Lost & Found-Sophomore Year
Douglas Fox
Lost and Found
Sophomore Year
By
Douglas Fox
Lost and Found
Sophomore Year
This story is a fictional erotic tale. It contains descriptions of teenagers having unprotected sex. Do not read if you are under eighteen or live in a community that finds explicit sexual stories illegal.
This story was written as an adult fantasy. The author does not condone the described behavior in real life.
I appreciate comments from readers. You can contact me at douglas_fox482@yahoo.com
Kyle Martin returns to Penn State, dreaming of helping Zack Hayes and the rest of his Nittany Lions teammates win the BCS Championship in his sophomore football season. This volume takes up where Lost and Found – Freshman Year ended. Lost and Found: Freshman Year, Junior Year and Senior Year can be purchased at www.bookapy.com.
Copyright © 2007, 2011, Douglas Fox
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Table of Contents
Cover
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 21
I wasn’t surprised that campus was nearly deserted on a Sunday morning during the summer semester. I parked my car in the lot near Pollock Commons and headed inside to the housing office to sign in and pick up my room key. I moved my Golf over to the parking lot closest to Hartranft Hall to unload.
I parked beside a true classic automobile, a 60’s era bright orange Ford Mustang convertible. I looked it over before I carried my first load inside. The car was immaculate. Someone had taken great care to restore this car to its original glory.
I stopped in the first floor of Hartranft and grabbed one of the carts so I could move my things up to the fourth floor. I was loading up my cart when Jay Nicholson walked up to me.
“Hey, man, it’s great to see you!” Jay gushed. We high-fived, and did a hand clasp, shake and knuckle bump in greeting.
“I’m glad to see you too,” I replied.
“Did you have lunch yet?” Jay asked.
“Yeah, I replied. “I ate at Mickey D’s in Lewistown on the way here.”
“We’ll catch up at dinner,” Jay said.
I started loading my cart again. I noticed Jay pop the trunk of the orange Mustang beside my car.
“This is your car?” I asked incredulously. “You have this great ride?”
“Yep,” Jay confirmed. “It was a piece of junk when I bought it in high school. My dad has been helping me restore it for four years. We finished it earlier this summer. What do you think?”
“It awesome, man,” I answered. “I can’t believe you have such a nice car. You’re a lucky guy.”
Jay loaded his cart up with things from his trunk. I finished loading the cart with the first load of my things. Jay and I wheeled our carts over to Hartranft and took the elevator to the fourth floor.
Jay was in room 413 again. I was in 407. I unlocked the door and pushed the cart inside. Damian’s part of the room was empty. He hadn’t made it back to school yet. I unloaded the cart and headed back to the elevator for another load.
I was facing the elevator waiting for it to arrive when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“Hey, Kyle, welcome back!” I recognized the voice. I turned to see Anders Voight standing behind me.
I greeted my friend warmly and then asked, “What the hell are you doing in the dorm this afternoon?”
“Me?” Anders replied with a sly grin. “I’m the Welcome Wagon.” I looked at him blankly. Anders explained, “I’m the resident assistant. I’m in charge of you clowns this year.”
“RA? Are you kidding?” I asked. “Why aren’t you over in Nittany Apartments like most of the juniors and seniors?
“I still get a private room,” Anders answered. “…and they pay me too. I can’t beat the offer. Anyway, my roommates graduated last spring. I didn’t feel like breaking in new roommates.”
I remembered that Anders had roomed with Jeremiah Nowak, Derek Whitaker and Gerry Oliszewski last year. Anders and I talked for a couple minutes about our summer activities before Anders had to get back to work helping Tony King with a room key problem. I headed downstairs to my car for another load of my things.
Damian arrived with his dad as I was unloading the final load of things from my car. Mr. Thompson was very cordial when we met. I helped Damian and his dad move his things in from the parking lot. They invited me to get ice cream with them at the Creamery. I met them there after I took my car to the East Parking Deck.
I enjoyed spending time with Damian’s dad while we had our ice cream. He was a funny and entertaining guy. I could see where he would be very successful dealing with customers at his restaurants. He told us some tales about his exploits as an undergrad here at Penn State. He warned Damian that the stories were not to be repeated in front of his mother. Mr. Thompson headed home to Erie around three o’clock.
