“I was like, ‘This is going to be interesting,’” Humphries said.

Within a matter of seconds, Humphries knew having his locker next to Veldheer at the Cardinals’ practice facility wasn’t going to result in a season of awkwardness.

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Humphries said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s not one of those people with a huge ego. When we came in in the offseason, he was just like, ‘This is what it’s going to be. We’re going to be good, too.’ It was more of that, like, ‘I’ve been practicing this, and I hope you have, too. We’re going to be really (expletive) good.’”

Naturally, Veldheer still has some reservations as he transitions from a spot he excelled at to one he’s never played before. However, he heads out to the practice field each day aiming for progress.

“I think we’re all creatures of habit, and whatever’s unknown is kind of scary at first,” Veldheer said. “Especially when you’ve had success with one thing, you ask yourself: ‘Well, if I move, will I be all right?’ Because you just don’t know. But that’s where you just trust in the plan God has for you, work hard, and take those principles that made you successful on the (left) side and take them to the other side.”

For Veldheer, the battle is in his mind. He’s always kicked out with his left foot first, followed by his right. Now that he has to do the opposite, Veldheer must override his subconscious.