September 12, 2005

QUARSHIE, RAIDERS START 2005 NFL SEASON

Michael Quarshie took time to answer some questions about his experience in the Oakland Raiders 2005 training camp and preseason. The defensive lineman has now officially been signed as a members of the Raiders' practice squad for the current season. After arriving for training camp in late July, Quarshie competed in all four preseason games for Oakland.

Now Quarshie will focus on his role of practicing every day with the team and helping the Raiders prepare for each week's game. He is guaranteed a spot on Oakland's practice squad throughout the season, and plans to use his opportunity with the players to improve his physical, mental and technical football skills.

SLIDE SHOW: Michael in action. Michael Quarshie, wearing No. 73, in action against the San Francisco 49ers. PHOTO: Tony Gonzales Courtesy of Oakland Raiders Michael, what is the practice squad? MQ: “It's both a reserve and a developmental squad It's a group of players who are part of the team but are not on the active rosters. They can be activated at any point if team decides they want or need them - if someone gets hurt or a guy plays himself into a spot, for example. We practice like everyone else and go to all the meetings. Practice squad guys just don't get to play during the regular season. They're kind of on standby.” Have a question for Michael about his NFL experience? Send it to him Michael@MichaelQuarshie.com and he will post a page of responses to readers' questions. For more information on NFL practice squads: Pat Kirwan: Practice squad helpful players can be called on during season Raiders Essentials Team web site Michael's player page 2005 schedule Also see: Quarshie in Training Camp with Raiders

What were some specific things you learned in camp?

MQ: “I worked a lot on my technique. Getting more leverage, for example. I was trying to keep a wider base and not to cross my feet. I have a bad habit of occasionally playing with my feet close to each other, with consequence of me occasionally being off balance at the line of scrimmage. I got away with that in college, but here I can't. I have to keep a wide space between my feet to generate more power.”

“Also I'm trying to make sure I get separation [from the other lineman] with my hands. A lot of these linemen are bigger than what I encountered in college and they have longer arms. It's really important to make plays to get separation, and to get it I need to use my hands better. I have to continue working on it. I'm also trying to get to the point of being a consistent pass rusher.”

What were you surprised by on the field during camp?

MQ: “The speed of the game is always something that catches you. But I knew to expect it. Everything develops a lot faster and is more precise. The margin of error is a lot smaller. You really have to react fast. In order to make a good play everything has to be right. You need leverage and separation, and you need to read the play correctly and to make the tackle. In college I could make lapses in some parts and still make the play, but that just doesn’t happen here. All the players here are really gifted so you need to be at the top of your game to compete.”

What about off the field? What has been the most striking part of the NFL so far?

MQ: “I was really impressed by everybody's professionalism. Everybody handles themselves well. I've had a lot of help from my teammates, which I appreciate. People are here for business.”

What would fans find surprising about the life of a professional football player?

MQ: “How much time it demands off the field. You basically work around the clock. We spend a lot of time evaluating and studying our opponents as a team and as individual players we play against - how they set their feet, what they do with their hands. We try to figure out their intricacies so we know what to expect and how to counter them. We spent a lot of time meeting, watching tape of practice, going through scenarios, installing plays, making adjustments and learning things about our opponents.”

What has been the most challenging part for you?

MQ: “Again, the speed of the game. With everything moving much faster it’s harder to make the correct reads in time. But that is really something that comes with practice and repetition. I became much more comfortable as the preseason went on and I got more experience. Obviously it is something I have to continue to work on, but I’ve been getting steadily better with my recognitions.”

Michael sitting down during some of his rare free time.

PHOTO: C.J. Brooks

You've played in a couple of preseason games now. Have you noticed a difference playing football in an NFL stadium, with an NFL crowd and an NFL jersey than what you experienced in college and in NFL Europe?

MQ: “In our first game against the 49ers, I was surprised by it Growing up in Finland and watching games only on tapes... to actually play in the 49ers’ stadium, that was a great experience. I felt like I got somewhere I was trying to get for a long time. But at the same time it was a football game like any other. I think my experience in Germany really helped because they had big crowds there too.”

Have you felt intimidated at all by veteran players or are you gaining confidence by the competition?

MQ: “I haven’t felt intimidated. I clearly have a long way to go. But I feel that I’m constantly improving and I’ve managed to make plays both in practice and in our pre-season games. That has helped me gain more confidence.”

Have you noticed a difference in NFL and college coaches?

MQ: “All coaches love players who give great effort. And all coaches hate mental mistakes. It’s as true in the NFL as it is in Finland. But in the NFL, coaches hate mental mistakes with a passion. For example, getting beat is one thing, but not lining up correctly is another. If you don’t know what you're supposed to do, you've compromised the whole scheme. It's taken very seriously. Because the teams in the NFL are so competitive, small things often decide the outcome of a game. Teams simply can’t afford mental mistakes.”