linehan told me I would be getting plenty of reps this spring and he has definitely been a man of his word. Before the draft I was getting one period a day with the first team and the remainder of the practice with the two's since they released my boy Drew Henson. I really hope he catches on somewhere because he was just starting to get comfortable playing football again.
That is one of the hardest things about this job, is finding good people, becoming friends, and then parting ways.
Anyway, practice has been good, like I said earlier. I have been studying a lot trying to improve and if I make a mistake to really learn from it and not do it again. I feel like I have done that for the most part and have really started to get a good comfort level with all the receivers. At first, you are trying to get a feel for all the guys you are throwing to, like which comes out of the break quick or who is going to win a one-on-one for you. Once that starts happening you get more confidence in throwing to those guys and know who is going to make a play for you when you need it.
With Matthew's arrival I was a little nervous to see if I would be treated differently by the coaches, but that is the farthest from what happened. They have not changed one bit towards me and still are very encouraging. That gives me hope that I still have a future here in Detroit, but like I have said before it is a crazy business. As long as I continue to do what I have been doing, which is stay positive and worry only about things I have control over, then I know things will work out in the end.
Thanks for reading, and those who might actually care to hear about my wedding plans look for that to come shortly. Also, if you have any interest in getting involved with my golf outing in Marshall, Michigan on July 20th, look for a blog to come very soon about that as well.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com. Follow him on Twitter as drewstanton.
By Drew Stanton
January 13, 2009
Over the course of the next couple weeks or so I will be reviewing and summarizing some of the topics as they pertained to my life this past fall as a part of the Detroit Lions.
Also, continue to look for entries throughout the remainder of the off-season as I will be writing throughout everything that transpires.
The first subject that needs to be brought up again is obviously how we made history. Everywhere you turned and looked during December, heck, even most of November, all you heard about the Detroit Lions was that they were going to be the first 0-16 team ever. Sure, as a player you hear things courtesy of the media, but you never believe that you will be a part of it. I mean, to go four months without a single victory...no way!
There was never really a point where you saw the locker room break apart or guys stop trying. So you would think you get lucky and win at least one game if everyone is still on board. And if that happens, no one remembers 1-15. But as we all stood in that locker room at Lambeau, I think the majority of people just had reality punch them in the face.
Though in our minds it is not true (and I still firmly believe) that we were not even the worst football team this year. But at that moment, to the general public, we are now considered the worst football team EVER! Hell, maybe even the worst team of any sport ever. We all have to live with that for the rest of our lives. It is truly disappointing, because if you look back we were in position to win at least four or five games. I know, I know, it didn’t happen, but we are not as bad of a team as everyone thinks. I can continue to say it, but until we go out and prove it, these are just hollow words.
But whoever comes in has a core group of guys to continue to build around. I won't consider myself in that group, yet, because I haven’t had a chance. Just start with offense and work your way across the ball.
Gosder got a lot better and more comfortable as the season progressed, Kevin Smith proved he is going to be a great back in this league and Calvin is as good as it gets, enough said.
Defensively, I think Cliff Avril is going to be a monster of a defensive end, and Ernie’s athletic ability is ridiculous. Daniel Bullocks is a helluva safety that will come up and smack someone in the mouth.
These are the guys that we will build around, and for the “worst team ever” it should be a good starting point. I look forward to the challenge that is ahead and cannot wait to get started.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com.
