‘Somebody could have warned me’ — Mansoor Delane got a rude awakening at Kansas City Chiefs OTAs, but it’ll help him long-term
Kansas City Chiefs rookie CB Mansoor Delane was surprised by one specific thing at OTAs. It’ll help him and his conditioning in the long term, especially once the team gets to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ rookies got their first true taste of life in the NFL during the first week of OTAs.
For the No. 6 overall pick, Mansoor Delane, he got himself a bit of a welcome to the league during OTAs. It was the first week with veterans and rookies in the building together. It was a bit of a rude awakening for him when it came to one specific feature of Andy Reid practices. If you’ve been a Chiefs fan since Coach Reid arrived in 2013, you can probably take a wild guess.
Speaking to Cody Tapp and Alex Gold on 96.5 The Fan, Delane revealed one thing that caught him off guard during the first week of OTAs.
Chiefs rookie CB Mansoor Delane caught off guard by how much running Kansas City does in practice
Cody and Gold asked Delane whether anything surprised him about OTAs that he wasn’t expecting, whether it was a positive thing or something that has been challenging to adjust to. His overall adjustment has been positive. However, what surprised Delane most was just how much the Chiefs’ coaching staff gets the players moving in practice.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid has a reputation. His practices are known for rigorous on-field work and fast pace. There aren’t two-a-days in the NFL anymore, so they have to make the most of their on-field time. The players will run a lot and move their bodies during individual and team drills. It doesn’t matter if it’s a padded practice in July or a padless practice in May.
“It’s been good. I say it’s a lot of running, probably. Somebody could have warned me a little bit about that,” Delane joked. “But naw, just like I said, it’s a very well-conditioned team, and obviously, I can see why people are so ready for the season. Because we come in here, we handle our business, and it’s definitely not easy. So, really just a lot more running than that, though.”
With the running in OTAs being a big surprise, Delane is certainly in for a treat when the Chiefs get to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp. Those days can be extremely daunting, with temperatures in the 90s with 100% humidity. There’s also Coach Reid’s staple long-drive drill. Delane told Cody and Gold that he’s already been warned about training camp, and he’ll be prepared for it nonetheless.
“Naw, for sure, I’ve definitely heard,” Delane said of training camp in St. Joe. “Got my fair share of warnings, but I wouldn’t even be surprised now. Really just trying to prepare as best as I can, to be ready for that, those circumstances and those climates and environments.”
What is Chiefs HC Andy Reid’s long-drive drill?
Andy Reid’s staple drill, reserved for the end of the day on some of the toughest padded training camp practices. It is designed to test a player’s physical and mental toughness under severe exhaustion.
- Who: 11-on-11 featuring first-, second-, and third-team offensive and defensive units.
- What: A continuous 14-to-18 play drive with no substitutions. Offense will start around the 20-yard line. The drive will not end unless the offense scores a touchdown or an interception or fumble recovery takes place. Downs reset every five yards.