http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/silvaszone en shawn@xamsports.com Copyright 2008 2008-05-19T09:01:00-05:00 http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/blogs/silvas_safety_zone.html http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/silvaszone/reflecting_on_indy/#When:09:01:00Z I headed to Indy to attend the Colts rookie camp the weekend following the draft.  I felt that it went well. It was a lot of learning and practice was in helmets.  It was great to get back out on the football field.  Along with some of the rookies were other young players that had recently joined the team and are still becoming familiar with the system.  I was the only safety there. I received a lot of one on one attention from the defensive backs coach.  I met some of the veterans as they were working out around the facility. Everyone seemed real cool. This week I am heading back down to attend an off season camp where the whole team will be involved. I am very excited to get out on the field with all of these guys. After this camp I will be staying for a few weeks to become more familiar with the organization so that when preseason camp comes around I will be as ready and as comfortable as possible. 2008-05-19T09:01:00-05:00 http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/blogs/silvas_safety_zone.html http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/silvaszone/nfl_draft_3_days_away/#When:19:26:00Z Only 3 days until the draft.  The caterpillars are turning into butterflies.  It is one of the most exciting times but also very nerve racking.  I have been hearing from several teams.  The teams usually just ask general questions and see how I am doing leading up to the draft.  I am really hoping that a team picks me.  The past few months have been preparing me to play in the NFL.  I just got back to Rhode Island a few days ago.  It is nice to be home and see the family for a week before I head to a new home town/state.  I’ve continued to stay focused on training.  I have been doing a lot of running at Pierce Field and I feel great.  I will spend my draft weekend with my family 2008-04-23T19:26:00-05:00 http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/blogs/silvas_safety_zone.html http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/silvaszone/countdown_to_the_draft/#When:01:22:00Z I have been back in Lancaster, PA for about a week or so. It is back to the hard work. After my workout yesterday, I went for an afternoon jog on the farm I live on.  As I turned the corner, scaling around high out of season harvest, I ran upon I snake that scurried into the tall grass and corn stalks.  This got my blood flowing and heart thumping.  The adventuresome person I am proceeded to move the brush around, hoping to catch a better glimpse of this animal. No luck. Though, today I went on a hike.  My hike was highlighted by two events. First, I caught a salamander. This reminded me of my childhood, scrumming through the woods in Riverside.  The second event is something I never experienced.  I was walking along the fence outside of the cow area, when I noticed some cows were running towards me.  This was not my first encounter with them, so I knew that they were friendly.  One of the cows came right up to me and I reached out to pet her head.  Right when I touched her face she sneezed! I had cow juice sprayed on me… This was not what I was hoping for to happen. Also as the cows head jolted forward at me, came all the fleas and flies that were covering the head of her. Even though I was disgusted and had to go back and shower as soon as possible, I did have to laugh at what happened. Today I also threw caught passes for Chad Henne, Michigan’s star quarterback. He needed to throw to someone for a local television interview, so I volunteered myself as his receiver. My agents said that this portion of time (post workouts until the draft) will be tough.  There is a lot of media coverage and “expert” (yeah right) analysis that says where the NFL prospects will go.  There is a lot of talk and anxiousness, but nobody actually knows what is going to happen come the end of April.  I spoke to my agents today and they are developing placement charts, seeing what teams need safeties or are lacking experience opposed to other teams.  Though we are planning and hoping that I do get drafted, this will be very useful if I don’t get drafted. Directly after the draft, teams start offering free agent contracts and it is up to me and my agents to find the best fit place for me.  So if for some reason my name is not called come the end of the draft, I will know what place I will best fit in.  Just over two weeks to go until the draft. I am very anxious and can’t wait to actually get to a mini-camp. So right now the main goal is just to stay in shape so I can show whatever team brings me in, that I deserve to play in this league. 2008-04-11T01:22:00-05:00 http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/blogs/silvas_safety_zone.html http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/silvaszone/pro_day_recap/#When:23:50:00Z Last week I participated in the Boston College Pro-Day. It was very similar to the Combine regarding the testing we did.  Overall, it went pretty well. My forty time, one area I was hoping to improve on, remained the same (high 4.7’s).  Regardless, I’m not expected to run a blazing time. Pro-Day was a more comfortable setting than the Combine because it was held at the facilities I used for the past 5 years.  In general, it was a good day and I improved in many of my drills.  Unfortunately, we discovered a wrong time was recorded on one of my drills. My agent is writing a letter to the 32 NFL teams explaining the recorder made a mistake. Fortunately, the whole Pro-Day was recorded, and it is visually obvious that a mistake was made. So, along with the letter, he will also send film of the drill. I have been in RI training at local fields and gyms. Whether it is football drills, lifting, or racquetball, I have done something everyday since the Pro-Day to stay active and break a sweat. But starting tomorrow my training will be more football orientated. I believe sometime soon I will head back to Lancaster, Pa to continue with my training. I am happy that the testing with stopwatches is over and that the real football, where I can hopefully stand out more, is starting soon. I am looking forward to the draft, which is only a month away. I am not expecting to go on the first day since it is only the first two rounds. But I am really hoping that my name is called come the second day.  