The NFL's Top 10 Training Camp Traditions

The start of training camp is a great time of year. It means that the football season has begun, and it's time to clear your Sunday schedule.

Training camp is a special time because of the yearly traditions. Dedicated fans know what to expect, and they love every minute of this point in the football season.

Check out the upcoming slides to see my top training camp traditions. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comment section.

Training Camp Pranks

Every year we hear about some of the funny pranks that take place at NFL training camps. These pranks help build relationships and ease the tension of playing in the NFL. Players are so focused on winning and earning a job that they need something to help them relax.

Real Clear Sports has a great list of the top NFL training camp pranks. At No. 1 was a prank Robbie Tobeck pulled on Trent Dilfer. Here's a breakdown:

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Tobeck responded by purchasing the extremely potent coyote urine from an outdoors store. It’s used by hunters to attract coyotes, but Tobeck had a different use in mind. He covered Dilfer’s room in the pungent aroma which took Dilfer hours to scrub away.

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Sleeping in Tiny Dorm Rooms

Most NFL training camps are held at small colleges, where the players are forced to share small dorm rooms. This a great way to build strong relationships between the players and form a "family" atmosphere.

I can't imagine having to share that tiny room with someone the size of Haloti Ngata.

Imagine spending an entire day working out and competing for a job, only to have to spend your night crammed in a room with a 6'4", 330-pound human. Now imagine Ngata is roomed with Terrence Cody—that would put a total of 680 pounds in one room.

The next time you watch the highlights of players carrying in their pillows and blankets, think about how cramped some of them must feel in these tiny rooms.

Rookie Hazing

NFL players love to give rookies a hard time and force them to do some humiliating tasks. One of the most famous situations was the "shoulder pads incident" between Roy Williams and Dez Bryant.

For years, Williams forced a rookie to carry his pads off the field at the end of practice. However, Bryant wasn't willing to perform this task.

It gained attention because of the way Williams' career was on the decline, and Bryant was basically brought in to be his replacement. Most rookies go along with the pranks, but Bryant's attitude/immaturity is well documented.

Hazing is a fun way to help the rookies become part of the team, but when it becomes public knowledge it can cause issues. In this case, the Dallas Cowboys could have done without all the negative attention that came from this incident.

Fans Showing Up in Masses to Attend Practices

The NFL has such a massive fan following that a large amount of fans show up to watch their favorite team practice. Most of these practices are conducted in "helmet only" situations, mainly consisting of drills, but these dedicated fanbases don't care.

I've attended a few Philadelphia Eagles' training camp practices, and I'm always shocked at the rowdiness of the crowd. These fans cheer on every single pass and even go as far as heckling a player for a dropped pass.

It's this type of passion that has helped build the NFL into the powerhouse it is today.

Autograph Sessions

Training camps often feature a slotted time for fans to show up and get some autographs from their favorite players. This is a great tradition, as it allows the fans to interact with the players they watch on a weekly basis. It is one of the reasons the NFL is so popular.

The fans are the ones that help pay the players' salaries and ensure the league continues to flourish. If we didn't watch games on TV, buy merchandise or attend games, the league would have a hard time keeping afloat. This tradition gives the sense that the players and owners realize this to some extent.

It would be nice if they understood this fact more often, but I guess we have to take what we can get.

Position Battles

There aren't many players in the NFL that are guaranteed a starting job—some aren't even promised a roster spot. Training camp offers players an opportunity to fight for playing time, and the idea of someone outworking someone else to win a job can be very exciting.

It also allows fans to get hyped about a young up-and-comer. Reading reports that someone is turning heads and challenging for playing time is intriguing, and it helps preseason games gain some popularity.

One of the most recent examples of this is the emergence of Victor Cruz. Those who saw him play in the preseason knew this guy had the potential to make impact plays.

The Hall of Fame Game

The Hall of Fame game is the first preseason game played every season. It marks the beginning of head-to-head matchups and caps off the NFL's Hall of Fame weekend. Seeing the Hall of Fame inductees introduced before the game is always a special moment.

It's also nice to finally see some real football action. This game marks the start of the greatest sports season in the world. Most NFL fans tune in for at least some portion of the game just to get a taste of some football.

This year's game features the Arizona Cardinals versus the New Orleans Saints, and it will be played on August 5th.

Training Camp Fights

It seems that every year we hear about a fight during training camp. This really isn't a shock because players are fighting for a job, and emotions can run high as a resi;t. One of the most-covered training camp fights involved Steve Smith and Ken Lucas of the Carolina Panthers.

The situation resulted in a two-game suspension for Smith and some bumps and bruises for Lucas. Some feel this type of thing is good for a team, as it lets players blow off some steam. However, I disagree, because this situation showed that it could cost a star player some game time.

Most training camp fights don't end up making headlines, but the Smith caused some issues. Similarly, the fight between Kansas City's Jon Baldwin and Thomas Jones resulted in Baldwin suffering a wrist injury and missing the first five games of the season.

The New Social Media Coverage

Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook have enhanced the way sports are covered, especially the NFL. This coverage is very beneficial during training camp, as it gives fans the opportunity to follow their team closely and receive in-depth updates on each player's performance.

This isn't only beneficial as a fan, as it also plays a role in fantasy football. The committed fantasy football owners follow the updates to see what players might end up being good sleeper picks. Seeing that a fourth-string receiver is turning heads and earning playing time could put him on your draft-day radar.

Overall, it's just nice to be able to keep connected with your favorite team.

Widespread Hope

Training camp is when every fan/team feels they have a chance to succeed. This hope quickly disappears for some, but it's necessary to keep fans involved in the game. It's tough being a fan of a team that's always losing, so having a glimmer of hope is important.

All you have to do is read the comments for an article (like those right here on Bleacher Report) to see the passion of each fanbase. As unrealistic as some of the views might be, you can't fault a dedicated fan for having some optimism.

Even fans that understand the limitations of their team have some hope in training camp. At the very least, they can keep a close eye on the rookies and young stars. Seeing hope for the future is just as exciting as optimism for the upcoming season.