GREEN BAY — At the University of Wisconsin, they call it SOAR — it stands for Student Orientation, Advising & Registration.

The Green Bay Packers don't have a catchy acronym for their version of introductions for NFL rookies. They simply call it their post-draft rookie orientation camp.

But the program's not all that different. Just sub wide-eyed football players for the wide-eyed freshmen.
Sure, with the Packers, there's a little bit of football thrown in.

Friday, for instance, eight draft picks, 11 undrafted free-agent signees and 21 players participating on a tryout basis went through a 1-hour, 48-minute practice inside the Don Hutson Center that wasn't as ragged as one might expect, given the circumstances.

But the on-field activities are merely one portion of the four-day weekend, which began with a dinner Thursday night on the club level overlooking Lambeau Field and continued with all kinds of administrative items. The camp runs through Sunday morning, and the next time they are back in town for work — later this month for the non-mandatory (but voluntary in name only) full-squad organized team activity practices — they won't be completely lost.

"Really only half the time is placed on football," said Packers fourth-year coach Mike McCarthy, who began having the rookie camp — instead of a full-team minicamp right after the draft — in 2007 to allow rookies to get acclimated to the NFL scene. "I think we're off to a good start. The last two years I've been very pleased with the way it started, and I'm sure we'll feel better as the weekend concludes."

After Thursday night's dinner, which included an address from team president/CEO Mark Murphy, the players settled in at a local hotel, then reported Friday morning for the first of many meetings.

While some of the meetings are devoted to installing a handful of basic plays from the playbook, others include a presentation from the team's security director, a tour of the weight room, assorted medical tests, a presentation from player development director Rob Davis, and meetings with the equipment staff, the community relations staff and the public relations department.

After Friday's practice ended just before 6 p.m., the players showered and went straight to the Packers Hall of Fame for a tour, dinner and a talk with this year's inductees, 1990s icons Dorsey Levens and Antonio Freeman. Add it all together, and the program indoctrinates the new players while also easing them into their new careers.

"This is a big step in all of our lives. I was a little nervous, but now that I'm here, I'm really feeling more comfortable and getting used to people, getting used to the coaching staff and the staff," said Jamon Meredith, a fifth-round draft pick. "I like the environment. This is a really great atmosphere around Green Bay. I'm really fortunate to be a Packer."

That doesn't mitigate the importance of the on-field work, however. While Meredith, as a draft pick, has a leg up on the undrafted free agents and tryout players, all 46 players — six players from last year's practice squad also participated in practice — know that they have to impress the coaches with what they do between the lines as well.

"Everybody's been in their playbooks because you don't want to go out on the field and not know what you're doing," said cornerback Brandon Underwood, a sixth-round pick.

While there were plenty of miscommunications, botched assignments and incomplete passes, McCarthy was pleased with the first practice. He singled out the two rookie quarterbacks — Tulsa's David Johnson and Utah's Brian Johnson, both of whom are participating on a tryout basis — for running an effective practice despite limited knowledge of the playbook and offensive terminology.

Underwood, who intercepted one pass during a team period and broke up another during 7-on-7 before leg cramps struck just before the end of practice, also flashed, as did undrafted rookie running back Tyrell Sutton.

First-round picks B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews both looked the part, while McCarthy also liked what he saw from a group of tight end prospects.

"Coming off the practice field, I don't know how you could not be impressed with the amount of work (done) when you bring 40-plus players in here and spend that much time (doing non-football things) and (still) go down and conduct a relatively productive practice," McCarthy said.

"It's an opportunity for us definitely to evaluate them, and we'll grade the film just like we do any other film. ... You get to see their athletic ability, their movement, see what they're able to retain from the classroom to the practice environment. So there's definitely a lot we can get out of this weekend."