Philadelphia Eagles rookie Ricky Sapp isn’t interested with breaking any age-old NFL training camp traditions including rookie hazing.
The Eagles fifth-round pick knows that once the veterans arrive at camp later this week that he might be carrying some pads for the older guys at Lehigh.
“Hey man it’s all about tradition,” Sapp said with a smile after his first training camp practice.
The rookie obviously doesn’t want to make headlines like Cowboys first-rounder Dez Bryant did Monday when he told reporters that he refused to carry Dallas veteran Roy Williams’ shoulder pads following practice.
“I’m not doing it,” Bryant told ESPNDallas.com.
Sapp, though had a different opinion.
“If I gotta carry pads -- I’ll carry pads,” he said.
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Sapp, a 6-foot-4, 252-pound linebacker/defensive end out of Clemson, was trying to take in everything at camp -- including the many hills of Bethlehem -- and he even likes the food, he said. But his focus is on football and trying to make the Birds’ game day roster.
Coaches told Sapp and the other young guns that they were looking for “someone to step up,” said the rookie.
He already has his own idea of what that means.
“I’m just gonna come out here everyday and try to take someone’s job.”
Well that sure would get those vets back for making him carry those pads even if Sapp doesn’t mind.
Of course a young player taking an aging player’s spot in the NFL is another time-honored tradition.
Follow Sapp’s journey towards making the team on his Twitter feed.
