Like all rookies, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Greg Little is forced to deal with the inconvenience of a lockout this summer. Negotiations between the players and owners have kept NFL newcomers from preparing for the 2011 season with the benefit of team-run minicamps.
But the lockout hasn’t kept first-year players from doing their best to prepare for their biggest challenge yet. Little – along with hundreds of other rookies – attended the NFLPA’s Rookie Premier and symposium on “The Business of Football: Rookie Edition.” Both events were geared towards getting rookies acclimated to life in the NFL.
When asked about the best piece of advice he received, Little said the need to “stay in shape.”
“There’s going to come a day when the lockout is lifted, and you’re going to have to get back to work,” he continued. “And you want to be ready for it.”
During his stay at the highly-regarded IMG training facility, Little was in position to do just that. But it wasn’t all about work.
“At the Rookie Premier and Rookie Symposium, that’s where I had the most fun [this offseason],” Little said. “Just being with guys that played around the country… you cross paths with them here and there. But when you get time to spend time with them, hang out and have fun, it’s been the most enjoyable time I’ve had.”
Little might be making friends with his rookie companions now, but soon he’ll be going toe-to-toe with them on game days.
All signs point to the NFL lockout ending in the very near future. And that means Little will soon be acclimated with his new teammates. So what does the 22-year-old have to offer a Browns offense that’s been lackluster for years? After all, Little missed all of his senior season at North Carolina while serving a suspension.
“I’d say [my] versatility, and being able to play a number of different positions,” he said. “And being able to grasp the offense rather quickly. Just being able to get on the field and help [the team] in a number of different positions.”
Little realizes there’s a legitimate chance he could be starting in Week 1. And he’s already shooting for the moon with his new team.
“[I want to] just better my team in the win category. That’s the ultimate goal. I’ve never won a championship. So that’s something I want to work to with my teammates.”
The Browns might be a couple years away from reaching a Super Bowl. But if Little plays like he’s expected, they’ll be in good hands for the foreseeable future.
