Queen's Football quarterback Alex Vreeken attended training camp with the Ottawa Redblacks at Richardson Stadium as part of the CFL's QB Internship Program. Vreeken spoke about the experience ahead of the season.
 
Can you sum up the whole experience in a couple of sentences?
 
Alex Vreeken: A normal day with the Redblacks would consist of waking up at 5:45 a.m. at Smith residence. Pack bag and get ready for the day, then study the playbook for 30 minutes or so. Drive to Jean Royce dining hall. Every morning I had breakfast with Queen's alumni long snapper Pete Adjey.
 
Head over the stadium for 7:30 and get ready for practice, while going through the practice plan and script of plays we were running that day. I would ask the other QBs questions during this time about the playbook and how they approached certain plays.
 
On field for 8:10, practice started at 8:30 a.m. was done around 11:30 usually, sometimes 12 depending on the day. Head to a quick 45-minute lift before or after lunch depending on the day.
 
At lunch, I was able to ask the QBs questions about their journey to the CFL, and all kinds of QB specific questions. After lunch I tended to have an hour or two with nothing scheduled so I would go find a quiet classroom at Duncan MacArthur Hall and study the playbook.
 
QB meetings started at 3 or 3:30 and then meet until the rest of the offence was done Special Teams. The entire offence would meet and go over practice film or install the next day's install package. We would be done meeting by 6 p.m., then head to dinner for 45 minutes or so. Then we had a quick team meeting and then offence would meet again until 8:30 or 9.
 
How did Redblacks training camp differ from Queen's Football training camp?
 
Alex Vreeken: The biggest difference with Redblacks training camp compared to Queen's training camp was how the day was laid out. At Queen's, we meet in the morning at 8 and then have a practice in the morning from 10:30 to noon. Then meet again at 2 and practice again 5-8pm.
The Redblacks never did two practices in one day. It was either a single practice from 8:30-11ish or a power practice from 8:30 until 12 with a small 15-minute break in the middle consisting of snacks and removing shoulder pads.
 
Did you take home any advice from the Redblacks quarterbacks?
 
Alex Vreeken: The most beneficial part of the experience was the interaction with the quarterbacks. We had many conversations about all different parts of the game. From physical aspects like throwing mechanics, manipulating players with your eyes, and different drops they use for concepts.
 
But also, a ton of conversations about the mental side of playing the game and how I would read plays based on coverages compared to how they do it. I think seeing the game through their eyes has allowed me to speed through progressions based on different coverages, almost simplifying the game even more by gathering more information. I think they were also able to give advice on how they are off the field, with a leadership spotlight, along with managing game prep and off-season training.
 
Was it cool to have this experience at a familiar venue – Richardson Stadium? (Did you get to sit in your same stall in the locker room)
 
Alex Vreeken: Having training camp located at Richardson Stadium was super convenient. Being familiar with the facilities was mindless and I settled into camp right away. I was lucky enough to get the privilege of sitting in star pass rusher Ollie Jackson's locker for the month. It was great being at Queen's, a bunch of the guys came out to watch practices and our coaching staff watched most days so when I spoke about the playbook to them, they already had seen the Redblacks run some of the plays.
 
Any favourite moments or lasting memories from the whole experience?
 
Alex Vreeken: Some of my favourite moments and memories are:
 
I really enjoyed QB meetings and practices, watching tape and listening to the other QBs break down coverages and reads was super beneficial for me. I am lucky the QB room was welcoming and all of them took time to teach me and answer my questions on the field.
 
Having the opportunity to hangout everyday with my former teammate Pete Adjey was unreal. Pete was a fifth-year when I was a freshman at Queen's, so it was super cool to catch up again, and shows the Brotherhood runs deep at Queen's.