Wednesday was a great day for me. After much arguing with the trainers and team physician about the amount of time I thought I needed in the cast versus their professional, much more substantial, opinion, they finally budged. Well, sort of. My understanding is that the higher-ups with the Lions decided that because I was put on the active roster, I needed to be ready to play, even if I couldn't throw a football. So, the cast was cut off and reconfigured so I could hand the ball off if need be in an emergency situation for the next couple of weeks. YEAH! What a great feeling that was, to know that I would not have to fully put that stupid thing on. My thumb feels much better and I really have no pain. It is a little stiff, but that could be attributed to the immobilization of my thumb. And because there is no preseason left for me to play in, I will stay in the cast/splint without throwing for two more weeks. I was out at practice Wednesday trying to get as involved as possible. Being injured makes things more difficult to get accomplished, but having a coach that is adaptive in his thinking has allowed me to continue my growth as a player. With that being said, I really would not have been getting many reps at this point in time anyway. The first team quarterback, Jon Kitna, is the only one who gets reps during offensive periods. I do miss out on some "scout" team periods for the offense versus our one defense, but I will work in with Dan Orlovsky once I get back. Before I got hurt, Dan was really cool about sharing reps. I think that could be attributed to the fact that when he was in my position he did not have QBs who were willing to share time. We are now on the schedule that we will be on for the rest of the year. On Wednesday I arrive at the facility around 7 a.m. and eat some breakfast. Our first QB meeting goes from 7:30 until 8:20, and then off to a team meeting for 10 minutes. Any updates or announcements are made here. We then meet with the wide receivers, running backs and tight ends until about 10:30 to either install plays or watch film, this is where we install our first and second down plays. We get a half hour to get ready for practice and have a walk-through before practice for a half hour. Practice runs from 11:36-1:36 p.m. We get time to shower and eat some food quickly and back in the meeting room to watch the practice film. After that we are dismissed, but most guys stay to watch extra film or lift/run. That is basically our day in a nutshell on a Wednesday, and that is pretty much mimicked on Thursday for our third down package and Friday our red zone and coming-out package, although Friday's practice is more for polish. Saturday is just a morning walk-through and Sunday we obviously play. Monday is lifting, film and possibly a light practice. Tuesday is off, but most guys head in to do some type of work. That is our schedule for the week all the way up until the end of January. Thanks for all your questions and comments, feel free to continue to ask questions or bring up topics you are interested in me blogging on. Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for playerpress.com runs regularly at
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July 23, 2009
Picking up where I left off, our honeymoon consisted of three destinations. First, we stopped on the island of Oahu and stayed in Honolulu for three nights. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which is a great property right on the beach. Dominic Raiola, our starting center, is from Hawaii and happened to be back home with his family. Being locals, he and his wife showed us amazing parts of the island we would not have seen. I even tried that stand-up paddle while I was there, and it was frickin’ hard. Especially when the waves started coming in on top of you.
After that we jumped islands over to Maui and stayed at the Ritz in Kapalua. That was such a gorgeous island, and a much different feel than Honolulu, but both islands were awesome in their own way. While on Maui we took a helicopter ride over the island, went snorkeling, saw a sunset cruise, went to a luau, and went on a zip line. Not to mention we took the road to Hana, which was an adventure all in itself. We did so many great things there and the weather was awesome every single day. Not to forget the stunning views right at the Ritz, it has to be one of the nicest hotels I have ever seen.
From Maui we decided to break the trip up and stop in a place I have been dying to go to for some time, Napa. And boy did it live up to my expectations. A winemaker by the name of Ryan Waugh planned out our entire trip. He has two different labels of wine that I highly recommend, Waugh Cellars and Six Degrees. So anyway, he was kind enough to help set up everything, and he knew the ins and outs of the valley. We ended up going to 10 different wineries, all of which had different things to offer. My wine cellar is now at full capacity, so that means one of two things. Either start drinking or make more room. I like both options.
Though the trip was amazing, after two weeks on the road I was ready to get home to see my dogs and sleep in my own bed. Unfortuantely, that was only for two nights.
That Wednesday we headed up to Northern Michigan to a wedding for my old teammate at MSU and long-time friend, Gordon Niebylski. I was the best man in an amazing wedding held at Bay Harbor. But having little time, coming up with a best man speech was not as easy as I had anticipated. The weather report said rain all week, but it held off for the ceremony and turned out to be a great day by the end. The reception was great, as any time you get our whole group together we tend to have fun.
Following that we went to Grand Rapids for the night and stayed with my parents before the High 5ive golf outing.