I will be glad to play for any team that wants me. Some have said “free safety” and some “strong safety”. I really don’t care as long as I can get the chance to strap it up come Sunday’s in the fall. 2008-03-25T23:50:00-05:00 http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/blogs/silvas_safety_zone.html http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/silvaszone/live_with_powertrain/#When:15:45:00Z Since leaving the NFL combine in Indianapolis 2 weeks ago I have been in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. That’s the home of Powertrain Sports and it’s head trainer Steve Saunders. Powertrain works with numerous current NFL players from the Steelers, Eagles and Ravens. There are a group of athletes here who are also preparing for the NFL draft. That includes a fellow East Providence native, Matt Sherry. Matt was a tight end at Villanova. Powertrain is located in Amish country. I am staying a farmhouse on the Powertrain property with 6 other athletes. Everybody is pretty focused on the task at hand. In this house, we are all preparing for the NFL draft. And our preparation is very regimented and strict. For example, our diet: Most days we are on a Carb free diet. Occasionally we do a day of carb loading. Carb Free Diet: Breakfast 8 Eggs, 4 pieces of turkey bacon Lunch 1 pound of steak or chicken, Greens and Vegetables Dinner 1 pound of fish, chicken or steak, greens and vegetables. The only beverage I drink on these days is water On a Carb load day my typical diet consists of: Orange juice 6 bagels Potatoes Oatmeal Pasta Applesauce Wheat thins Quart of white rice Apples Grapes Sweet potatoes There are no personal shoppers or cooks in our house. All the guys living in the house are responsible for all the shopping and cooking. We are advised on what to buy. I don’t mind doing the shopping or the cooking We know that we’re here for a common goal, so we do what we got to do. The owner has turned one of the chicken coops into a place to train…it is 50 yards long….there are 2 goal posts. This is the space where we do our football drills When we aren’t doing the football drills in the converted chicken coop we are either running or lifting weights. There is a personal trainer with us every step of the way The workouts are grueling…..they really try to get the most out of your body….the workouts are very muscle specific and I get fatigued pretty fast. As for the evenings, I’ve been watching a lot of movies in the living room of our farmhouse….. There are 6 guys living in the house…I’ve been lucky to have my own room….most share a room. This weekend I will be returning home. Tuesday is pro day at Boston College. It’s another audition for the pro scouts. After that it’s back to Lancaster for more training. That’s again for your emails and good wishes. Keep them coming! 2008-03-14T15:45:00-05:00 http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/blogs/silvas_safety_zone.html http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/silvaszone/at_the_nfl_combine/#When:23:48:01Z I just finished an intense 4 days at the NFL Combine. If you saw the Combine coverage on the NFL Network, I’m told it barely scratched the surface of the things we had to do while in Indianapolis. For example, the wakeup call each morning ranged from as early as 4:45 a.m. to as late as 6:15 a.m. I got to sleep most nights at midnight. Each day we were kept very busy. Our time was consumed by medical and psychological tests, daily workouts and meetings with teams interested in drafting you and NFL player personnel officials. During the medical test most players were ordered to take an MRI. It was all based on your past medical and injury history or suspicions of injuries. They pulled and tugged on me a lot. I ended up on the MRI table for 3 hours. The meetings with the teams sometimes stretched into the evening. Each team was allotted 15 minutes to speak with each player. The team meetings weren’t only a get to know you session, they also tested your football knowledge. The coaches and scouts would ask you to diagram a play or ask about particular coverage. I met with at least 20 different teams. I would have to say that the NFL Combine wasn’t an enjoyable experience. We got plenty of free “Stuff”, but there was no free time and very little time for sleep.  The final day of the Combine was devoted to the high profile on-field tests. Each position group was graded on 10 different drills. I think I did my best on the field events where they threw the football in my direction. Running the 40 yard dash is not my thing. Leading up to the Combine, I ran a 4.6, but in Indianapolis of the hundred or so clocks I heard two of the results….One had me at 4.8 the other at 4.75 It was cool to be here. After all this is the place every college player wants to be. It means you are in the elite group and it was an honor to be invited.  But make no mistake this was not a pleasure trip. This was hardcore business. A trip I hope will reap dividends for me down the road. I am headed back to Orlando where I did my pre-combine workouts. I’m going to pack up my stuff and head to Pennsylvania to workout with Matt Sherry. That name may sound familiar. Matt is a football player who graduated from Hendricken. He is currently at Villanova. He wasn’t invited to the Combine, but a lot of scouts were asking me about him.  I think if he went to a school with a higher football profile, he would have been at the Combine. My workouts with Matt will be in preparation for Pro Day, March 18th at Boston College. It’s another audition for the NFL scouts. Finally, my sincerest thanks to all of you who have submitted comments to my blog. Your messages and good wishes are very much appreciated. Please keep the comments and questions coming. In the coming weeks, I hope to answer those questions when I update you again on my progress. 2008-02-26T23:48:01-05:00 http://www.turnto10.com/northeast/jar/blogs/silvas_safety_zone.html http://www.turnto10blogs.com/index.php/silvaszone/welcome_to_my_blog/#When:15:46:00Z Hi this is Jamie Silva and welcome to my blog. I’d like to thank NBC 10 for giving me the opportunity for keeping you posted on my road to the NFL Draft - so keep checking in. Right now, I’m working as hard as I can to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me through my blog, and I hope to answer you as soon as I can. I appreciate the support from everyone in Rhode Island, and I hope to make everybody proud come this NFL season. 2008-02-21T15:46:00-05:00