James Proche II sets his alarm for 5:25 a.m. during training camp. That’s sleeping in. During the offseason, he wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to “maximize the day.”
The second-year wide receiver has always been a player that has impressed coaches and teammates with his work ethic. Now it’s paying off, as Proche has been one of the most impressive and consistent players of Ravens training camp practices so far.
Proche is always the first Ravens player onto the field for practice. He takes extra passes off the JUGS machine while the grass is still covered in dew. It’s not something he started this year to make a good impression; he did it last year too.
“It’s just a byproduct of the work I put it. God gave me a vision, and I’m just trying to execute it, day by day,” Proche said of his impressive training camp.
“It’s kind of like a popular thing now, but my idol – almost look at him like dad – is Kobe Bryant. So, I kind of take that ‘Mamba Mentality.’ Before I knew what the word ‘mentality’ was, as a little kid, I was like, ‘[Dang], I want to be like that.’ And I kind of took it to heart. That’s all I know – is work, work, work, work, work, work, work – and that gives you results. So, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”
