GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Saying Allen Lazard’s 2019 season was a whirlwind is an understatement. Coming into 2019, the wide receiver was the star of training camp, but ended up being cut on cut day.
He was signed to the practice squad the next day and with Jace Sternberger put on injured reserve, signed to the active man roster on September 4th.
As he prepares for the 2020 season, amidst a cloud of uncertainty due to COVID-19, Lazard is focusing on not just his physical game, but the one between his ears.
“One of the biggest points that I tried to make going into this off-season was to improve my mental game. At this level, the physicalness, the physical ability, everyone is pretty much on the same level for the most part,” Lazard says with a grin. “There are some freak athletes, but how I want to separate my game this year is through the mental game.”
With players not being able to practice together and the uncertainty of how the season will play out, a positive mentality is something all players are striving for.
“It’s hard, for sure,” Lazard says. “But I always try to find the positive, always try to find the good things in tough situations.”
Knowing he’s looking to build upon becoming an integral part of the Packers offense would have anyone feeling the pressure. But not Lazard. For him, this is another day at the office.
“There’s no pressure, to me. I come out here, this is what I do, what I love to do. I’ve been put in situations many times before and I’ve always prevailed,” he says with a laugh. “It’s just going out here and being as consistent as possible.”
As teams wait for training camp to begin on July 28, they’re also waiting for word on whether there will be fans there this year, something the players hope will still be a reality.
“Games without fans is a scrimmage, or a practice,” Lazard says. “Fans make football. They make the game day situations much more enjoyable.”
But as for what will happen in the 2020 season? Lazard and the rest of us will just have to wait and see.
