''Hard Knocks'' is a
reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, re ...
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
documentary television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
series produced by
NFL Films
NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries for and about the NFL, as well as ...
and
HBO.
The show was first broadcast in 2001, and the current 2022 season is the 17th and 18th. Each season, it follows a
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL) team through its
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...
and covers the team's preparation for the upcoming football season. Starting with the 2021 season there will be an in season version of Hard Knocks following a different team than the training camp version.
The series shows the personal and professional lives of the
players
Players may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Players'' (1979 film), a film starring Ali MacGraw
* ''Players'' (2012 film), a Bollywood film
* ''Players'' (Dicks novel), a novel by Terrance Dicks, based on the television series ''Doc ...
,
coaches and staff, including their family life, position battles, and even inside jokes and pranks. It particularly focuses on
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
s' adjustments to playing in the NFL, usually with emphasis on the team's most recent top
draft pick
A draft is a process used in some countries (especially in North America) and sports (especially in closed leagues) to allocate certain players to teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players. When a team selec ...
. It usually also chooses to focus on
undrafted and
journeyman
A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...
players who are attempting to make the team.
The NFL and HBO have called ''Hard Knocks'' "the first sports-based reality series" in television history.
Production
The series was created by Marty Callner in 2001.
The series has been narrated by
Liev Schreiber
Isaac Liev Schreiber (; born October 4, 1967) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and narrator. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s after appearing in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood ...
since 2001, with the only exception being the
2007 season which was narrated by
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame i ...
, a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
,
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...
,
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...
,
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...
, and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
each declined to be the show's featured team for the 2013 season, while the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
accepted, marking their second appearance on the show. NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell
Roger Stokoe Goodell (born February 19, 1959) is an American businessman who is currently the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL). On August 8, 2006, Goodell was chosen to succeed retiring commissioner Paul Tagliabue. He was chose ...
subsequently said that he wanted more teams to be featured on the series, on "some kind of formal rotation."
Despite the difficulty each year in finding a team willing to participate, NFL Films announced on July 18, 2013, that it had signed a "multiyear" contract extension with HBO to continue producing the show.
In October 2013 the NFL announced that, in the absence of a team volunteering to participate in ''Hard Knocks'', the league could force a team to participate. Teams are exempt from being forced to participate in three circumstances: (1) they have appeared in the past ten years, (2) they have a first-year head coach, or (3) they reached the playoffs in ''either'' of the two preceding seasons. The first two teams to appear after such ruling announced were the Falcons and the Texans, appearing on the series in 2014 and 2015 respectively, after both teams declined to appear in 2013. In the Texans case, their appearance in 2015 was eligible for a "forced" appearance, as they had missed the playoffs the previous two years and were entering the second season of then-head coach
Bill O'Brien.
In September 2021, NFL Network announced that the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
would become the subject of the first ever in-season edition of the series. The series premiered in November 2021 and would have carried on through the 2021-2022 NFL playoffs, which the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
did not qualify for.
Seasons
Baltimore Ravens (2001)
Some of the issues covered in the 2001 Ravens season include:
*The team looking to repeat as
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...
winners.
*
Rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
s
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap (born March 16, 1980) is a former American football tight end who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
After playing college football for Arizona State University, he was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in ...
and
Dwayne Missouri
Dwayne Anthony Missouri (born December 23, 1978) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers. He also was a member of the Berlin Thunder in the N ...
's adjustment to professional football.
*The team's adjustment after a season-ending injury to
Jamal Lewis.
*The veterans on the team in the final years of their careers (
Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe (born June 26, 1968) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he ranks th ...
,
Rod Woodson
Roderick Kevin Woodson (born March 10, 1965) is an American former professional football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. He is currently the Head Coach of the XFL's Vegas Vipers. Woodson was drafted in the ...
,
Qadry Ismail
Qadry Rahmadan Ismail (born November 8, 1970), nicknamed "the Missile", is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round (52nd overall) of the 1993 NFL draft. He played college football at ...
, and
Tony Siragusa).
*The
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
competition between
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won ...
and
Randall Cunningham
Randall Wade Cunningham Sr. (born March 27, 1963) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and is also known ...
.
