Dear Coach,
My folks were both regular Army, both officers, both deployed in various parts of the world - once, when I was in 8th grade, they were both gone at the same time, Mom in Bahrain, Dad in Iraq, and my teammates were the only family I had consistently.
My basketball teammates. Hoops was my game until my junior year in high school when my bulk and strength dictated that I jam a forearm into some defensive lineman's grill rather than jamming a basketball - and it wasn't long before schools started calling me to offer me scholarships.
I lived in Texas most of the time, and considered offers from TCU and Baylor so that I could be closer to my family and friends, but when the offer came from Stanford, my father flexed his considerable influence on me, and the next thing I know, I'm in Palo Alto majoring in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering.
The biggest reason, was because of the challenge - not the challenge of football, but the challenge of calculating a satellites orbit one moment and then dominating defensive ends the next - but the football at Stanford was like being in an aeronautics class, it really was rocket science in that we played a Pro Set offense, and every player on the team was required to know what everyone else on the offense was supposed to be doing...
...then doing my job as it related to the mind-boggling amount of physics going on in the trenches. I was known for my overpowering strength and ability to engulf linemen and linebackers - I mean, I am that big - but my strength and conditioning coach at Stanford had me cut back on the heavy weights, lifting lighter to tone, then incorporating yoga to help with my flexibility.
Every single scouting report on me during the draft process said the same thing - big bodied drive blocker that may have to slide inside to guard in order to be effective in the professional game. They all said this because I am not that flexible at all, despite the training - but as we found out, I am too tall to play guard and because of the stiffness in my hips, I can't get low enough on the snap to leverage out defensive tackles.
So you did with me the one thing that I am really good at, which is playing on the end of the line - but since you already have two of the better tackles in the league at bookends on your line, you had me line up as an eligible tackle outside of Nate, pulling to the interior where I could hit the line at full speed and knock those defensive tackles and linebackers on their cans.
So, I am officially a swing tackle for now, but someday when SeaBass retires I'll be ready to take over his spot at right tackle - or maybe you'll go with the physics and just keep me at the swing, because I'm sure that none of those defenders particularly enjoy seeing me bearing down on them in the running game.
I was the first of four offensive linemen drafted by you in the last two seasons who are labeled "drive blockers", with Stork, Jackson and that little ball of hate Mason all some of the best run blockers to come out of college during that time frame, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that your philosophy is changing, utilizing big, wide, mean drive blockers in a wall blocking scheme instead of smaller, lighter interior linemen in the zone scheme.
The result should be an impressive power running game, especially with Blount and my former teammate Gaffney hitting the holes that we create. That's what we were made for.
Sincerely,
Cam
Resume'
Education:
Stanford University
Work Experience:
2014- present: New England Patriots
Awards:
2014 - Super Bowl Champion
Personal Information:
Born 3 September, 1992 at Fort Hood, Texas
Height: 6' 6"
Weight: 325
Website:
Cameron Fleming Player Profile - Foxborough Free Press
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