Damian and I headed over to the player’s lounge at the Lasch Building to find out who was around. We ran into a lot of our friends at the lounge. We spent our time swapping stories of our summers. The guys teased me for missing the Lift for Life cancer fundraiser event early in July. I explained that I didn’t have any time off from my job at Scout camp.
Chip Brinton, David McCall, Jared Cantrell and more guys I didn’t recognize came in awhile later. After we greeted each other, Chip introduced me to his roommate, Matt Frye. Matt’s a cornerback from Milford, Pa. Chip introduced me to Jared Gray, our new back-up kicker and his roommate, Bruce MacCauley. I remembered Bruce from his visit last fall after he was introduced. Bruce was a wide receiver. They introduced me to Joe Ricci, a linebacker from Media, Pa. All the new guys with Chip were rooming on fourth floor Hartranft – Chip and Matt in 411, Jared Gray and Bruce in 402. David and Jared Cantrell were on the third floor in room 317.
When the introductions were done, I asked, “You guys have free time now?”
“Yeah,” Chip answered. “There isn’t anything on the schedule until dinner time.”
“Did you get playbooks last night?” I asked.
“Yeah, sure,” half a dozen guys answered at the same time.
“Do you know everything in them?” I asked, staring straight at Chip.
“No, of course not,” he answered defensively. “It’s six inches thick. I can’t learn all that overnight.”
“It doesn’t sound like you have free time,” I replied. “This isn’t high school anymore. In a couple days the coaches will expect you to run those plays in practice. You damn well better know what is going on. Coach Burton and Coach Schroeder won’t spoon feed the plays to you.”
“The rest of the guys here are relaxing?” Chip answered. “What’s wrong with us having down time?”
“They rest of us already know what’s in the playbook,” I countered. “Except the ten or twenty new plays I expect we’ll get from the coaches tomorrow or Tuesday.”
J. T. Hill overheard us. He stood up and came over. “Listen to my little buddy here. It’s part of what it takes to play here.” J. T. may not actually be taller than me at 6’-2” but at 295 pounds he does make me look small.
“C’mon, guys,” Chip conceded. “Maybe we better go back to our rooms and study.” The freshmen headed out of the lounge.
“Weren’t you being a little hard on the new guys?” Damian asked after they left.
“I don’t think so,” I explained. “I have high expectations from Chip Brinton and the other guys. I think it’s useful for them to understand how much work they need to do.” Turning to face Damian, I asked, “What did you do that first Sunday afternoon last summer?”
“Um, G. J. and I spent the afternoon in our room trying to understand the playbook,” he admitted.
“So did Christian and I,” I replied.
Damian and I hung out with our friends, enjoying a fun afternoon. We beat a few guys when we teamed up for a foosball tournament. Damian and I got trashed when we took on Karol and Cuch in pool. Damian and I went back to our room after that, around a quarter after five in the afternoon. We killed time organizing our things until it was time to head to the Training Table for the first team dinner.
Jay and Shawn Byrd stopped by our room about 5:45 to see if we were ready for dinner. Damian, Jay and I travelled our floor, picking up our usual dinner gang. Jay found Christian and G. J. in room 410. Trevor Conwell and Tony King were down in 418 this year. We ran into Anders with the six freshmen living on our floor when got to the elevator. Our big group headed to Pollock Commons together for dinner.
I ended up beside Chip in line for food. “I hope you don’t think I was being a hard-ass this afternoon when I chased you and the other guys out of the player’s lounge,” I said.
“I didn’t think that,” Chip replied.
“You have no idea how much work it is to play Division I football,” I explained. “I want you to do well.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” Chip replied. “How long did it take you to learn everything?”
“Learn everything?” I answered, laughing. “I’ll let you know when I’m done learning it.” I saw from the way Chip’s face fell that I needed to clarify myself. “I expect that the coaches will hand me a bunch of new plays to learn tonight, or maybe tomorrow. I learned most of the book in about nine months. I took it home this summer and committed the rest of it to memory while I was at Scout camp.”
“I knew this would be hard,” Chip admitted. “…but I didn’t think it would be this difficult.”
“If you work at it every day, you’ll get there, Chip,” I answered. “If you find yourself being overwhelmed, come talk to me. I’ll be glad to give you some tips. You can go into see Coach Paterno too. He helped me get myself organized last year so I could get my school work and my football done without harming either.”
“That’s good to know,” Chip said. “I guess Coach Paterno is still active with the team?”
“He helps out with counseling and academics,” I replied.