*
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is an American former professional football player and executive who is the executive vice president of player personnel of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Newsome was a tight e ...
and
Brian Billick
Brian Harold Billick (born February 28, 1954) is an American former football coach and commentator. He was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 1998; the team broke the NFL scoring record in the 1998 season. He th ...
's management of the team.
Dallas Cowboys (2002)
Some of the issues covered in the 2002 Cowboys season include:
*
Quincy Carter's pressure to stay the consistent
starting quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
and the acquisition of
Chad Hutchinson as a backup quarterback.
*
Rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
Roy Williams's adjustment to professional football.
*
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Among other accolades, he is the le ...
beginning his final season in Dallas, and his pursuit to become the NFL's all-time
rushing yards leader.
*
Dave Campo
David Cross Campo (born July 18, 1947) is an American football coach and former player. Campo served as the head coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) from 2000 to 2002, compiling a record of 15 wins and 33 losses. He ...
heading into his third (and eventually, final) season as Dallas's
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...
.
*The training of the
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (sometimes initialized as DCC, and officially nicknamed "America's Sweethearts") are the National Football League cheerleading squad representing the Dallas Cowboys team.
History 1960s
During a game between the C ...
.
Kansas City Chiefs (2007)
The series returned on August 8, 2007, featuring the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The t ...
and their preparations for
the 2007 season. It is the only season of the series not narrated by Liev Schreiber. Instead, actor and Chiefs fan
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor. He studied theater at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, before making his acting debut in 1991. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame i ...
was the narrator.
Some of the issues covered in the 2007 Chiefs season include:
*The battle for the starting quarterback job between veteran
Damon Huard
Damon Paul Huard (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback. He is the director of community relations and fundraising for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater.
Huard was signed by the Cincinnati Ben ...
and second-year player
Brodie Croyle
John Brodie Croyle (; born February 6, 1983) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL) in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the U ...
following the trade of
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green (born July 9, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons. He played college football for Indiana University. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in ...
.
*Star
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
Larry Johnson's contract holdout.
*
Priest Holmes's attempted return to football after missing all of 2006 after a career-threatening neck injury.
*The contract holdout and later development of
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
wide receiver Dwayne Bowe
Dwayne Lorenzo Bowe (born September 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Louisiana State University, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...
, the Chiefs' first-round draft pick of
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
.
*
Boomer Grigsby
James Harvey "Boomer" Grigsby (born November 15, 1981) is a former American football fullback. He played college football at Illinois State, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Grigsby was also a ...
's switch from
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
to
fullback.
*The development of rookie
defensive linemen
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A num ...
Tank Tyler
DeMarcus Lamon "Tank" Tyler (born February 14, 1985) is a former American football defensive tackle who played last for the Dodge City Law of Champions Indoor Football (CIF). He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 20 ...
and
Turk McBride
Claude Maurice "Turk" McBride (born May 30, 1985) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college foot ...
.
*The competition between two undrafted
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
s -
Tyron Brackenridge and
Dimitri Patterson
Dimitri Jonthiel Patterson (born June 18, 1983) is a former American football cornerback. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Tuskegee and Southeast Missouri State Universi ...
.
*
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
star
Bobby Sippio
Robert Lee "Bobby" Sippio, Jr. (born December 4, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Peoria Pirates in 2002. He played college football at Western Kentucky. During Sippio's professional career, he played for ...
's attempt to catch on with an outdoor team.
Dallas Cowboys (2008)
The
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
were chronicled for the second time on the television series' fourth season, which premiered on August 6, 2008.
Some of the issues covered in the 2008 Cowboys season include:
*
Cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Adam "Pacman" Jones
Adam Bernard Jones (born September 30, 1983) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, most notably with the Cincinnati Bengals. Nicknamed "Pacman", he was dr ...
' reinstatement into the NFL.
* Cameron Fegreus (free agent from Woodhaven, Michigan) attempting to make the team.
* Keon Lattimore, a younger brother of
Ray Lewis
Raymond Anthony Lewis Jr. (born May 15, 1975) is an American former professional football player who played as a middle linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens for his entire 17-year career in the National Football League (NFL). He played ...
, competing for a job.
*
Todd Lowber
Todd Lowber (born January 26, 1982) is a former gridiron football wide receiver. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2007 ...
