The Packers' coaching staff is leading the NFC squad in the Pro Bowl in Honolulu this week. Green Bay's staff coached the NFC team to a 42-30 victory over the AFC four years ago.
Safeties coach Darren Perry is in Hawaii for the second time, having coached the AFC squad previously as a member of Pittsburgh's staff. On Saturday, packers.com caught up with Perry, and he sends this "postcard" from Hawaii.
We've had a great week out here. Two of my daughters are with me, and we've gone to a luau and we might do some hiking and sailing at some point. We've spent a lot of time with the other coaches and their families, and the fellowship in a laid-back environment is nice.
During the season, everything is so intense, and you never get a chance to relax and catch your breath. That's the biggest thing about coming to an event like this. You get to sit back and reflect. Nobody really wants to be out here under the circumstances, because we'd all like to be in Indianapolis, but this is probably the next-best thing.
It's also refreshing to see the players in a different light, because it's not as intense. Joe Whitt and I have a great group we're working with in the secondary – Charles Woodson of course, plus Charles Tillman from Chicago, Adrian Wilson from Arizona, and Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Brandon Browner, all from Seattle. The NFC's return men, Arizona's Patrick Peterson and Chicago's Corey Graham, are defensive backs, too.
All of these guys are ultra-competitive, you can see that. They've been real professional about the whole process in terms of understanding the few defenses we've put in, but obviously they want to go out there and show why they're here. They take a lot of pride in being the best and being selected among their peers to be a Pro Bowler.
Earlier this week we practiced out at Pearl Harbor, and the players had a meet-and-greet with the military and other locals who were out at practice. The players enjoyed the opportunity to interact like that. They signed autographs and answered questions in a different, more relaxed setting. The fans were more up-close-and-personal with the players.
The game is almost here, and I like our chances, particularly with our quarterbacks. When you look at our offense and you see Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Cam Newton, you have to feel excited about that. There's a bunch of talent, and you're going to get that on both sides of the ball, obviously.
Early on it will probably start slow, but as the game gets closer to being decided, I think you'll see the guys pick up their intensity. These guys don't need much motivation, and the pride level will kick in as the game unfolds. Ultimately, they want to win the ballgame.
To see Friday's postcard from B.J. Raji, click here.
