Training day

Local football stars seek opening day roster spots




JERSEY BOYS—New York Giants Darnay Holmes, left, and Alex Bachman exchange jerseys after an Aug. 28 scrimmage in New Jersey. Courtesy of Twitter

JERSEY BOYS—New York Giants Darnay Holmes, left, and Alex Bachman exchange jerseys after an Aug. 28 scrimmage in New Jersey. Courtesy of Twitter

Darnay Holmes and Alex Bachman played football together in high school.

They’ve reunited in the NFL with the New York Giants.

Bachman, a Moorpark native and Oaks Christian grad, and Holmes, who played his freshman year of prep football with Oaks Christian before suiting up for Newbury Park and Calabasas, exchanged jerseys after the Giants’ Blue-White Scrimmage on Aug. 28 in an empty MetLife Stadium in the picturesque swampland of East Rutherford, N.J.

Bachman shared a picture of the ceremonial exchange on Twitter last weekend, writing “Years in the making . . . only God could’ve planned this.”

Holmes, a rookie cornerback from UCLA, earned an undergraduate degree in African American studies in only two seasons. Bachman, who starred at wide receiver for Wake Forest, spent his rookie training camp with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019.

Free agents Nelson Spruce (Westlake), Aaron Lacombe (Oak Park/Crespi/Cal Lutheran) and Clay Matthews (Agoura) are other local stars who have spent time with the Rams. The Rams practice in Thousand Oaks.

SHUTDOWN CORNER—Darnay Holmes, left, was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of this year’s NFL draft. Holmes, a Calabasas High graduate, starred at cornerback for the UCLA Bruins. Courtesy of Don Liebig/UCLA Athletics

SHUTDOWN CORNER—Darnay Holmes, left, was selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of this year’s NFL draft. Holmes, a Calabasas High graduate, starred at cornerback for the UCLA Bruins. Courtesy of Don Liebig/UCLA Athletics

Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and punter Johnny Hekker, two Conejo Valley residents who have endeared themselves to the community, are potential hall of famers, according to NFL guru Bill Barnwell.

ANDRE THE GIANT

Andre Baccellia hasn’t played a game yet, but he’s already bounced between two of the best teams in the AFC.

The Westlake grad signed as an undrafted free agent rookie with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on April 30, just days after the end of the NFL draft. The Chiefs cut the wide receiver Aug. 19.

Ten days later, on Aug. 29, the New England Patriots signed the rookie, who is renowned for his speed on the field.

In 11 games for the University of Washington last fall, Baccellia snared 29 receptions for 314 yards and five total touchdowns.

FINDING A NEW HOME

Chad Hansen, a wide receiver out of Moorpark and Cal, made several acrobatic catches and started developing some nice chemistry with Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson during training camp, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Hansen, who’s fighting for an active roster spot, was injured during an intrasquad scrimmage last week. He spent time with the Texans’ practice squad last season.

“Chad Hansen, he’s really good,” Houston head coach Bill O’Brien told reporters.

Hansen hauled in nine receptions for 94 yards with the New York Jets as a rookie in 2017. The fourth-round pick by the Jets has also spent time in the NFL with the Patriots, Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints.

ON CLOUD NINE

Bryan Anger enters his ninth season in the NFL.

The punter out of Camarillo continues to improve his craft. He was second in the entire NFL in net punt average of 44.5 yards in 2019, his first with the Texans.

Since he was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round out of Cal in 2012, Anger has been one of the most consistent punters in the pros. After four seasons with the Jaguars, the Texans punter spent three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

CENTER OF THE STORM

Patrick Mekari is engrossed in a battle to start on the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line.

A rugged lineman from Westlake, Mekari is competing with Matt Skura for the starting role at center. Skura suffered a devastating knee injury last season, but Mekari, who only played tackle and guard in college, filled in admirably at a new position for the AFC North champions. At Cal, he helped protect current Rams QB Jared Goff.

According to multiple news outlets, Mekari has continued to play well during training camp.

The second-year pro has started five of 11 career games, and he’s a virtual lock to make the 53-man opening day roster.

GENTLEMAN, START YOUR ENGINE

The Indianapolis Colts are giddy about Michael Pittman Jr.

The Colts used their first pick in the draft to scoop up the Oaks Christian and USC wide receiver. Pittman was taken early in the second round of the NFL draft this spring. The Colts believe Pittman will spark an offense that still seeks an identity after the stunning August 2019 retirement of star quarterback Andrew Luck.

Pittman, a big, physical receiver at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds, ranks No. 12 in USC history with 171 career receptions. He made 30 starts in 48 college games, racking up 2,519 yards and 19 touchdowns. He had nine 100- yard receiving games for the Trojans.

A finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, Pittman was USC’s team MVP in 2019. His 232 receiving yards against Utah are the fifth-best total in Trojan history for a single game.

MAGIC MARSH

Cassius Marsh will try to find his niche in Jacksonville.

The Simi Valley native, who was plucked in the fourth round of the 2014 draft by the Seattle Seahawks out of UCLA, enters his first season with the Jaguars.

Marsh, a defensive end who prepped at Oaks Christian, has also played with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals.

He despised playing for the Patriots.

“They don’t have fun there. There’s nothing fun about it. There’s nothing happy about it. I didn’t enjoy any of my time there, you know what I’m saying?” Marsh said to the San Francisco Chronicle in 2018. “It made me for the first time in my life think about not playing football because I hated it that much.”

The well-traveled Marsh had 32 tackles and 2.5 sacks with the Cardinals in 2019.

DELAYED START

Colby Parkinson, a Simi Valley native who played at Oaks Christian, hasn’t been able to practice since the draft.

A fourth-round pick this year by the Seahawks, Parkinson has yet to see the field after undergoing offseason surgery. He enjoyed an excellent college career at tight end for Stanford.

Sports Illustrated reported that Parkinson could return to the field this week.

IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA

Alex Singleton gave up stardom in another country just for a shot at making it in the NFL.

Singleton, a superstar linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. He got cut, made the practice squad and eventually made his way onto the active roster.

A Thousand Oaks grad, Singleton undrafted out of Montana State. He’s determined to make an impact with the Eagles this season.

Philadelphia cuts its final roster to 53 players on Sept. 5. The NFL kicks off a season amid the coronavirus pandemic on Sept. 10.

NFL Locals to Watch

• Darnay Holmes (Calabasas High) New York Giants

• Bryan Anger (Camarillo) Houston Texans

• Chad Hansen (Moorpark) Houston Texans

• Alex Singleton (Thousand Oaks) Philadelphia Eagles

• Alex Bachman (Oaks Christian) New York Giants

• Cassius Marsh (Oaks Christian) Jacksonville Jaguars

• Colby Parkinson (Oaks Christian) Seattle Seahawks

• Michael Pittman Jr. (Oaks Christian) Indianapolis Colts

• Andre Baccellia (Westlake) New England Patriots

• Patrick Mekari (Westlake) Baltimore Ravens

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