“That’s cool,” Chip responded. “I’m glad Coach Paterno is still involved.”
We reached the head of the line and started selecting our dinner entrees. “Make sure you eat up, Chip,” I teased. “You don’t want to get hurt when one of those Big Ten linemen catches you. I can just see you in a few years when Michigan’s William Johnson is chasing you. William’s a big boy. I think he is around 330 pounds.”
“I can out-run someone that size,” Chip answered as he grabbed a salad.
“You would expect so…” I replied. “…but you’d be surprised. William is fast.”
“I see you put on the ‘freshman fifteen’,” Chip teased as he poked my side. He didn’t find the usual flab that the freshman fifteen produces.
“I put on about twelve pounds in the last year,” I agreed. “It’s all muscle. The trainers will get you on a program to get you nice and buff.”
“That’ll be good for getting chicks,” Chip answered. “Are you still with that girlfriend you had in the spring?”
“Kelly?” I replied. “Very definitely. Why look around when you already have the best girl in the world?”
“I’m not sure I’ve done enough research yet to declare any girl the best in the world,” Chip replied. “I think I have a lot more studying to do before I reach a conclusion like that.”
“You enjoy your research,” I answered. “Just remember what is paying for you to be here. Football and academics come first.”
Chip gave me a wink and said, “Thanks, dad, I already know why I’m here. I have goals for myself.”
“Good for you,” I agreed. We followed the crowd of players to open tables. The guys in the lead of our group, my fellow sophomores, filled up the first table easily. Christian and I had a seat at the next table. Chip, Matt, Jared Gray, Jared Cantrell, Joe Ricci and David McCall joined us.
Christian and I got to know the freshmen better over dinner. Of course, we knew Chip quite well from his visits and our time together at football camp. Matt Frye was in awe of this huge crowd of football players. Matt played for little Milford School District. He explained that they had thirty-two varsity players on the team last fall. The Eagles were PIAA Class AA. Everyone played both ways, offense and defense. Matt was a wide receiver in high school in addition to playing cornerback.
I commented that at 6’-0” tall and close to 200 pounds, he must have been one of the biggest guys on his team. Matt laughed and explained that he was what his parents called “a late bloomer.” He had grown nearly four inches and added twenty pounds since football finished last fall, though he conceded he had out-weighed some of the linemen and linebackers last fall before he hit his growth spurt.
The coaches kept him at cornerback last fall because of his speed. Matt bragged he had 4.4 speed in the 40. He also ran track in the spring, making the state playoffs. I didn’t bother to inform him that I still held the state record in the 100 meters. No one beat my record this past spring.
Joe Ricci’s experience in football was quite different. Joe played for the Strath Haven Panthers, a perennial football powerhouse in southeast Pennsylvania. His fans back home were expecting him to carry on the tradition started by Strath Haven’s last big star, Dan Conners. Dan, of course, was the stand-out linebacker for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL now. Joe certainly had the size to keep up with Conners. He was 6’-5” tall and weighed close to 250 pounds. He was going to be an excellent addition to our linebacking corps.
At 5’-10” and maybe 180 pounds, Jared Gray looked the part of a kicker – small. He was from another powerhouse AAA football team, the Pottsville Crimson Tide. I told Jared that I knew his team and that I had played them a few years ago in the playoffs. Jared had been in the stands at that game and teased me about my team losing to his. Hopefully Jared would help Andrew Perkins fill Cooper Barnes very capable shoes this fall.
I enjoyed getting to know my new teammates over dinner. The guys seemed like they would carry their weight in a year or two when they learned our playbook. Zack, Karol, and Jake quieted the crowded dining room when dinner was done. It was time to start indoctrinating our new recruits into the Nittany Lion ways.
Our captains called the twenty freshmen up to the front and quizzed them about their knowledge of Penn State lore. They failed the quiz miserably. Zack demanded that they sing the alma mater for the rest of the team. Jared Cantrell and David McCall attempted to lead the group in it, without success. Jake Washington instructed the recruits that their supper on Monday depended on being able to perform the alma mater to the satisfaction of us upper classmen.
Coach Burton reminded everyone that we had a team meeting at seven o’clock in the auditorium in the Lasch Building. We had about twenty minutes to get over there. There was a mass rush to get rid of our supper dishes and get to the Lasch Building. My friends and I followed the crowd as it made its way up the road to our meeting.