The golf outing ended up going smoothly. There were a couple hiccups along the way, but that seems to always be the case. And with such an action-packed summer I did not have as much involvement in the set-up process. My mother and father did a lot of work on behalf of my foundation and did a fantastic job with it. Danielle from Cystic Fibrosis was the one tutoring us along the way, as we partner with CF to raise money. After going through the event, we learned so much. If you have any interest in getting involved next year or know of sponsor interest, check out www.high5ivefoundation.org.
Well that about finishes my story of the past month. Now I have become strictly focused on football for the time being. I have been going into the facility to work out, watch film, and get ready for next week. I look forward to the season and all of the unknowns that lie ahead. I will share those thoughts and ideas with you guys next week, so for now have a good weekend.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com. Follow him on Twitter as drewstanton.
By Drew Stanton
December 22, 2008
A couple of weeks ago, Coach Marinelli put a team picture up in a meeting that was taken from earlier this year. He went on to explain how he did not want to see this hanging in the Hall of Fame as the first 0-16 team in history.
Well, history is looking us right in the face and we only have one more game to alter that. There have been 1-15 teams before, and they become after thoughts quickly, but 0-16 would live on forever. Heck, look at Miami now, they were 1-15 last year, got the right people in place and have won 10 games in 2008.
This year has been extremely difficult on everyone involved, but especially Coach Marinelli, I think that is rather apparent. I have been thoroughly impressed with the dignity and class with which Rod has carried himself in every situation. He is a tremendous person who cares about his players, and I still believe in his philosophies and how he coaches.
Coach Marinelli deserves more respect from reporters than he received from Rob Parker yesterday. His failed attempt at humor after belittling Coach Marinelli and his son-in-law showed the ugliness of his profession, and the fact he believes there are no boundaries. His job is to report the news and ask questions that could provide insight. People could see last night on national television after Parker’s third attempt (as Rod has done all year) that he was not going to budge or throw anyone under the bus, regardless of whether that person is his son-in-law or not.
The rollercoaster season only has one more loop to make before the ride ends, but everyone in the organization must do everything within its power to make sure we get Jason Hanson his first win ever in Green Bay.
I want to wish everyone a happy holidays and a great new year!
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com.
I often say that football is what I do, but not who I am.
I believe that to a certain extent, but right now football is who I am, and losing takes its toll on everyone involved. To say it's been a struggle is the understatement of the year.
I think everyone within the organization still believes things can be turned around and the attitude is as good as could be expected, but everyone within the franchise is frustrated.
I know how this town loves its sports, and has been waiting for anything to cheer about that involves the Lions. Throughout the town there was such a strong buzz that things were headed in the right direction only about a month ago, I believe that fire can be restored with a couple wins in the near future.
Right now, the most important thing for us to do is find a way to win a football game. I think winning one begins the spark needed to get things rolling again, and nothing would set that tone like winning at a place we have not since 1997. Playing there in college I can attest to how loud it can be at the Metrodome, but it definitely cranks up a notch with the Vikings on Sundays.
The Vikings are as good of a front seven that exists in football, and they have veterans in the back end to make up for some of the inexperience back there. The young guys have tons of ability, so this week will be a huge test for our offense. The Vikings' record does not represent how good of team they truly are, so we need to play error-free to have chance.
Our quarterback situation right now is interesting, to say the least. I got to practice with the "ones" on Tuesday for the first time in my career. Dan and I split reps, but it was so much fun being a part of the actual game plan for the first time.
Right now, everything depends on how Jon is feeling, because he is obviously our starter. I know how tough Jon is and his desire to play, so I would be shocked to not see him out there some Sunday. Dan looks like his injury is not going to limit him, either, so I'm thrilled I had an opportunity to take some reps.
I felt comfortable out there today and I am feeling like my mechanics are finally at a point where I am not thinking about anything in my drop but my reads.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for playerpress.com runs regularly at www.drewstanton.com.
Last Sunday was as special a day for me personally as I might have ever experienced on a football field.
I was able to accomplish something only two others have done in the past 10 years by throwing a touchdown pass on my first career attempt. Any idea who the other two are?
