OXNARD, Calif. — Caleb Downs is wrapping up his first-ever training camp trip to Southern California, and it was a great showing for the rookie 11th-overall pick. As the Dallas Cowboys break camp and prepare to transfer their practices to The Star in Frisco next week, Downs is thankful for the experience in Oxnard.
"Yeah, it was a great time, honestly," Downs said. "I love the energy and everything that's around here. Everything's really focused. They give you everything you need, and I feel like that's such a positive for camp —just making sure that you're locked in and focused.
"I feel like it went well. I learned a lot, and got more confident. That's the biggest thing. I'm ready to go compete."
The former Ohio State superstar and Lott Trophy winner found himself in an iron-sharpens-iron situation throughout his stay in Oxnard, routinely battling against CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy.
Add in reps against Chris Olave of the New Orleans Saints and Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams, and it all taught him a lot about how to prepare for the next level of his football career.
"I mean, that's the biggest thing, just learning about yourself, and learning who you're gonna be on the field — what type of energy, what type of technique you need to play with," he said. "I'm learning about what I need to be. … That's where confidence actually comes from, just being in the situations, doing it at the level that you're gonna have to do in the game.
"I feel like that's a big thing. Going against even, I guess, the Rams going against Puka for a couple reps. It's all just, uh, trying to get me to where I need to be my best."
One thing Downs has never lacked is confidence or success and, as he tells it, there's a reason for both of those things. Having studied the mentality of sports icons, Downs views every battle on the field as one that is either won or lost, first and foremost, internally.
"Mike Tyson said success breeds confidence and confidence breeds success," he said. "I feel like those two work together, and when you win at things, and you do good at things, it allows you to feel more confident. And then when you succeed, it just continues to grow from there."
Up next for Downs is maintaining his edge back home, where avoiding "distractions" become a major part of the daily grind.
But given how locked in he is, it's difficult to fathom anything slowing his progress as he boards the plane to depart sunny California.