I settled in between Jay and Damian when we found seats in the auditorium. Coach Burton took the stage two minutes before seven and called for quiet. The lights went down and clips from the last season came up on the screen.
Coach Burton didn’t start with our best work. He started off with a clip of Zack throwing an interception early in the season. He showed Shawn O’Conner getting stuffed by the defensive line when we played Purdue in the rainstorm. I made the “lowlights” reel when Coach showed me turning the wrong direction on a pass route against Ohio State and causing Zack to throw another interception.
“Ranked #8 in country today,” Coach Burton intoned. “Maybe with good cause. We had some issues last season on offense, but we found ways to fix them.” Coach showed a clip of Anders Voight bulling his way into the end zone on a crossing route mid-season last year. The next clip showed me skittering through Northwestern’s special teams coverage and carrying the ball into the end zone when I scored on a punt return.
The crowd started to get revved up as the clips continued. They showed Zack and me combining for one of our touchdowns against Michigan State, followed by Evan’s TD catch the same game. They showed, Anders, Evan, me, Aidan and Christian all catching passes on the way to our Rose Bowl win. He concluded the clips with my final touchdown to clinch the win against USC on January 1st.
“We fought through adversity and improved our offense last season with hard work and study. The offense excites me this season. We have the potential to have the most explosive offense in my time with the Penn State team,” Coach Burton explained.
Coach went on to explain how he had seen Todd Blackledge and the 1982 national championship team play on his recruiting visit to the university. We had the potential to be better than them offensively. He added that we could be much better than the 1986 national championship team he was a part of. He allowed that we could be better than the undefeated 1994 team led by Kerry Collins and perhaps Phil DiStefano’s undefeated national championship team from two years ago. Coach Burton predicted that we would score a lot of points this season, if all of us played to our potential.
Coach briefly reviewed his outlook on our special teams. He expected us to maintain the high level of play that we had last season.
The lights dimmed again and Coach showed us more video clips. The first one was of Aaron Morano intercepting a pass and running it back for a touchdown. “Aaron Morano, All-American cornerback,” Coach intoned in his best NFL Films imitation. “Gone!” The next clip showed Pete Klein slashing through a defense and dropping the ball carrier to the ground five yards in the backfield. “Peter Klein, All-American outside linebacker – gone!”
Coach showed a series of clips of Antwaan Booker, sacking the quarterback, manhandling offensive linemen and in general creating havoc in the backfield of our opponents last season. “Antwaan Booker, Outland Trophy winner and All-American defensive tackle – gone!”
“The pundits say we are going to be weak on defense this season, with good reason,” Coach Burton said. As the lights came up, he continued, “Each of you on defense will need to step up your game a couple notches to cover for the absence of this men. Who will be our next All-Americans?” I noticed Coach fix his gaze on Jake Washington for a moment as he spoke. “Who will live up to that legacy?” Coach asked as he stared at Karol Zizka. “Do we have the talent to cover these losses?” Coach asked as he turned his attention to Dom “Cuch” Cuchiella. “Who will rise to the occasion? Elevate your play so you do not let your teammates and university down.”
Coach posted the current depth chart up for the team to see. There weren’t any surprises on offense. I was listed first at the slot position and second at the weak side wide receiver position behind Anders Voight. Hassan Jackson had the top spot on the strong side, followed by Aidan Nagy and Christian Hunsecker. Tanner Riggs and Alex Majerowicz backed me up in the slot.
I was pleased to see confirmation that my friend Trevor Conwell was starting at defensive end. He had earned the promotion in the spring. I was surprised to find Josh Bruno and Brendan Hayden were promoted to starters at outside linebacker. That was excellent work for sophomores.
I noticed the freshmen shifting in their seats like they thought the meeting was nearly over. I smiled to myself. I knew better.
Coach Burton was only beginning. He discussed our training schedule for the next three weeks, personal conduct expected of all team members, our drug and alcohol policy, our sexual conduct policy, and how to handle personal confrontations. This had been a concern when some hot-heads had let a sidewalk dispute escalate into a confrontation a few years ago. Coach Burton cautioned us to just walk away from a fight off the field. We had nothing to gain and everything to lose if we confronted unruly fans. None of us needed to visit the inside of a police station and jeopardize our careers or the university’s national standing.
Coach Burton reminded us that we were STUDENT-athletes, not simply athletes. The university was rightly proud of our over 80% graduation rate among football players. We had to keep up with our studies while we learned to perform on the football field.