, a very athletic
wide receiver new to the game of football, trying to make the team.
* Undersized wide receiver
Danny Amendola
Daniel James Amendola (born November 2, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Texas Tech. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
After spending his entire rookie season ...
competing for a job.
*
Rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
s
Felix Jones
Felix Jones Jr. (born May 8, 1987) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at the University of Arkansas and was drafted by t ...
and
Martellus Bennett
Martellus Demond Bennett (born March 10, 1987) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at Texas A&M and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second ...
adjusting to NFL camp for the first time.
Cincinnati Bengals (2009)
The
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
season premiered on August 12, 2009. Its ratings were higher than any previous season of ''Hard Knocks'', and it won two
Sports Emmy Award
The Sports Emmy Awards, or Sports Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports E ...
s: one for ''Outstanding Edited Sports Series or Anthology,'' and one for ''Outstanding Post Produced Audio / Sound.''
Some of the issues covered in the 2009 Bengals season include:
*The battle for the starting fullback position between
Jeremi Johnson
Jeremi Ray Johnson (born September 4, 1980) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Bengals in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University and Western Kentucky.
Early years
Joh ...
,
Chris Pressley
Chris Pressley (born August 8, 1986) is a former American football fullback. He went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft after playing for five years for the University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers. Pressley's maximum back squat weight is 770 poun ...
,
Fui Vakapuna, and
J.D. Runnels
James D. Runnels (born June 19, 1984) is an American football coach and former fullback who is the co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach for the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football ...
.
*The injuries of
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...
s
Reggie Kelly
Reginald Kuta Kelly (born February 22, 1977) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft and played the majority of his career for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played c ...
and
Ben Utecht
Benjamin Jeffrey Utecht (born June 30, 1981) is a former American football player and current singer.[rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...]
tight end
Chase Coffman
Chase Allen Coffman (born November 10, 1986) is a former American football tight end. He played college football for the University of Missouri, earned consensus All-American honors, and was recognized as the best college tight end in the count ...
to the NFL.
*The contract holdout of
offensive tackle
Offensive may refer to:
* Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative
* Offensive (military), an attack
* Offensive language
** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict in ...
Andre Smith, the Bengals' first-round draft pick of
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
.
*The battle for the starting
strong safety
Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their du ...
position between veteran
Roy Williams and
Chinedum Ndukwe.
*The recovery effort of starting
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
Carson Palmer
Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
from an injury-plagued 2008 season.
*The antics and catchphrases of wide receiver
Chad Ochocinco (as he referred to before changing his name back to Chad ''Johnson'' in 2012).
*The development and maturation of wide receiver
Chris Henry.
New York Jets (2010)
The
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
were chronicled in the series' sixth season. An official announcement was made on March 25, 2010, and HBO began airing it on August 11, 2010. It won the series' second consecutive
Sports Emmy Award
The Sports Emmy Awards, or Sports Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports E ...
for ''Outstanding Edited Sports Series or Anthology''. The Jets declined another opportunity to appear in the series in 2011.
Some of the issues covered in the 2010 Jets season include:
*The vocal coaching style of
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...
Rex Ryan
Rex Ashley Ryan (born December 13, 1962) is an American former football coach and analyst. Ryan was formerly the head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), and also held various coaching position ...
, highlighted by several
sound bite
A sound bite or soundbite is a short clip of speech or music extracted from a longer piece of audio, often used to promote or exemplify the full length piece. In the context of journalism, a sound bite is characterized by a short phrase or sentence ...
s that became popular after the season, such as "That's being a jackass!" and "Let's go eat a goddamn snack!"
*
Cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Darrelle Revis
Darrelle Shavar Revis (born July 14, 1985) is an American former football cornerback who played in National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college football at Pittsburgh and was selected in th ...
's contract holdout.
*The battle for the starting fullback position between veteran
Tony Richardson
Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones''.
Early ...
, journeyman
Jason Davis and
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
John Conner.
*Second-year starting quarterback
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC) and was draft ...
's development as the "face" of the franchise.
*
Kris Jenkins's return after ACL surgery.
*
Running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Th ...