Lions fans should know one for sure, because it happened against us in Week 1. Michael Bishop, the famous Kansas State quarterback, is the other besides Matt Ryan and myself.
Unfortunately, we still ended up losing the game, but at the time the touchdown put us in the lead. I need to first retrace my steps and explain how everything went down throughout the course of the week.
I found out on Friday that I was going to do the goal-line package for sure and that they were going to name a starter come Saturday morning. After Friday’s practice, with Daunte getting all the reps, I saw the writing on the wall but knew I had to be ready for goal-line.
I found it odd that they wanted me to go in on the most crucial part of the field, but regardless was excited for the opportunity. So after two plays and a touchdown, I was obviously hoping to get down there again so I could go back in. I ended up going back in, but not because we were on the goal-line.
It was the very beginning of the fourth quarter and we were losing by a few touchdowns. Scot Loeffler (my quarterback coach) came up and told me I was going in. It was a great feeling to be out there again, and getting a chance to operate our offense.
My first drive didn’t go as planned as I was sacked twice, on second and third down. You have to remember, I have never taken live snaps against a first-team defense in the NFL. Let me tell you, it is FAST! I know Jacksonville is known for their defense and it is as advertised.
After settling in a little bit we were able to get some things going offensively. To me, playing quarterback in the NFL is like playing a chess match for everyone to see. Because as a quarterback, we receive the play call, go up to the line of scrimmage knowing what is called. Then identify what the defense is doing, first by examining the front, to the linebackers, finishing with the defensive backfield. Then at the
snap of the ball everything changes and I need to be aware of all the things that are going on.
I absolutely loved every second I was on the field playing. I could have cared less about the score, I was going in there and trying to playing within the framework of the offense and put up points. I was thrilled to add another touchdown in the fourth quarter, but like I said the end result is what truly counts and it was not in our favor.
I took a lot away from last Sunday and I hope it is the beginning of a great career here for me in Detroit. The fans who were there were awesome and I loved the support I received.
Now I will go back and continue to work hard and make the most of my opportunities as they come. Thanks for reading and the continued support for me and the Detroit Lions.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com.
I am writing this entry in response to a fan who asked about my thoughts on Michigan State. I am a little hesitant to write this because I find it hard to have an accurate take on what the general public thinks is occurring versus reality. I think that my judgment at this point must lie somewhere in between. Many times throughout the course of a football game things do not go as planned, that is obvious. But how players react to those situations, either good or bad, have a dramatic effect on not only that play, but perhaps the outcome of the game. These things are generally only realized by the people “in-house” that knew the play call or how it was actually supposed to be constructed, completely going over the head of the average fan. Having an understanding for this game, I can generally recognize some things that perhaps the average fan might not. For instance, if a certain protection is called and the wide receiver does not run the right hot route versus a blitz, it could cause a serious problem. The quarterback is thinking the wideout is quickening up his route and tries to get the ball out. Well, if the quarterback does his job in throwing a slant, but the receiver continues on the scheduled route and it is an interception, who is at fault? To those of us watching on television, the quarterback looks like a freaking idiot, but in actuality, it was the receiver who messed it up. And that is the beauty of playing the position of quarterback. Anyway, that is quite a tangent just to show that my opinion about my alma mater might not be anywhere close to accurate. So, let me start with the California game. (Ed. Note: California 38, Michigan State 31, Aug. 30.) I thought Michigan State played extremely hard and never quit, which has become a trademark under coach Mark Dantonio. After being in the NFL and having the luxury of playing in preseason games, you understand it takes a while to work out the kinks, especially with guys that have never been out there before. Add the fact they are traveling all the way across America to play a good football team and I think MSU will be just fine. College football has become so competitive that it is a handful of plays that determines the outcome of a game, and it is all predicated on who makes those plays. Unfortunately, California made a couple more plays than we did down the stretch. But, Michigan State is young at a lot of positions and will continue to only get better as time goes on. Also, being brutally honest, the Spartans are thinner at some positions than you would hope for in the Big Ten, especially with the grueling schedule ahead. I experienced that firsthand during my time there, because injuries are bound to happen throughout the course of the season. That’s all I want to elaborate on that topic, because I do not find it good to sit back and personally evaluate college football players and isolate certain positions. However, on a positive note, I am extremely excited about the recruiting that is going on up there. They are bringing in talent that has the ability to contribute right away, which is crucial for depth in that league. I expect them to win the games they are supposed to this year because of their leadership that has been established throughout that program. This is something that needs to become a staple of this program like it was at one point in time. That leaves dogfights for the Big Ten’s best, which in those situations anything can happen against Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn tate. My biggest hope for the current seniors is that they get to experience something I never did, and that is to beat the “blue bellies” of Michigan. It has been a damn shame that the drought has been that long in East Lansing, but this year we have as good of a shot as any to go into Ann Arbor and win. The future is bright in East Lansing, and these seniors will continue to build upon the foundation that the seniors of last year began under Coach D. Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions and a former star at Michigan State. His blog for playerpress.com runs regularly at www.drewstanton5.com.
