Winnipeg Free Press: Easygoing Onyemata fully immersed in the grind of his first NFL training camp

August 11, 2016 —

The Winnipeg Free Press reports on former Bisons football player David Onyemata at his first NFL training camp. Onyemata was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round, 120th overall, at the 2016 NFL Draft.

By now, two weeks after the Saints’ main training camp kicked off at a West Virginia luxury resort July 27, Onyemata has settled into its punishing rhythms. Other than the 1,500 fans that cheered on the open practice Tuesday morning, there is little glamour in this part of big-league life. Wake up and push your body to its limits, then study, sleep, and repeat.

“You’re out there the whole day,” Onyemata said. “You go from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and you’re learning football, you’re talking football, you’re breathing football. Every day is football.”

This workload is a critical crash course for every prospect, but for Onyemata it is especially vital. The narrative that has congealed around him is as obvious as it is constant. He is the only player on either the Patriots or Saints whose alma mater is Canadian. When he gets mentioned in media reports, it is usually appended by a mention of his “rawness.”