Danny Woodhead
Daniel Jacob Henry Woodhead (born January 25, 1985) is an amateur golfer who has qualified for the United States Golf Association championship tournaments, and was a former professional American football running back. He played college football a ...
's attempt to make the team.
*Cornerback
Antonio Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie (born April 15, 1984) is a former American football cornerback and current cornerback coach for the Texas A&M Aggies football team. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted in the first round by the San Dieg ...
attempting (and failing) to name all 9 of his children.
''Hard Knocks: A Decade of NFL Training Camps'' (2011)
At the end of July 2011, NFL Films announced it would not be producing ''Hard Knocks'' for the
2011 season. No team wanted to commit to the series due to uncertainty with the
NFL's labor situation. A retrospective on the series titled ''Hard Knocks: A Decade of NFL Training Camps'' was made featuring clips from every episode made to that point, and including comments looking back on the series from
Brian Billick
Brian Harold Billick (born February 28, 1954) is an American former football coach and commentator. He was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 1998; the team broke the NFL scoring record in the 1998 season. He th ...
,
Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe (born June 26, 1968) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he ranks th ...
,
Mike Westhoff
Mike Westhoff (born January 10, 1948) is a former special teams coach in the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he coached for a number of teams, most notably for the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Westhoff is considered to be among ...
, and others.
Miami Dolphins (2012)
On May 29, 2012,
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...
Joe Philbin
Joseph Anthony Philbin (born July 2, 1961) is an American football coach who, until recently, served as the offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a position he ...
announced that the team would participate in the 2012 season of ''Hard Knocks.''
Some of the issues covered in the 2012 Dolphins season include:
*The contract negotiation of
Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, where he was a wide receiver until his junior year, an ...
, followed by his development as a rookie
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
in the NFL.
*The quarterback position battle between
Matt Moore,
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and wa ...
and
Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Timothy Tannehill III (born July 27, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M, where he was a wide receiver until his junior year, an ...
, with Tannehill winning the starting job after week 2 of the
pre-season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of ...
.
*The health issues of
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard (born February 14, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at East Carolina and wa ...
, especially after undergoing knee surgery during training camp. He was
released from the team the same day this season's final episode aired.
*The difficulty of
Les Brown in adjusting from former college basketball player to NFL
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...
, and his subsequent
release
Release may refer to:
* Art release, the public distribution of an artistic production, such as a film, album, or song
* Legal release, a legal instrument
* News release, a communication directed at the news media
* Release (ISUP), a code to iden ...
from the team.
*The meeting in which Philbin informs
Chad Johnson (formerly Chad ''Ochocinco'') of his release from the team following his arrest for allegedly headbutting his wife of 41 days.
*The meeting in which general manager
Jeff Ireland
Jeff Ireland (born March 11, 1970) is an American football executive who is the assistant general manager and college scouting director for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the general manag ...
informs
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Vontae Davis that he was traded to the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
for two future draft picks.
Cincinnati Bengals (2013)
The
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
were featured in the 2013 season, which was the team's second appearance on the show. The first episode of the season premiered on August 6, 2013.
Some of the issues covered in the 2013 Bengals season include:
*Rookie defensive tackle
Larry Black's season-ending injury
*Linebacker
James Harrison's dislike of the camera crew at training camp
* The back-up quarterback position battle between
Josh Johnson and
John Skelton
* Estonian rookie defensive end
Margus Hunt
Margus Hunt (born July 14, 1987) is an Estonian professional American football defensive end who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at SMU. He also ...
's adjustment to the NFL and life in the U.S.
* The fullback position battle between veteran
John Conner and converted tight end
Orson Charles
* The linebacker position battle between undrafted rookies
Jayson DiManche
Jayson Dimanche (born September 22, 1990) is a Haitian former American football linebacker. He was originally signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at Southern Illinois.
Early years
H ...
and Bruce Taylor.
* Linebacker
Aaron Maybin
Aaron Michael Maybin (born April 6, 1988) is a former linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). His college football career was at Penn State University where he received consensus All-American hon ...
's struggle to stay on the team and his pursuit of painting.
Atlanta Falcons (2014)
On June 12, 2014, the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...
announced that the team would participate in the 2014 season of ''Hard Knocks'' premiering on August 5, 2014.
