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ENLARGE
Spencer Havner had hit the turf at Lambeau Field on many occasions, but this time was different.
The 2001 Nevada Union High School grad had seen plenty of action in NFL preseason games over the past three years, including eight games as a member of the Green Bay Packers.
But this time, it was for real.
When he suited up for the Packers against the Houston Texans last Sunday, his dream of one day making an NFL roster and playing in an actual regular season game had at long last come to fruition.
“It’s all great,” Havner said by phone from Green Bay Friday night. “My dream finally came true, after so long.
“It definitely was different than the preseason. It just felt like it was for a purpose. You weren’t just fighting for yourself to make the team, but for the team to win a game. It meant something.”
It had been a long time since he had that feeling. As a member of preseason team and practice squads, he gained plenty of experience and learned a lot along the way. But in the end, he was still just practicing.
Not since he last suited up as a linebacker with the UCLA Bruins, had Havner actually hit someone with an actual game on the line.
And after he was cut by the Packers on Aug. 30, he didn’t know whether he’d ever get a chance to do it again. He headed back home to western Nevada County, catching up with family and friends in Nevada City, Reno and Sacramento. He even squeezed in a couple of backcountry motorcycle treks.
But all the while, as he continued working out to stay in shape, he waited for that phone call that would offer him another shot at his dream. After being cut from an NFL roster three times, including the past two by the Packers, it would be easy to understand if he began to doubt whether he could stick in the league.
Yet, he never did.
Instead, he took two swings at making the Kansas City Chiefs roster, flying back and forth for a pair of auditions that didn’t lead to a solid offer.
Then, 45 days after they had cut him loose, the green-and-gold gave him another call. One day later, he was back banging away in his third stint with the team’s practice squad.
“The whole time, I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Havner said. “I didn’t talk to the Packers at all until the day before I got back here.
“You wonder the whole time, because you never really know how valued you are. I didn’t know if this preseason was the last of it or not. It’s really a head game, because you don’t really know what’s going on.”
That’s been the case ever since he first signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2006. In each of the three training camps he’s attended, Havner, at times, felt somewhat confident that he had earned a roster spot. But on all three occasions, he was among the final players cut from the club.
Nearly a month after returning to Green Bay, Havner was heading off the practice field last Friday when head coach Mike McCarthy stopped him.
“He said ‘Hey, we’re going to move you up. You need to call your agent,’” Havner said. “I guess the (Chicago) Bears were interested in signing me to their active roster, so I guess that’s why they made the move.”
Two days later, Havner made his official NFL debut.
And he didn’t disappoint, as he totaled two special teams tackles and downed a punt inside the Texans’ 5-yard line. He’s also likely to spend most of his game time on special teams again this week in Jacksonville, although he has been worked at linebacker in third-down, specialty packages this week.
There’s so many reasons for Havner to be stoked about being back with the Pack.
He’s playing in a system that he’s had nearly three years to study and is once again helping his team win games that actually count.
He’s watched his practice team pay of $90,000 per year be upgraded to the league’s minimum annual salary of $295,000 — about a 300 percent pay raise, despite it being pro-rated per game.
He’s also getting an opportunity to showcase his skills for the entire league, which can only help his cause if he were to be cut loose by the Packers once again.
“It just makes me feel a lot better to be on the field, showing I can play. Because that will help me down the road,” he said. “And that’s all that really matters.”
But, perhaps best of all, when he stepped onto “the frozen tundra” at Lambeau last weekend, Havner — the Nevada City native who first strapped on the shoulder pads as a member of the local Junior Miners — proved once and for all that he does, in fact, belong in the NFL.
And, of course, he also showed that — with a little perseverance — dreams still do come true.
Brian Hamilton is sports editor at The Union. His column is published Saturdays. Contact him via e-mail at bhamilton@theunion.com or by phone at 477-4240.
The 2001 Nevada Union High School grad had seen plenty of action in NFL preseason games over the past three years, including eight games as a member of the Green Bay Packers.
But this time, it was for real.
When he suited up for the Packers against the Houston Texans last Sunday, his dream of one day making an NFL roster and playing in an actual regular season game had at long last come to fruition.
“It’s all great,” Havner said by phone from Green Bay Friday night. “My dream finally came true, after so long.
“It definitely was different than the preseason. It just felt like it was for a purpose. You weren’t just fighting for yourself to make the team, but for the team to win a game. It meant something.”
It had been a long time since he had that feeling. As a member of preseason team and practice squads, he gained plenty of experience and learned a lot along the way. But in the end, he was still just practicing.
Not since he last suited up as a linebacker with the UCLA Bruins, had Havner actually hit someone with an actual game on the line.
And after he was cut by the Packers on Aug. 30, he didn’t know whether he’d ever get a chance to do it again. He headed back home to western Nevada County, catching up with family and friends in Nevada City, Reno and Sacramento. He even squeezed in a couple of backcountry motorcycle treks.
But all the while, as he continued working out to stay in shape, he waited for that phone call that would offer him another shot at his dream. After being cut from an NFL roster three times, including the past two by the Packers, it would be easy to understand if he began to doubt whether he could stick in the league.
Yet, he never did.
Instead, he took two swings at making the Kansas City Chiefs roster, flying back and forth for a pair of auditions that didn’t lead to a solid offer.
Then, 45 days after they had cut him loose, the green-and-gold gave him another call. One day later, he was back banging away in his third stint with the team’s practice squad.
“The whole time, I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Havner said. “I didn’t talk to the Packers at all until the day before I got back here.
“You wonder the whole time, because you never really know how valued you are. I didn’t know if this preseason was the last of it or not. It’s really a head game, because you don’t really know what’s going on.”
That’s been the case ever since he first signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2006. In each of the three training camps he’s attended, Havner, at times, felt somewhat confident that he had earned a roster spot. But on all three occasions, he was among the final players cut from the club.
Nearly a month after returning to Green Bay, Havner was heading off the practice field last Friday when head coach Mike McCarthy stopped him.
“He said ‘Hey, we’re going to move you up. You need to call your agent,’” Havner said. “I guess the (Chicago) Bears were interested in signing me to their active roster, so I guess that’s why they made the move.”
Two days later, Havner made his official NFL debut.
And he didn’t disappoint, as he totaled two special teams tackles and downed a punt inside the Texans’ 5-yard line. He’s also likely to spend most of his game time on special teams again this week in Jacksonville, although he has been worked at linebacker in third-down, specialty packages this week.
There’s so many reasons for Havner to be stoked about being back with the Pack.
He’s playing in a system that he’s had nearly three years to study and is once again helping his team win games that actually count.
He’s watched his practice team pay of $90,000 per year be upgraded to the league’s minimum annual salary of $295,000 — about a 300 percent pay raise, despite it being pro-rated per game.
He’s also getting an opportunity to showcase his skills for the entire league, which can only help his cause if he were to be cut loose by the Packers once again.
“It just makes me feel a lot better to be on the field, showing I can play. Because that will help me down the road,” he said. “And that’s all that really matters.”
But, perhaps best of all, when he stepped onto “the frozen tundra” at Lambeau last weekend, Havner — the Nevada City native who first strapped on the shoulder pads as a member of the local Junior Miners — proved once and for all that he does, in fact, belong in the NFL.
And, of course, he also showed that — with a little perseverance — dreams still do come true.
Brian Hamilton is sports editor at The Union. His column is published Saturdays. Contact him via e-mail at bhamilton@theunion.com or by phone at 477-4240.
