Recently we caught up with Offensive Captain and current Rookie of the Year Danny Cousins to get his thoughts on the 2016 season…
How was the off-season for you?
It was frustrating! Having injured my knee in the last game of the 2015 regular season I was unable to do any real exercise or preparation until around Christmas.
I hated turning up on Sundays and not being able to participate, however it was great to get to see everybody again after our brief break as well as get to know the new rookies and help them settle in and learn the game.
When I was able to get back on the field in the New Year it was brilliant, and the monthly camps that the coaches organised were excellent, not just because we got to spend a whole weekend playing football but we were able to bond so much as a team and the intensive sessions really helped us to learn quickly.
How have your preparations for this season varied compared to last year when you were a rookie?
My preparations have been more focused this year.
Last year I didn’t really know what I was in for and made a lot of changes to how I trained throughout the season.
This year I knew what my strong points were and I knew what my weak points were, so I was able to tailor my training to suit that.
We also had weekly gym sessions, ran by John Rudgard who’s also on the O Line, they were great to teach us what we should be doing in the gym and how to train on our own.
How do you think this offense compares to last season’s?
I think we’re in a great position this year. The camps and pre-season scrimmages have helped us immensely, getting everybody up to speed with the playbook and in particular, helping the newer guys to know what to expect on game day.
We have had quite a few changes in personnel, we’ve lost some great players and picked up some great players, so the offense certainly has a different feel about it, but we’ve progressed really well and I expect to see some great performances from us this year!
How did you feel when you were named captain?
I was delighted. It means a lot to be nominated by my team mates and I was incredibly proud.
It also seemed a bit strange to be named a captain alongside some of the more experienced guys that I did, and still do look up to within the team, but it made the honour all the greater.
What do you think makes you a good captain?
I always g
ive 100% for the team and try to lead by example.
I’m punctual, attend all of the training sessions I’m able to make and try to get as much as I can out of them from our coaches and I try to help my team mates as much as I can.
What do you enjoy most about playing for the Eagles?
The team is incredibly well run by the committee; they do a huge amount of work in the background that keeps everything running smoothly and they give us as a team all of the resources and opportunities we need to get better and succeed.
We also have great coaches at the Eagles who have loads of experience, knowledge and put in hours of work to prepare training sessions, football camps, scout videos and on top of all of that, answer the endless questions that we bombard them.
But the bit I enjoy most is being part of the Eagles family.
Players, coaches and committee members all become a close-knit group of friends.
I enjoy the tough training sessions where we all get stuck in together, the joking and laughing shared on the team page, the coach trips to away games.
I look forward to all of that just as much as I do the games!
Do you have any targets for the 2016 season?
I want to do as much as I can to improve myself and my team mates on O Line, so we can lead the way for the rest of the offense.
Every offensive play starts with us, so I want us to be in the best position possible to help our team mates.
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