April 20, 2009
The weekend has come and gone with the nice weather departing along with it. Being cooped up all weekend, I was only able to get a glimpse of how nice it truly was outside.
Inside the facility at Allen Park, there was a lot of work being done.
Overall, I think the weekend was a success and a move in the right direction for the franchise. The obvious reason for the mini-camp was to be able to evaluate the talent before this coming weekend and try and finalize what areas need to be addressed for the draft.
With the draft looming, everyone is wondering what Detroit will do with the first pick, but none of the players have a clue. I have heard rumblings that Stafford is a done deal, but also that he is not. I guess we will find out soon enough, but that can be a completely different blog to come soon.
So let me get back to the mini-camp and what transpired this past weekend. We had to arrive early Friday morning for team, offense and individual meetings. A morning walkthrough followed meetings and by then it was lunch. From lunch we had more meetings, practice, then watched the film. In the morning walkthrough we practiced what our warmup would be, along with the procedure of practice. Coach Schwartz is very detailed in every aspect and overlooks absolutely nothing, hence why we walked through everything before we did it.
The first practice is always a little interesting on offense because there are new guys all over the place, and you are looking to gain a comfort level with each one. With Calvin, the comfort level is huge – just get any ball in his vicinity and he will come down with it.
The first practice seemed long, because our bodies were not used to doing that type of work for that extended period of time. Football specific movements are very hard to simulate, especially for a long time period, so there is really nothing like practice.
Saturday was a longgggggggggggg day, as we had two practices, but accomplished a lot. Coach Linehan has a great approach to installing his offense and presenting it in a way that is understandable and allows the player to just play, not think. Although, it is not dirt simple, so the defense won’t know what you are running merely by your alignment.
After Saturday, I began to get more comfortable with receivers, knowing which guys have the attributes necessary on any given play. Also, this game is so fast and not going through the normal procedure of football in four months, it took some time to feel completely comfortable again. But by Saturday I felt that way.
By the end of camp I felt good about the weekend and I am really looking forward to progressing within this offense. It has a lot of answers, and that gives the quarterback freedom to do things that I have not had the luxury of doing in the past. Also, my new QB coach, Jeff Horton, was a pleasure to work with. Having two great resources to turn to as coaches will only help me progress and help me to be the player I have set out to be.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com. Follow him on Twitter as drewstanton.
July 22, 2009
The summer has come and gone for me in the blink of an eye. I know I said the spring went fast, but this past month does not even compare.
Imagine, getting done with mini-camp on Thursday, getting married on Saturday, leaving on your honeymoon Monday, getting back two weeks later and heading up to Bay Harbor on Wednesday to be the best man in a wedding, and finishing up with your own charity golf outing in Marshall.
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, exhausting. Now that those things are all in the rearview mirror, I have a week and a half until my life is officially over for a month. So let me take the time to review some of the highlights with you.
