Jason Babin Missed the Start of OTAs Because He was Stranded in the Alaska Wild
Jason Babin had a more difficult week than you, and this time it didn’t involve the plight of NFL players with non-guaranteed contracts.
Babin – who this offseason was quite outspoken about NFL players needing more job security* - missed the start of OTAs because he was bear hunting in Alaska, an exploit he chronicled on Twitter.
The OTAs are, by their given name, optional, so his absence is hardly bears mentioning (I giggled). But the reason for his delayed return does: Babin was stuck in Alaska after bad weather pinned him and his guide in a remote spot.
Babin explains: [Philly.com]
"When the weather blows in, you don't have a lot of options," Babin said after arriving for his first OTA session, on a humid morning in sprinkling rain. "There were times when the tent bent in so hard, the tent was in our sleeping bags. There was snow drifting over."
"[I] Survived," he said. "You've got to pack in your food, which are freeze-dried meals. You got to hike up a glacier with snowshoes to get your water. You gotta boil it. If you fall through and get wet while out hiking, no one's gonna come dry you off with a towel. You've got to survive on your wits … Some of the most extreme climates in the U.S."
Glass. When do they chew glass?
Babin added that he’d like to run with the bulls in Spain before training camp begins.
And you wonder why they don’t give football players guaranteed contracts…
*His words – and I quote – "[The franchise tag] is a scary proposition because, you know, if you get hurt before the season, during the season, you know… they can release you and only pay you medical, which is substantially lower, I think. There's risk involved. Everyone loves a long-term contract."