GREEN BAY, Wis. -- As innovative as Skype is, Mike Trgovac is happy he can finally show Green Bay Packers first-round pick Kenny Clark how to do things in person.
Trgovac, the Packers’ long-time defensive line coach, used the internet video conferencing tool to help keep Clark and fellow rookie defensive lineman Dean Lowry up to speed while they were forced to miss OTAs because their schools were still in session.
Trgovac camped out in his office at Lambeau and would review film with Clark, who was at UCLA working out (but not in school), and Lowry at Northwestern. They finally were able to end those sessions this week when the two rookies -- along with Stanford offensive tackle Kyle Murphy -- could report for minicamp.
“We did a couple of things but with the technology you have nowadays, they can sit there and watch the same thing you’re watching with the iPads and stuff like that,” Trgovac said Tuesday. “We did a lot of phone calls, some Skype stuff, so it was all good.
“The hardest thing was because of the time difference that the two guys have, so we had time differences with them but that wasn’t a problem at all. They were there available every time.”
Defensive coordinator Dom Capers also shared his thoughts on getting the rookies up to speed.
Clark said he was able to devote plenty of time to studying and working out because he was not enrolled in school during the spring quarter (he said he plans to finish his degree eventually). And although he reiterated that he’s not a fan of the rule that prohibits players to participate in the offseason program if their schools are still in session (unless they have graduated like Stanford rookie Blake Martinez did), he believes he made the best of his situation.
He said he was in regular communication with Trgovac.
“He got a chance to call me every now and then and we got a chance to go over the playbook and some of the plays,” Clark said.
And now, Clark and Lowry (a fourth-round pick) are roommates during this week’s minicamp, which gives them the chance to catch up together.
“We’re roommates at the hotel, so we live together right now,” Lowry said. “He’s definitely a great football mind and a great technician, so I think we really help each other. We watch film together at the hotel and go over the signals and stuff like that. It’s really helpful having him along in the process.”
Both Clark and Lowry were limited on the field during Tuesday’s practice but should be full go by the end of the three-day session.
“I don’t anticipate them being behind at all, I really don’t,” Trgovac said. “They did a nice job with their bodies, keeping their bodies in shape, and they’ve done a nice job mentally coming back. We’ll have plenty of time. We have the next couple of days to answer questions for them. But I thought they did a great job. I was very pleased with them.”