The formal meeting finally ended around 8:30 pm. We met briefly with our coordinator. Coach Schroeder handed out updates to our playbooks, as I expected. I had about twenty-five new plays to learn in the next few days before we started practicing.
Zack Hayes invited Jay and me to stop by his apartment after the meeting. He was inviting friends over to relax and shoot the bull for awhile before bedtime. I enjoyed the stories and tall tales we told each other while we relaxed and enjoyed some beer together. Jay and I headed back to the dorm around 11:00 pm.
----------oooOooo----------
A summer of getting up early made it easy for me to make the team’s eight o’clock breakfast. Damian wasn’t nearly as alert as he staggered to breakfast with me. We went back to our room and changed into our training clothes left over from last year. A year of working out on Coach Collins’ training plan had done its job. Damian and I both filled our clothes to nearly bursting. Thankfully we would be issued new clothes this morning. We grabbed our playbooks and a gym bag of things for our lockers at the Lasch Building and headed out for practice.
Anders Voight had all the freshmen gathered together at the elevator when Damian and I headed out. My buddy was taking good care of his charges. Damian reminded the freshmen that being on time for Coach Burton meant arrive five minutes before the appointed time. Damian and I dropped our bags off at our lockers and then joined the group outside on the practice fields.
The big crowd of players milled around while we waited for the coaches to arrive. Coach Burton told us last night that this year’s Nittany Lions had 109 people on the team. Coach Burton, his coordinators and other assistants came out the door from the Lasch Building at six minutes before nine. Our season was officially beginning.
Things started off with warm-up exercises. The coaches split us up into four groups after that so we could take care of assorted tests and housekeeping functions that morning. I was assigned to the group that Karol Zizka was leading. We went inside to the locker room and equipment room first.
Larry Fitzgerald, our equipment manager, issued us the necessary equipment, towels and clothing for the next three weeks of practice. He called the freshman over to pick their jersey numbers.
Chip was ebullient when he returned. “I got to my number!” he crowed. I remembered that Chip wore number 9 when I saw him play in the past. I congratulated my friend. I understood how nice it was to keep the number you were used to. The freshmen looked around the locker room until they found their lockers.
Karol led our group outside when we were done with equipment. Our next stop was testing speed. The coaches ran the group through the 40 yard run, the 100 yard run and the mile run. I was pleased when I matched my best time ever in the 40 – 4.30 seconds. I beat last year’s 100 yard time by 0.02 seconds with a time of 9.59 seconds. I improved on last year’s mile run time. I did it in 4:42. My year of work-outs was paying off.
Karol took us to the next set of drills that tested agility and leaping ability. I was still able to reach 43 inches in the vertical jump. That was a useful skill when it came time to out-jump the defensive back for possession of the football.
Our final station for the morning was inside in the weight room. Paul Collins, the conditioning coach, weighed and measured us and then tested our physical strength. I was still 6’-4 ½” and weighed in at 208 pounds. Paul was delighted at my strength. He didn’t expect that he would need to make many changes to the training program he gave me last winter.
The group headed to the Training Table for lunch and then to offensive or defensive team meetings for an hour. The coaches had us do ninety minutes of stretching and agility drills in the afternoon. They dismissed us around four o’clock. The team dinner was at six o’clock. My friends and I showered in the locker room and changed into clean clothes before we headed back to the dorm room.
The freshmen did a credible job singing the alma mater under David McCall’s and Jared Cantrell’s direction. The rest of the team allowed them to have supper. I was pleased when Coach Burton announced the fastest members of the team after dinner. I beat everyone with my 4.30 second 40. David McCall was second with 4.31 seconds. Shawn Byrd came third with 4.33 seconds. Half a dozen more guys were within 0.02 seconds of Shawn’s time.
We spent half the evening in position meetings before the coaches finally gave us time off. Most of the team headed for the weight room to get some light training in before bedtime.
Tuesday brought more drills and conditioning exercises along with meetings. Kelly commiserated with me when we IMed later in the evening. Both of us were counting down the days until we were reunited.
Football and conditioning drills continued into Wednesday morning. After lunch we finally started practicing plays. I worked with Zack and the first team most of the time in the slot. Occasionally I was sent to Jay and Glenn to work at the weak side receiver spot with the second team. The ninety-minute afternoon practice was a walk through without pads. I enjoyed it anyway. It felt like we were really doing some football work. Thursday, Friday and Saturday brought more of the same – drills, walk throughs and meetings.
