T-Rock's Take on the Giants

Thibodaux, La. -- Dylan Kilfoil is 14, stands about 4-foot-10, and as he and I sweat and squint on the field at John L. Guidry Stadium, on the campus of Nicholls State University, in this steamy town an hour's drive southwest of New Orleans, we're both thinking the same thing:

What are we doing in Thibodaux?

Dylan, who'll be a freshman at Sachem North High School in a couple months, wondered that when his father told him about a football camp he wanted Dylan to attend while Dad was in New Orleans on business. Now that he's been here a couple days, getting instruction on three- and five-step drops and proper throwing motions from a host of college players and coaches as well as Eli and Peyton Manning, the star attractions of this three-day camp, Dylan from Ronkonkoma has a whole new outlook on the Bayou. Him and nearly 900 other high-school football players.

"It's awesome," he said, without a trace of a 14-year-old's sarcasm.

I could see those "it's awesome" looks everywhere, even on the faces of the big kids, Eli and Peyton included. I came down here to prepare a story on the Manning boys as they head into training camp and then into that Sunday night season opener, Colts-Giants in the Meadowlands, and all the psychological baggage that comes with an unprecedented meeting. That piece will come out soon.

For now, I wanted to fire up the blog to give you some idea of what it's like down here, where sugar cane fields line the highways and black grasshoppers that make our New York City cockroaches look like cute little ladybugs fall from the trees.

Former NFL quarterback Tommy Hodson, who has been involved with the Manning camp for 10 of its 11 years, called Eli "a guy's guy, someone you want to have a beer with." And those of you -- and those on my side, with the notebooks and pens -- who don't see the comfortable side of Eli could have seen it here. He did some mock play-by-play during drills with one group, yelling almost as a group of young QBs threw deep post balls to receivers; one young pass-catcher laid out for a ball and nearly lost his shorts.

"If you do that every time," Eli said as the kid trotted back to the group, "it won't matter if you catch the ball."

Peyton's personality is strong and clear, and he was the one telling funny anecdotes to reporters about the Manning boys' youth. Eli, as usual, isn't too interested in wondering about what might happen on the Giants Stadium turf Sept. 10.

And both of them, along with oldest brother Cooper and father Archie, bunked in a dorm at Nicholls State for the camp. It's the second year for the camp here after several years at Southeast Louisiana Univ. in Hammond, and Tulane before that.

"And we don't just come in here, take pictures and head out," Archie said. "I'm very proud of the fact that all three of the boys and myself have been here for all 11 of these."

Eli started as a camper for four years with some of his friends from New Orleans, graduated up to counselor when he was at Ole Miss and is now a guest instructor like Peyton, hopping around to different groups of kids each of the four sessions.

Yesterday's showcase event was the Air It Out session, when Peyton, Eli and a host of college QBs -- among them Chris Leak of Florida, Drew Stanton of Michigan State, Will Proctor of Clemson and the biggest attraction, LSU's JaMarcus Russell -- threw passes to campers and college receivers in front of a few thousand fans and parents.

Peyton threw BBs, firing tight spirals everywhere; Eli had a few dying quails, but a high completion percentage (I think he hit five of seven, including a 50-yard skinny post). The 6-5, 250-pound Russell, whom Cooper (the day's emcee) dubbed "the largest man in America," wowed the crowd with his strong arm.

Afterwards, I tried to goad Proctor, a senior at Clemson who gets his chance to start for the first time this season, into a candid assessment of Eli's throws.

"A little wobbly on some of those, don't you think?"

He smiled. "As long as they catch 'em," he said. "As long as you win."

Archie Manning started the camp in 1996, after Peyton had attended Bobby Bowden's football camp in Tallahassee and saw the Florida State coach surrounded by his sons, spending time together and teaching kids the basics. "It's hard for everyone to find the time to just hang out, tell stories and give some instruction," Archie said. "We really cherish this thing every year."

Peyton -- who once shouted down his Dad's ideas of having swim or other recreation periods with, "It's a friggin' football camp!" -- knows that three days aren't enough to turn a kid into a Division I recruit. "But we give them some of the basics, some drills to take back with them to their high school and work on. We don't promise to make them stars. We want them to be the best high school players they can be."

It's good enough for Frank Gifford's son, Cody; for John Elway's two boys; and for Steelers president Dan Rooney's grandson, all of whom were among the campers this weekend. Elway, by the by, was sporting a Yankees hat as he watched the passing drills yesterday.

And, lastly, the only Giants hat in sight was on Cooper's head. Maybe that should tell you who the family's pulling for in the opener.