Antowain Smith fails precamp test

[Cntrygal]

http://www2.bostonherald.com/sport/football/pats07272002.htm

Starting running back Antowain Smith led a small list of front-line players who failed the team's conditioning run and were held out of practice.

[shelby]

i am surprised....i thought Antowain had a better work ethic than that. Slacker!

[Cntrygal]

yeah... over on the jets site (where I actually found this article), one of the guys said that last year he failed the first day but passed the second. I don't know if that's true or not though.

[shelby]

He must have been enjoying the off season a bit too much.
:drunks:

[Dozerdog]

That super bowl ring must be dragging him down....must be like running with a bowling ball in your hand

[northernbillfan]

He can't stop staring at it long enough to concentrate on running.

[The Undertaker #59]

Nah.....he's alright.

Yes, he failed last year on the first try, and then passed on the second try the next day. This year he failed on the 1st try last Friday and was given the opportunity to try again this morning, in which he passed. I would not read too much into this and infer that he is a lazy bum because of it.

For those that don't know and are curious, the test for running backs is 20 60 yard sprints. Each must be completed in under 8 seconds, with 30 seconds of rest between each. If you run the 20th one in 8.5 seconds, for example, you fail.

[bduff54]

who cares, he proved his worth in the playoffs last year

[The Undertaker #59]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news/ap/20020729/ap-patriots-smith.html

in part:

SMITHFIELD, R.I. (AP) -- Antowain Smith loves to run but this was getting ridiculous.

The Patriots best runner spent the weekend running before breakfast, after dinner and on the sidelines throughout the two daily practices. All because he failed Friday's conditioning run, and coach Bill Belichick wouldn't let him practice.

Smith retook the test Monday at 6 a.m., passed it and joined his New England teammates at the morning practice.

``My vacation is over,'' he said. ``It was a little rough on me today, taking the conditioning test then going out in full pads.''


``The players gave me a hard time from day one,'' Smith said. ``I said I was superstitious. I started out this way last time.''

Smith failed the test last year, his first with the Patriots. Then he went on to gain a career-high 1,157 yards as a key part of the team's championship run. He said Buffalo never had conditioning tests in his four years there before he came to New England as a free agent.

``It's obvious which I prefer,'' he said with a laugh.

The 232-pound Smith, with a straight ahead running style, joked that he should take the test as a fullback, requiring him to run 50 yards 20 times in seven seconds or less. He lost that argument.

Smith said speed ``is not a big strength of mine. I don't think I ever have 20 runs in a row'' in a game. But the test ``is something that I need to pass because I'm going to have it every year I'm here.''

``It's easier to practice'' than do the extra running, Smith said.

And he no longer has to put up with his teammates' joking.

``Nobody's mad at Antowain,'' center Damien Woody said. ``We just want him back on the field because he's an integral part of our team.''

[The_Philster]

Great news, Undertaker :up: I'm a big fan of Antowain...good to see that.

[Cntrygal]

thanks for the info and update Undertaker! :up: