St. Louis Rams cornerback candidate Jeremy Caldwell intercepts a pass intended for receiver Nick Johnson (14) in a practice last week.Four rookies from Chattanooga are on NFL rosters as teams go through organized team activities and position workouts. In phone interviews with the Times Free Press during the past couple of days, the word “learning” was used over and over again.
Former McCallie and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga quarterback B.J. Coleman was the only local player drafted last month, in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers. But wide receiver Tim Benford (Red Bank High School/Tennessee Tech), defensive back Jeremy Caldwell (Red Bank/Eastern Kentucky) and linebacker Rico Council (Howard/Tennessee State) all signed as undrafted free agents.
“It’s not much harder than I expected,” said Caldwell, who signed with the St. Louis Rams. “It’s just a learning process. Everything’s professional and it’s all about how you do and how you perform. It’s been a great experience so far.”
While apologizing for not returning a phone call sooner, Coleman explained Saturday that he seldom has his phone with him these days. Packers players will get fined, more than $1,000 in some cases, he said, if their phone rings during a meeting.
“I don’t even bring it to the complex,” Coleman said. “I leave it in the car. That’s money I don’t ever want to give away for a telephone ringing.”