Some of the issues covered in the 2014 Falcons season include:
* The Falcons attempt to build more toughness into the team after a disappointing 2013 season.
* Veteran
Kroy Biermann
Kroy Evan Biermann (born September 12, 1985) is a former American football outside linebacker. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Montana. He is married to former Bravo t ...
's attempt to return from a major injury and switch positions.
* Rookies
Tyler Starr and Jacques Smith's attempt to make the team.
Houston Texans (2015)
On May 27, 2015, it was announced the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...
would be the team featured for the 2015 season premiering on August 11, 2015.
Some of the issues covered in the 2015 Texans season include:
* Head coach
Bill O'Brien trying to lead the team to the playoffs after finishing just short in 2014.
* The quarterback battle between
Ryan Mallett
Ryan Mallett (born June 5, 1988) is a former American football quarterback who is currently the head football coach at White Hall High School in White Hall, Arkansas. He played college football at Arkansas, and was drafted by the New England P ...
and
Brian Hoyer
Axel Edward Brian Hoyer (born October 13, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the NFL in 2009 as an undrafted free agent, he has started for seven different ...
.
*
Vince Wilfork
Vincent Lamar Wilfork (born November 4, 1981) is a former American football nose tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the University of Mi ...
bringing leadership and experience to Houston.
* J.J. Watt working out to Fort Minor's ''Remember The Name''
*
Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Davarus Clowney ( ; born February 14, 1993) is an American football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina, where he won the Ted Hendricks Award, and w ...
returning from a torn meniscus.
* Reigning Defensive Player of the Year
J. J. Watt
Justin James Watt (born March 22, 1989) is an American football defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Central Michigan and Wisconsin and was drafted by the Houston Texans i ...
trying to become an even better player.
* Rookies
Kevin Johnson and
Jaelen Strong
Jaelen Strong (born January 25, 1994) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Arizona State.
Early years
Strong's father, John Rankin, played college basketball at Drexel and died of leukemia i ...
adjusting to life in the NFL.
*
David Quessenberry recovering from cancer.
*
Charles James,
Kourtnei Brown, and
Uzoma Nwachukwu
Uzoma "E.Z." Nwachukwu (born December 15, 1990) is an American former football wide receiver, sports marketing agent, and television personality. He played college football for Texas A&M. He was a member of the Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, ...
try to make the team.
Los Angeles Rams (2016)
On March 23, 2016, it was announced the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
would be the team featured for the 2016 season premiering on August 9, 2016.
Some of the issues covered in the 2016 Rams season include:
* The team moving back to Los Angeles after spending 21 years in St. Louis
* Head coach
Jeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael Fisher (born February 25, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach and general manager for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). He is a former cornerback and return specialist. He ...
releasing the previous season's starting quarterback
Nick Foles
Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arizona and was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL D ...
over the telephone
* First overall draft pick
Jared Goff
Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California, where he set the Pac-12 Conference season records for pas ...
's first experiences in the NFL
*
Eric Kush fighting for a spot on the roster
*
William Hayes' unconventional beliefs about the existence of
mermaid
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mermaids are sometimes asso ...
s and
dinosaurs
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is the ...
.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017)
On April 19, 2017, it was announced the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
would be the team featured for the 2017 season premiering on August 8, 2017.
Cleveland Browns (2018)
On May 17, 2018, it was announced the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
would be the team featured for the 2018 season premiering on August 7, 2018.
Some of the issues covered in the 2018 Browns season include:
* First overall draft pick
Baker Mayfield
Baker Reagan Mayfield (born April 14, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with Texas Tech, Mayfield played college football at Oklahoma, where he won the ...
adjusting to life in the NFL.
*
Josh Gordon returning to training camp for the first start since his second substance abuse policy violation in 2014.
*
Hue Jackson
Hue Jackson (born October 22, 1965) is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Grambling State University. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in the Natio ...
trying to retain his position as head coach and win games after just one victory over the last two seasons.
*
Jarvis Landry
Jarvis Charles Landry (born November 28, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round ...
assuming responsibility as a leader on the team.
*
Corey Coleman
Corey Defians Coleman (born July 6, 1994) is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League (USFL). He played college football at Baylor and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first ...
's dissatisfaction with his role on offense and subsequent trade to the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...
