The nerves may be gone, but Jake Reinhart is still feeling the pressure to perform at the Toronto Argonauts training camp.
The Guelph native and former University of Guelph Gryphon standout is attending his third Argos camp, currently underway at the U of G.
He said it doesn't get any easier.
"I've seen enough people come and go to know that your job is never safe," Reinhart, 26, said Tuesday after training wrapped up around noon.
"The moment you start thinking you're safe, you start relaxing a little too much. I never think like that, I just think about competing," Reinhart said.
"It's my third year here and it's home, so there is a sense of comfort. But you still have to come out and focus and work hard every day."
The chance to have training camp at home is nice.
"It's very nice," Reinhart said of having training camp in his home town and on his home turf.
"We're staying in East Residence and my family only lives down the street. I had to drive up the Gordon Street hill and and here I am. Only takes 10 minutes," he said.
Reinhart was a quarterback in high school football at Guelph CVI but switched to linebacker at the U of G, where he had a standout career from 2008 to 2012.
He has been with the Argos for two seasons, dressing for every game, and is their incumbent long snapper.
Ironically, one of the guys trying to take his job at camp is Dan MacDonald, another former Gryphon who wrapped up his CIS career last season.
"I'm just trying to compete with him, do my best, and see what happens," Reinhart said.
Training camp is a little tedious for long snappers. Usually they are off to the side while the rest of the team is running drills, not hitting the action until special team drills are called.
"Everyone says 'you've got it so easy,'" Reinhart said with a laugh. "Yeah, you've got it easy, but you can't miss when you do this job. You've got to be perfect. It's easy to tell if you miss when you're a snapper or a kicker and they expect you to be automatic. Miss too many and it's 'pack your bags.'"
The hardest part about being a long snapper is getting used to the inactivity, he said. As a linebacker and key cog while in university, you're always busy. As a pro long snapper, not so much.
"During practice I used to be always busy. Now you'e just out there for special teams, stretching, snapping, throwing the ball around.
"Some days you're perfect, others you're a little bit off. Then you spend practice trying to figure out why you're just a little bit off," Reinhart said.
Reinhart is one of six players in camp with U of G connections. Second-year lineman Cameron Walker and Reinhart are the incumbents. MacDonald was a 2015 draft pick and linebacker Curtis Newton and receiver/kick returner Ryan Nieuwesteeg were drafted by the Argos this year and have a year of CIS eligibility left.
Nieuwesteeg missed Tuesday's practice with a slight injury.
Gryphon quarterback James Roberts is also in camp as part of the CIS mentorship program. He has two year of CIS eligibility remaining.
