(CATCH IN A SCRIMMAGE AGAINST CLEVELAND DURING TRAINING CAMP)
Just a week after making the final roster for the Philadelphia Soul, I was released.
I was shocked and then not shocked if that makes sense. I was shocked because I had just made the team, deep down I felt like I had a few weeks to try and get on the field and show what I can do. I knew they wanted to see me return kicks but they never gave me a real chance to do that which is a bit of a disappointment for me.
Now to the “not shocked” part. During camp I tweaked my hamstring but I did not let that stop me from practicing and tried my hardest everyday to compete, some days I would wake up and think to myself, how am I going to sprint today. My hamstring really hurt, I did damn near round the clock treatment and popped anti inflames to get the pain away and because of that I did enough to make the team. It was noticeable because I couldn’t explode at the top of my routes and that’s a big part of my game. The coach would hint and tell me he knows my dogs are hurting. Even during my interview when he said I made the team he told me I needed to work hard and that I need to get my legs back under me.
He also told me he was bringing in a veteran receiver to push me and take my spot.
I accepted the challenge and during that week of practice all we really did was scout team and ran what the cards told us to run, I made some catches he made some catches but I didn’t think it was to the point where he “beat me out.” But with him being a vet and the stories I have heard about guys getting let go for vets I had a feeling they were going to go with him.
The final practice I felt like my legs were about back, I felt good out there… afterward I hit the weight room and then the training room. Our equipment manager was the “reaper” meaning he’s the one that would tell guys that coach wanted to see them to basically release them. We had no film or meetings so when he came into the training room and asked of I had talked to Clint, I already knew he was getting ready to release me.
When I finally met with Clint he told me they decided to go with the other guy citing he had more
Experience than me. Told me I was a great professional and said he’d help with anything I needed but deep down I was upset. I wasn’t upset at him but at myself. I felt like I let a lot of people down, I had a lot of people rooting for me. I worked so hard to get here smh. I had a opportunity that I let slip away. An opportunity that has taken me 6 years to get and now I may not get that opportunity again being 29.
I still watched film after getting released then thanked Clint for the opportunity.
My phone was dead so after a few hours the first person I told was my wife. The first thing she asked was how do I feel and she just wants me to be happy. Those words helped a lot, it let me know that she really wants this for me. I told her I’m fine, there was no need to be mad or upset it is a situation that I couldn’t control and what I could control I squandered by getting beat out. I then called my former head coach Mark Stoute and told him I got released we talked for a bit and he welcomed me to come back to Cedar Rapids. For an athlete there is no greater feeling than feeling wanted as selfish as that sounds it’s the truth. I told a few other people and then focused my mind on getting back to my wife before heading to Cedar Rapids.
When you get released you have to have an exit physical and the doc confirmed my thoughts that I strained my hamstring. In a sense it was a relief. It was a relief because as much as it sounds like an excuse it’s proof their was something holding me back from being as good as I could be. At the same time I again want to thank the trainers at PEP in Milwaukee for training me, I can almost a bet without training that simple strain would’ve probably sidelined me. They had me well conditioned and I was able to fight through. Anyway the doc gave me some meds and a home therapy program.
Philly was a great situation for me, I learned a lot met some important people.
Thanks for the opportunity!!!
Bryan Pray 