DE PERE, Wis. — With the first practice of training camp just two days away, Green Bay Packers veterans are settling in to their new temporary home.
Team veterans arrived to their dormitory set-up at De Pere’s St. Norbert College Tuesday morning, two days after the rookies moved in. This is the 61st consecutive year the team has housed its players at St. Norbert during training camp.
Even in the midst of a two-year playoff drought, players have their sights set high as the 2019 campaign ramps up.
“The Super Bowl is always the goal. As long as everybody is on the same page and we’re playing collectively and all together, then we’re going to make it happen.”
With a new, offensive-minded head coach in 39-year-old Matt LaFleur, the Packers offense will get a bulk of the attention entering camp. However, expectations surrounding the defense are higher than any year in recent memory. The unit is entering its second season under renowned coordinator Mike Pettine, and appears to be clicking on all cylinders heading into the summer season.
“This year is probably the most excited I’ve been to go to the dorm,” fourth-year linebacker Blake Martinez said Tuesday. “The kind of culture with the defense has just been awesome. We’re growing together as a team and getting ready to dominate the season.”
Martinez arrived for camp with some extra luggage in tow: his nearly year-old daughter, Kinsley, who was born during training camp last year. Martinez joked as he arrived that Kinsley is the “91st member” of the Packers roster, and said the toughest part of camp would be saying goodbye while he gears up for the season.
“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “It will be crazy to see her two weeks from now and be like ‘what the heck happened!?’
“She’s definitely the best thing ever. She’s super sweet; I’ll definitely miss her.”
Martinez and the Packers take the field for their first training camp practice Thursday at 10:15. Their first preseason game is August 8 against the Houston Texans. The game can be seen right on NBC 26, your Official Packers Station, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m.