First, mini-camp. It was great to finish on a high note, though it seems like forever ago. I think the team is coming together nicely, and everyone seems to be working their butt off. The mixture we have at quarterback is great, and like I have said before, I love going to work. As far as what I think the future holds, look for that blog to be coming sometime early next week, before we report for camp. After the mini-camp, we all know what came next, my WEDDING.
The wedding turned out to be absolutely perfect. Before I get started you can check the pictures taken by our awesome photographer at kristentaylorphotography.com, or the crazy video footage that was taken at epicmotion.com. Ryan was super cool and I would definitely recommend both companies.
So anyway, we were married on June 27th at the Birmingham United Methodist Church (the church we have attended for about a year). I will forever remember the feeling I had as those doors opened and I saw my beautiful bride on her father’s arm. It absolutely took my breath away, and I had to look down at our ring bearer, Jackson Wilcox, and he had a look on his face like "pull it together." I did and when I looked up there she was right in front of me. The ceremony ran smoothly, except a couple botched lines on my behalf. We had the minister from the church I attended in college there to assist Dr. Harnish. She read some words her husband had written who could not be in attendance, as they are a husband and wife team of ministers in Grand Rapids now. Our reception was held at Meadowbrook Hall at Oakland University. The reception was great, but seemed much like my summer as it was over in the blink of an eye. Sparty showed up, which always makes the party better, and we had shutterbooth there as well. Shutterbooth is a company that takes those pictures like you used to at carnivals, the ones that are four in row. We have some hilarious ones, some of which are rather inappropriate.
After the reception I went immediately home and went to bed. ;)
Our honeymoon was awesome, and to not make this blog go on forever, please look for notes on the honeymoon, my time in Bay Harbor and my golf outing to be coming by week’s end. Thanks for reading, taking an interest in my life, and of course always supporting me.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com. Follow him on Twitter as drewstanton.
Written By Drew Stanton
November 24, 2008
Yesterday provided a very interesting string of events.
In a game that looked as if we were going to run away with it, suddenly we were on a slippery slope that we were not able to overcome. After Ronde Barber took an interception to the house to make the score 35-17, the coaches told me to get loose all of a sudden. I grabbed a ball and asked Mike Furrey to begin throwing with me. No one came up to me and told me anything, so I went to my QB coach and asked him if I was going in. He said, "Just get loose." So I assumed I was not going in right then, so I went back to throwing. Not more than five warm-up throws later, they yelled for me to go in and I went running onto the field.
It was great to hear the cheers I received as my name was announced when I took the field.
I loosened up as the drive went on and began to get more comfortable. On third down we had a pass called. I identified the coverage as I usually try to do and then felt pressure, so I tried to escape. Understanding that was not going to work I tried to not take a sack. Well, as I released the ball someone grabbed my legs. I attempted to throw it, leaving my body exposed, and took a hit from a looping defensive end. My head hit the turf hard and it was almost as if I had whiplash.
I thought it was nothing major, perhaps it would subside quickly. There were two offsetting fouls on the play, resulting in replaying the down. I threw a go route to Calvin that was incomplete and still didn't feel great. Then I see on the monitor that we got the ball back, and before I had time to think I went back out there. I felt off, like my timing was off or delayed. We went three plays and out, resulting in a field goal. I went to the sidelines and tried to shake it.
It was then that my QB coach went and got the trainer. They did some tests and that was the end of my day. I never lost consciousness, and my memory was fine as I knew the score and the approximate time of day. It was like I said earlier, just a little delayed. When I showed a lot of sensitivity to light as well, the trainers took me inside. Head injuries are very serious, and so I went through all of the necessary tests conducted by the doctors before they allowed me to leave.
I feel fine now, except a little bit of a sore neck, which is understandable. The trainers and I have outlined a plan of attack for the week and I will try to work out and get my heart rate up tomorrow and see how it feels.
So, my second action in the NFL was not as good as I would have hoped, but I definitely felt more relaxed and understood things better before the bump in the head.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com.
