"I've already hit my rookie wall...I felt like that last week of the learning process and getting over the curve, that was it for me. Now it's about staying true to who I am and doing everything that got me here, and better."
Ebron had gained more confidence during pre season from big catches via Matthew Stafford's arm. During that preseason, Ebron was insistent to work on the fundamentals and catching the ball securely; earlier on in training camp, Ebron was plagued with dropped passes. Patra stated that Ebron can add to an even deadlier offense this season as the Detriot Lions look to use Ebron as a seam and in-line position slot threat. However, it appears that after four weeks of adjusting to roles and responsibilities at the tight end position has taken its mental toll already. This is what Eric Ebron said to the Detriot Free Press yesterday which has caused concern for the Tight End. Eric Ebron was quoted as saying this about the harsh mental aspect of the NFl:
"You start to get zombified sooner or later...I don't even know if zombified is a word, but you just turn into a zombie mentally. But you're there physically. Oh, your body's going to work, but your brain just stops...if it's going to come, it's going to come...if I hit it, I hit it, but I'm going to go through headfirst, so we'll see what happens after I hit it. If I die, I die. If I come out alive, I come out alive."
Detriot Lions have been expecting more from Ebron as of late. During Ebron's first three games he saw a total of twenty three snaps. Ebron would see eleven more snaps than those first three games combined in week four. This increase was due to fellow Detriot Lion TE Joeseph Fauria, who injured his ankle (due to chasing a peeing puppy). As Patra explains, Detriot Lions will be looking to first year TE Ebron increasingly more. Patra is worried that this increase in productivity and role for Ebron will not leave him 'zombified' on the grid iron or in the red zone. While Patra may have made a joke about the matter, it is troubling to see the uglier side of pro football when it comes to meeting ridiculously high expectations from the world around. As ESPN's Dan Le Batard was concerned about the physicality of the NFL with regards to brain injuries, there should be awareness on the effects caused by the mental stress exhibitted by NFL players in tandem. While it may be easier to brush this off as off-hand humor, various former NFL players from around the grid iron have also made similar remarks in context to the aggressive-reactionary mindset that is often encouraged due to the extremely competitive and physical level of play found in pro football. Who knows? Maybe the stresses placed against pro footballers from NFL exposure and play is indeed a 'zombifying' experience.
References:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000404647/article/eric-ebron-zombified-by-mental-aspect-of-nfl
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000374275/article/lions-eric-ebron-ive-already-hit-my-rookie-wall
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2014/10/03/detroit-lions-rookie-eric-ebron/16632073/
Photography:
Eric Ebron: Thomson200
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