John Frieser ’04 is a big guy with a big dream.
Last year, he played a key role in the Raiders’ 15-1 football season that culminated with a trip to the NCAA Division I-AA championship game.
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound tight end also won numerous academic and athletic awards. The Athletics Directors Association named him a first team all-Academic selection, and he was named the Division I-AA Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Even though he graduated May 16, he still has been hitting the books. This time, though, it was a St. Louis Rams’ playbook. After signing a free-agent contract with the National Football League team, he attended two team minicamps.
What was it like going pad-to-pad against some of the league’s top players? Had any NFL coaches or players heard of the Raiders and their playoff run?
The Endwell, N.Y., native answers those questions and others in this online journal he wrote for .
Here is his first installment:
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| John Frieser majored in sociology/anthropology and graduated with a 3.69 GPA. (Photo by Timothy Sofranko) |
John Frieser ’04
Wednesday, June 9
When I was approached to document my post-college football experience for the website, I jumped at the chance because there is so much that I could share with you all. However, as all of us know, figuring out where to begin is the hardest task in writing, especially when there is so much you want to talk about. With that being said, here it goes.
The day I received the call from my agent that the St. Louis Rams wanted to sign me as a free agent was one of the most exciting moments of my life. I had been experiencing so many different emotions throughout the previous weekend, ranging from complete uncertainty, to disappointment, to utter joy, that I had to stop and take a breath, knowing that I would definitely get my shot at the pros.
Throughout my career at , there were always whispers that I may be a prospect by my senior year, but I never really knew how to respond to them. I tried not to think about it in fear that it would distract me from the things I needed to do at the time and cause me to get too far ahead of myself.
However, when the proper time came, I felt so incredibly blessed to have been put in this position and to have an awesome supporting cast of family, friends, teammates, faculty, coaches, and brothers rooting me on.
When I first arrived in St. Louis for rookie minicamp, I had no idea what to expect. The same thoughts played over and over again in my mind. How big and fast would these guys be? Is this really happening? What are the coaches going to be like? How sophisticated is the offense?
Well, as I expected, many of these questions would soon be answered. Sitting in the tight end meeting room for the first time with the two other rookies was quite an experience.
Our new coach politely introduced himself but told us that we had a lot of work ahead of us. Boy, was he right.
The playbook was huge and the expectations even larger. After what seemed to be the longest and most intense meeting of my life, I dragged myself back to my hotel room around 9:30 p.m. and tried to get myself ready for the 6 a.m. wake up call. As I suspected, the night flew by and before I knew it, we were on the field ready for practice, dressed in the standard practice jersey, shorts, and helmet.
Overall, rookie camp went pretty well and I was surprised at how much I learned in such a short amount of time. Every day was pretty consistent in that we would arrive at the training facility at 6:30 a.m. and get back around 9:30 p.m. Once we were back in our rooms, we studied for about an hour and tried to get in bed by 11 or so.
Although long and very tiring, the camp taught us proper technique, the importance of detail, the basis of the offensive system, and how to push yourself, just to name a few.
Once rookie camp was over, I flew back to for final exams and graduation. With everything that was going on, the last week or two at school was so bittersweet for me. I would have to leave the place I spent the last four years of my life as well as the incredible people that I was fortunate to be around along the way. But at the same time, I would move on to pursue my childhood dream and attempt to make it a reality.
Thankful that I had been allowed to report a day late for my second visit to St. Louis, I was able to attend graduation and be with my friends in Hamilton one last time. Wishing I could have stayed longer after the ceremony to visit with everyone, I rushed home with my family so that I would have time to unpack and then repack for my flight the next morning. Before I knew it, I had graduated and was at Rams Park once again for the team’s full-squad minicamp.
On the whole, minicamp was one of the most challenging experiences of my life thus far. When I say that, people often assume I’m referring to the physical nature of football, especially on the highest levels, where the men are so large and powerful. However, I found that it was the mental aspect of it that really tested you as a person and as an athlete.
With so much to learn, we, as rookies, had to be like sponges and soak everything up on the run while we were competing with veterans that have been in the system for years. In addition, attention to detail became so crucial for us because the coach expected perfection and would not settle for anything less, which was to be expected, but difficult nonetheless.
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The difference between a good or bad rep could simply be a step that wasn’t quite right or the extra second you took to look back at the quarterback when running at route. To handle the frustrations that goes hand in hand with such a learning process while knowing that you are constantly competing with every other guy out there forces you to adopt a toughness and an attitude like no other. However, I realized that many things in life are like this and that it can only make you stronger in the long run.
Looking back on my pro football experiences so far, there are a few things that really stand out.
First of all, being able to share the same field with some of the greatest football players in the world was incredible. Your whole life, you watch the NFL on television and watch your favorite players on Sundays and all of a sudden you are in the same huddle with them. I can’t even describe how surreal that feels sometimes.
All of the veterans that I met were very nice guys and willing to help you out in anyway they could, which I thought was extremely cool.
Another amazing thing that I found is how small the world can feel when placed in the context of football. When I first arrived in St. Louis, the first fellow that I met was a free agent punter who hailed from the Atlanta area. We got to talking and it turns out that this young man used to live in Endicott, which is five seconds away from my home in Endwell, until he moved away during our middle school years.
On a similar note, the offensive coordinator for the Rams, as well as a few student trainers, knew ’s former defensive line coach James Cregg very well, which sparked a lot of good conversations. I guess it is a small world after all.
Another thing that sticks out in my mind is how recognizable is in other parts of the country, especially after the great year in athletics that we just had.
There were a number of players, both rookies and vets, and coaches that knew of our national playoff run to the I-AA finals and the great football tradition that we have at .
One coach went so far as to even comment on the “great” weather we always enjoy between November and April. When he alluded to the fact that we get a lot of snow, I just smiled and thought about the famous quote from MTV’s Diary: “You think you know, but you have no idea.”
At this point in the journal, I wish I could say that I was still with the Rams, but unfortunately that is not the case at the time being.
I was released from the Rams last Thursday (June 3) and placed on the waiver wire. Basically what this means is that as a restricted free agent, I have to wait 10 days before I can sign with any other teams.
Although disappointed, I knew from the beginning that it would be an extremely challenging endeavor for me and that I would have to be patient for the right opportunity. Before I left, the coaches offered many encouraging words and simply stated that the move was based on numbers, which it often is in the NFL.
I am still very confident in myself and feel that another door will open for me soon.
Go ‘gate.