March 4, 2009
Corey Smith is the type of person you always root for, the guy you want to see always succeed. The guy who does everything that is asked of him and tries to give even more.
I have had the luxury of being Corey’s teammate for the past two seasons in Detroit, and though more people know him better than I do, still I feel I got to know the person he truly is. He is a quiet guy who keeps to himself and just continues to bust his butt and make it in this profession. He would run down and make a tackle on special teams just to follow it up with a tackle on defense.
I am down in the Bahamas right now, and caught wind of what happened Sunday morning right when I arrived. I have yet to walk by a television and not wait for an update, hoping that he will be rescued. When I saw that the Coast Guard had called off the search, my heart jumped up into my throat.
At times like this, it is hard to make sense of why things like this happen, especially to
people like Corey. Add that with no closure for all of their families, and it makes it even harder.
Corey is as fine a person as I have met in this crazy profession, and actually became close to him by frequently sitting in the cold tub. He would beat his body up every practice and be the first in the cold tub.
I will not give up hope of a miracle, and continue to pray for him to turn up. His will and desire alone will keep him alive much longer than people give him credit for. Those three men remain in my prayers, and I hope yours, as well. This is yet another example to show how precious life truly is.
I’m just wishing that those days in the cold tub will allow him to persevere this time through.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com.
August 10, 2009
At this point I find myself getting into the groove of camp. The schedule has become memorized, as the muscle soreness has began to subside. I have once again become accustomed to early mornings that end with late nights, which is nothing different from any other August; but this year I would not have it any other way.
This year is my year to prove myself, and I take that approach every day I step foot on the practice field. I go out with the mindset of completing every pass and learning every single day. There are times I might not be the one taking the actual repetition, but I am getting that rep mentally. Playing this position is all about having answers, and if I don't have the answer, I am going to find someone who does.
And perhaps the best part about this season is I actually have multiple people I feel comfortable going to for those answers. Going to work my first two years is something I did not necessarily look forward to, as I have stated before, but now I cannot wait for the next practice to arrive. It might have to do with the fact that I am actually getting reps this year and can feel myself improving, which adds to my excitement.
Or simply because football is once again fun.
At this level it is truly a chess match, and I feel as if we have all the tools on our team to win every match we are in. Now, do not misconstrue that with me saying we are going 16-0, because as I have said before I do not make predictions like that. But I honestly believe we have many more pieces around here than in my two years past, so the reason for optimism is there and real. It all starts with Coach Schwartz, who has learned from some of the best, and it is very apparent in his preparation. It never seems as if the day is dragging on too long or I am going to fall a sleep in a meaningless meeting. He values our time, which is tremendous, and gets us off our feet when needed.
I cannot wait for Saturday to arrive and to play against another opponent besides our own defense. Look for more comments to come shortly following the game, and as always, thanks for reading.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com. Follow him on Twitter @drewstanton.
April 9, 2009
Now that we are a couple weeks into our off-season program I have football information to write about again.
I could have written about my Spartans, but I didn't want to jinx them. They made a helluva run at it, but UNC has, like, seven lottery picks.
Anyways, back to football.
The faces have definitely changed around the building, that is obvious, so now it appears after a month the acclimation phase has passed. All the players know one another for the most part, now it is getting to know the new coaches.
Just being in meetings with Coach Linehan has been a breath of fresh air. He is so detailed it's great, and we are actually going over information that will remain constant for the entire season. Scott Loeffler was similiar, but did not have the control to install material like an offensive coordinator does. My new QB coach, Jeff Horton, has been good, too. He came from St. Louis with Linehan and before that was the QB coach in Wisconsin for six years. The funny thing about Linehan is he knows all of my college coaches from MSU, as he coached under John L. at Idaho.
My body feels great, my mind is clear and focused, and I am really looking forward to mini-camp next weekend.
Check for my updates on that and other stuff as we continue to get ready for next season.
Drew Stanton is a quarterback with the Detroit Lions. His blog for www.playerpress.com runs at www.drewstanton.com.