Houston players were expecting some time off after the Texans ended their only mini-camp this offseason. Plans were made and flights booked for destinations all over the world. There was only one problem. Gary Kubiak had other ideas.
While the players are enjoying some time off this week for the July 4th holiday, next week many will return to the weight room and practice fields for one last week of team conditioning.
The program is not mandatory, but most of the team has been participating in the last phase of workouts that began shortly after mini-camp.
"I'd say it was kind of a surprise for a couple of guys," Demarcus Faggins said of the workouts. "Some guys had made plans before mini-camp was over knowing that we were supposed to have time off immediately after.
"People had to change flights, rearrange plans so it was kind of funny to see that, but other than that it's all for the good to keep guys in town and working out."
The fact the Texans schedule approaching training camp varies from many other teams should not come as a surprise according to Sage Rosenfels.
"Guys understand that we started about two weeks later than other teams," Rosenfels said. "Other teams started in mid-March and we started April 2 or 3 so I think it was understood that since we got a little bit of a later start, we were going to end a little bit after some other teams. I think it's fair."
Faggins, an original Texan, said that this offseason's schedule has been different then in years past and that mirrors the intensity of the workouts.
"The schedule has changed for one thing," Faggins said. "The intensity has changed. It's kind of rapid fire."
Following next week, Faggins, Rosenfels and the rest of the Texans will get about 12 days to themselves before reporting to Reliant Stadium on July 27 for training camp.
{QUOTE) Rosenfels will spend some of that time at home in Iowa as well as some time here in Houston.
"I'm having a football camp in my hometown to raise money for my high school athletic department, Rosenfels said.
"When I'm here in Houston, I'll just work out here at the facility with the guys that are here. When I'm home, I'll just go back to my high school and work out."
Rosenfels also said that he'll keep his throwing arm loose by playing catch with his brothers, but then he kept things in perspective with a wry smile.
"We do have six weeks of training camp to prepare for the season so I'm not very concerned," he said.
Faggins has no immediate travel plans, other than a few trips north to Dallas.
"I'm from Dallas so I'll probably go home on the weekends, but for the most part I'm staying here in town," Faggins said.
When practice does begin again in earnest at the end of July, it shouldn't be hard for players to be motivated despite only a brief break. Faggins said that he' never had a better feeling heading into a season than he does this year.
"Oh yeah, we've made some changes, got rid of people, brought in people. Hoepfully, it will work out for the best, I think it will," Faggins said. "It just seems like we've already gelled together even though we have a lot of new faces.
"It's going to be interesting to see how we do when we put it all together and go against somebody else."
