With a lockout looming, Sanchez was savvy enough to load up highlights after the season to his laptop to use precisely for this camp. He structured a plan by using concepts in an old Jets playbook before adding some new elements. He made copies for each of the 14 teammates who showed up. With no contact with teams allowed, he called agents, uncles and anybody else he could think of to make sure rookies such as Jeremy Kerley received an invitation. “He sounds like a coach in the meeting rooms, telling everybody what to do, what to expect,” said LaDainian Tomlinson. “Even watching film, he sounds like a coach.”

– Manish Mehta, N.Y. Daily News.

Well that’s pretty awesome. I think mental preparation — studying the playbook, understanding the offense and defense, analyzing film, communicating — is more important in football than in any other major sport. So good thing Mark Sanchez worked the phones this offseason.