I went in to see Coach Burton after Friday’s practice. I nearly forgot my promise last May to try to get tickets for the Phillies’ Chase Utley to bring his nephew to one of our games in the fall. After confirming that I hadn’t done anything improper like exchanging favors for these tickets, Coach Burton agreed to arrange to get him and his nephew access to a university box for either the Illinois or Michigan State games. I sent off a letter to the Phillies second baseman that evening inviting him to be the university’s guest at one of the games.
I received e-mails from Jeremy, Ed, Hal, Jake and Drew over the weekend. Their first week had been similar to mine. Ed had excellent news from Coach Meyer. He was in the running to back up Elijah Carter, Florida’s Heisman hopeful and starting quarterback. I fired off an e-mail congratulating Ed. Jeremy’s news was good too. He was practicing with the first string at Notre Dame as the weak side linebacker.
Zack Hayes and his roommates invited some of the team for a quiet party on Saturday evening to help everyone unwind. We had some beers and munchies while we hung out and talked. Zack made sure the freshmen were invited. He wanted the new guys to feel like a part of our team.
Monday morning, we received pads, helmets and game uniforms. It was time for some hitting! I worked with the Zack Hayes and the first-string in the morning. I made some good catches when it was my turn. I split time during the afternoon practice between the first string and the second-string. Surprisingly, I had more luck catching passes against the first-string defense than the second-string. David McCall was lined up on me when I played the second-string. His speed cut down my possibilities a lot.
Tuesday afternoon was our first special teams practice. I took about a third of the punt returns. My blocking looked a little ragged, but that was to be expected. About half the members of the return team were freshmen. They would need time to get their assignments down. Christian Hunsecker and Jared Cantrell took the remainder of the punt returns in practice. They did a good job with their returns.
Tanner Riggs and David McCall split the kick returns with me. Tanner looked solid on the returns. David had trouble adjusting to the ball. I found out that Jared Gray, our new kicker, had a strong leg. He booted a couple kick-offs into the end zone. He would be a good back up for Andrew Perkins.
The first-string offense improved as the week’s practices continued. Zack perfected his timing with Hassan, Anders, Evan, Shawn and me. We could beat our first-string defense deep consistently by the end of the week. That was good for our offense but not so good for our team. The other Big Ten teams would test our defense deep too.
Saturday afternoon’s scrimmage went well for me and my friends on offense. I made six catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the three quarters I played in the game.
Our offense was nearly unstoppable. It wasn’t surprising. Except for me, everyone on offense had been playing together for at least a couple years. Zack Hayes was in complete command in the huddle. Everyone knew their responsibilities and executed them properly. All the parts of our offensive machine meshed and functioned as one.
The afternoon felt perfect. You could feel the joy at playing football that all of us shared in that huddle. The last time I had this same feeling was three years earlier when I was in eleventh grade and our team was on its way to winning the state championship. The feelings of camaraderie and trust were there just like with Ed, Drew, Greg, and my high school teammates that year before I blew out my knee.
The downside of this was that the first-string offense thrashed the first-string defense thoroughly. They were going to have to improve their game this summer if they were to do their job in the fall.
I was in a good mood when I was finishing dressing after my shower that afternoon. Ryan Reynolds, one of our grad assistants, came out and collared Anders and me.
“Coach Burton wants to meet with the two of you at 8:30 Monday morning in his office,” Ryan explained.
“What’s up?” Anders asked.
“Anything to worry about?” I added.
“You guys know as much as I do now,” Ryan replied. “I’m just the messenger.”
Anders and I talked about what the coach might want, but neither of us had any idea. Anders and I finished dressing and then headed back to Hartranft Hall. The coaches had given us the rest of Saturday night off. Some of the guys from our floor decided to go downtown for dinner.
Trevor, Tony, Damian, Chip, Jared Gray, Anders, Christian, G. J. and I headed for the Penn State Diner. Our group decided to catch a movie after dinner. There weren’t any big parties planned for the evening since we were decidedly short on females this weekend. We headed over to Zack’s apartment for a few drinks and to relax after the movie. Real Saturday evening fun would have to wait another week until the rest of the students came back to campus. Freshmen would start arriving on Wednesday and Thursday. The rest of the students came back on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday was the one day of the week we got to rest. Damian and I slept until eleven in the morning. Damian and I went for a swim after lunch then headed for the player’s lounge at the Lasch Building. We played some pool (badly); foosball (we dominated) and finally Madden Football on the XBox in the lounge. Damian and I were embarrassed by our poor showing. I simply don’t have enough time on the computer to be good at the game anymore.
