Houston Texans: The FBI trained punter Chad Stanley, fullback Jarrod Baxter, centers Steve McKinney and Todd Washington, guard Fred Weary, offensive tackle Seth Wand and long snapper Bryan Pittman in weapons safety, SWAT assault, sniper shooting, handguns and automatic weapons on Tuesday in a public-relations move to help the bureau recruit new members.
"It's a great way to get the public aware of the FBI," said Raymond Oglesby, a 14-year FBI veteran in charge of recruiting for the Houston office. "It also lets the players know about the FBI as a career option after the NFL."
Agents reviewed gun safety and played a short video about the SWAT team before giving the players a chance to shoot at targets from 15 yards away with a pistol and two different automatic weapons at the FBI firearms training center.
"It's every boy's dream to come out here and shoot with the FBI," said Stanley, an avid hunter. "It's especially fun for me because I've been hunting since I was a little boy."
All the players said they had shot guns before, but most hadn't handled an automatic weapon.
"It's a weapon you'll never forget," Washington said while standing amid scores of spent shell casings after shooting a fully automatic MP5 submachine gun. "It's a powerful weapon. I'm 300 pounds and it jarred me."
Washington said getting a glimpse at the intense nature of the FBI training put his mind at ease.
"It's amazing at how specialized their training is," he said. "I'll definitely sleep easier tonight."
