GREEN BAY \u2014 The projectile exited John Williams left nostril at a high rate of speed, narrowly missed one of the local TV stations\u2019 microphones and disappeared. But everyone had seen it, including the Green Bay Packers rookie offensive lineman himself.<\/p>\n
A sheepish grin quickly creased the seventh-round pick\u2019s face. He was in the midst of making such a great first impression, too.<\/p>\n
The former Cincinnati left tackle had navigated a series of questions about his college major \u2014 aerospace engineering, making him quite literally a rocket scientist \u2014 without a whiff of I\u2019m-smarter-than-you-are condescension. He\u2019d already given off a fun, everyman quality even before his unfortunate booger episode.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, JEEZ!\u201d he blurted out, immediately and self-deprecatingly embracing the awkwardness of the moment before resuming his answer about what he\u2019ll do with his hifalutin degree after his playing days are over.<\/p>\n
Nearby, sixth-round pick Warren Brinson was in full-on audition mode. The ex-Georgia defensive tackle had made no bones about his post-football goal \u2014 to be an ESPN football analyst \u2014 and taking the opportunity to pub up the podcast he\u2019d started during his career with the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, it\u2019s so hard being in front of these cameras,\u201d Brinson claimed facetiously. \u201cWhen I see the cameras, I just freeze up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hardly.<\/p>\n
From showing off the chocolate bar he\u2019d received from the Packers fans in Germany who\u2019d announced his pick (\u201cHe said it\u2019s the best chocolate in Germany, but I can\u2019t read it so I\u2019m going to Google translate\u201d) to walking back his humblebrag that he didn\u2019t need a journalism degree to start his podcast (\u201cNo knock on you guys\u201d) to describing his stop at the Delta Sky Club in Detroit during his connection on his Atlanta-to-Green Bay trip (\u201cThey\u2019ve got a good bathroom in there!\u201d), Brinson made no effort whatsoever to hide his effusive personality.<\/p>\n
And head coach Matt LaFleur wouldn\u2019t have it any other way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we embrace everybody’s personality,\u201d LaFleur said midway through the two-day rookie minicamp, which ended Saturday with a short workout that included 38 players (eight draft picks, 10 undrafted free-agent signees, 11 tryout players and nine holdovers from the roster. \u201cAt the end of the day, I want these guys to be themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, you want guys that love the game of football, that love to compete. You want guys that are high character, that are team-first kind of guys. But, I don’t want robots. I want guys to be true to themselves. I think that’s how they’re going to maximize their ability and their time here.\u201d<\/p>\n