Getty Penei Sewell fist-bumps Justin Herbert at the Rose Bowl.
Life as a rookie in the NFL often involves plenty of unpleasant tasks. For Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell, the time has come to embrace some of those facts.
During training camp, the duties of a rookie can often involve carrying water for veterans in the literal sense. For Sewell, the task was even heavier. After practice on Tuesday, August 3, Sewell was charged with carrying around the veteran lineman’s pads after practice.
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Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press snapped a photo of Sewell lugging the pads around after practice, and explained that was part of his rookie duties from the team.
First day of pads so of course Penei Sewell has rookie duties to fulfill
Rookies in the league get hit with this treatment routinely, so it’s nice to see Sewell is no exception to the rule and continues to embrace his new reality in the league.
Penei Sewell Doesn’t Mind Carrying Pads and Paying Dues
As Sewell explained, he understands that the rookie treatment is all a part of the transition to the league. Instead of complaining about what he has to do, he simply gets the job done and does it with a smile on the face because he has been treated very well by the veteran players on the team thus far. After practice on August 3, Sewell addressed
“They’ve been treating me well man, couldn’t ask for a better group of guys. (Taylor) Decker, Frank (Ragnow) and all of them. They’ve taken me under their wing. Y’all just saw there. It’s part of the rookie thing, so I do it with a smile on my face,” Sewell told the media after practice.
While these tasks can be tedious, it’s clear that Sewell understands and embraces what he has to do in order to fit in with the team. Early on, that will mean carrying heavy pads around on the field for a short time during camp.
Sewell Adjusting Well to Right Tackle Duties
As for his play on the field, Sewell is holding his own. Dan Campbell has praised the rookie for his fast adjustment to the league early in camp. Earlier this offseason, Sewell cautioned that there would be a bit of an adjustment as he shifted to the right tackle spot from playing left tackle his whole life. It appears thus far that the transition is going well for the team, as Sewell explained after practice.
“It’s been good. Now I’m a right tackle, you know what I mean? So it’s fun. Again, I’m a right tackle now, so I just enjoy every step, I enjoy every learning curve because there’s going to be battles. I’m in the league now, I’m in with the big boys. So I just have to know that everything happens there’s a next play mentality. I can only control what’s ahead of me and not what’s behind me,” Sewell said.
Whether that involves carrying pads or working on the field, it’s clear Sewell is getting more comfortable by the day.