* Rookie
Antonio Callaway being unable to avoid run-ins with the law.
* Journeymen
Devon Cajuste
Devon Gregory Cajuste (born January 31, 1993) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Stanford and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He was also a member of the Green Ba ...
and
Nate Orchard
Nathaniel Fakahafua Orchard (born Napa'a Lilo Fakahafua on January 5, 1993) is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Utah and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2015 NF ...
trying to make the team.
*
Carl Nassib
Carl Paul Nassib (born April 12, 1993) is an American football outside linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) . He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, earning unanimous All-America ...
's finance lessons.
* Rookie quarterback
Brogan Roback
Brogan William Roback (born August 29, 1994) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Eastern Michigan.
College career
Roback played college football at Eastern Michigan, where he saw action in 46 games with 7 ...
trying to make the team.
Oakland Raiders (2019)
On June 11, 2019, it was announced the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...
would be the team featured for the 2019 season premiering on August 6, 2019.
Some of the issues covered in the 2019 Raiders season include:
* With the construction of
Allegiant Stadium
Allegiant Stadium is a domed stadium located in Paradise, Nevada. It is the home stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL), the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) UNLV Rebels football, Rebels college footbal ...
and in a usable state by 2020, this will be the 25th and final season in the team's second tenure in Oakland.
*
Antonio Brown's recovery from frostbitten feet and his arbitration with the
NFL regarding a grievance with the league's new helmet rules.
* The return of
Richie Incognito
Richard Dominik Incognito Jr. (born July 5, 1983) is a former American football guard. He played college football at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played f ...
.
* The backup quarterback competition between
Mike Glennon
Michael Joseph Glennon (born December 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also pl ...
and
Nathan Peterman
Nathan Michael Peterman (born May 4, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh following a stint with Tennessee and was selected by the Buffal ...
.
Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers (2020)
On April 7, 2020, it was announced that the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
and
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...
had volunteered to be featured for the 2020 season. It marked the first time two teams were featured, with both teams set to play their inaugural seasons at the new
SoFi Stadium
SoFi Stadium () is a 70,240-seat sports and entertainment indoor stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California, United States. SoFi occupies the former site of the Hollywood Park Racetrack, from Los Angeles International Airport an ...
. Before the Rams and Chargers volunteered, the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
were heavy favorites to appear due to the team's
national appeal and rare position to be "forced" onto the series; the Steelers themselves have long opposed being featured.
On June 18, 2020, it was announced that the 2020 season would premiere on August 11, 2020. The format of the episodes was set to be different, on account of the NFL's cancellation of preseason games due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Dallas Cowboys (2021)
On July 2, 2021, it was announced that the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
would be the team featured for the 2021 season premiering on August 10, 2021.
Indianapolis Colts (2021)
On September 16, 2021, it was announced that the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
would become the first team to be featured during the regular season.
Detroit Lions (2022)
On March 28, 2022, it was announced that the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...
would be the team featured for the upcoming 2022 season premiering on August 9, 2022.
Arizona Cardinals (2022)
On May 23, 2022, the Cardinals were announced as the next ''In Season'' team, to premier on November 9, 2022.
Similar productions
Inside Training Camp: Jaguars Summer
In 2004, NFL Films produced a training camp documentary series, similar to ''Hard Knocks'', that featured the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team pla ...
. Called ''Inside Training Camp: Jaguars Summer,'' it aired on the
NFL Network
NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League (NFL) and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and NF ...
, not HBO, and was narrated by frequent NFL Films narrator Robb Webb.
Some of the issues covered in this 2004 series include:
*
Jack Del Rio's second season as a
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in asso ...
*The development of rookie
wide receiver Reggie Williams, the Jaguars' first-round draft pick of
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
*The relationship between rookie
placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter.
S ...
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee (born June 23, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL draft. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at L ...
and legendary
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
coach
Pete Rodriguez
References
External links
*
*
{{HBO documentaries
2001 American television series debuts
2000s American documentary television series
2010s American documentary television series
2000s American reality television series
2010s American reality television series
HBO original programming
HBO documentary films
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Documentary television series about sports
NFL Films
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HBO Sports
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English-language television shows
Miami Dolphins
2020s American reality television series
2020s American documentary television series