----------oooOooo----------
Anders and I showed up at the reception area promptly at 8:25 on Monday morning to see Coach Burton. Coach Burton showed us into his office. Coach Schroeder and Coach Adams were already seated at Coach Burton’s couch. Coach indicated that we should have a seat.
“Thank you for coming in gentlemen,” Coach Burton said after we were seated. “I’ll get straight to the point. I called the two of you in to discuss some changes we plan to make in the lineup.” Coach paused a few seconds and observed us. Neither of us reacted. “Kyle, we are putting you in at split end on the depth chart. Anders, you will take over in the slot. Is that understood guys?”
“OK,” I replied. A shiver ran down my spine. I was going to be a starter.
“Whatever you say, Coach,” Anders said. “You tell me where to line up and I’ll do it.”
I looked over at my friend. I was surprised to see Anders smile when he answered Coach. I was pleased with my own success, but I felt sad at the same time. Anders had always helped me with anything I needed in the past year. Why did my success have to come at his expense?
Coach Burton smiled and stared at me. I glanced over at Coach Adams and Coach Schroeder who were staring at me too. What did they want? What was going on?
“Coach, can I ask a question?” I asked politely. “Why are you making this switch?”
All three coaches burst out laughing. Coach Adams held his hand out. Coach Burton and Coach Schroeder each handed him a dollar.
“What?” I asked, totally confused now.
“Ten seconds,” Coach Burton replied. I looked at him expectantly, still perplexed. “I would have sworn you would ask ‘Why?’ sooner than that. The three of us had a bet. Paul won.”
“I’m sorry I’m such a nuisance asking why all the time,” I replied.
“It’s OK, Kyle,” Coach Burton said. “You keep us on our toes. I want you out wide where we can do more things with your speed. Both of you are very good working the middle of the field. I think we’ll get some interesting match-ups this way.”
“So, I won’t be in the middle anymore?” I asked.
“No, you’ll see action there too,” Coach Burton explained. “I want our opponents in the Big Ten to look at our depth chart and assume they will always find you outside. The first three or four games will confirm that impression. When we hit the heart of our Big Ten schedule, our opponents are going to suddenly find you blazing through the middle of their defense, getting more mismatches. Does that explain what we’re planning?”
“Yes, Coach,” I replied. “Thanks for explaining it to me.”
Anders and I excused ourselves and headed for the locker room to get ready for the morning practice.
“I’m really sorry, man,” I apologized to Anders. “I never expected to take your starting spot.”
“No sweat, man,” Anders replied. “It’s always been a matter of time until they named you a starter.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“There was never any question that you’d be a starter with the talent you have,” Anders explained. “The only question was when the coaches were comfortable with your knowledge of the offense. I guess they’re comfortable now.”
“It isn’t fair,” I said. “You know the offense better than me. Hell, you helped me learn a lot of it. How’s this going to look for your future? Scouts in the NFL won’t be very impressed if you can’t make starter in four seasons.”
“My future in the NFL?” Anders said, laughing. “I’m not fast. You know that. I’m big by college standards but not by NFL standards. I weigh 198 pounds. I can push around college defensive backs, but I’ll never make it against NFL backs. I’m slow and too small for the NFL. My ‘NFL future’ is to sit in an easy chair and cheer my more talented college friends when they play on Sundays. That includes you in a few years.”
“I don’t know about that, Anders,” I protested.
“You have 4.3 speed and weigh what? 210 pounds?”
“208 pounds,” I confirmed.
“You have an NFL future,” Ander countered. “You’ve got size and speed like Moss and T.O. You have a NFL future. They’ll be all over you in three years when you’re available in the draft.”
“I’m not counting on that,” I replied. “I learned not to plan too far ahead a few years ago when I blew out my knee.”
“That’s smart, Kyle,” Anders agreed.
“The future I’m planning for in football is to coach,” I explained. “Playing is just a bonus that will help me with my future career. Anyway, I’m sorry I stole the job I think you deserve.”
“I listened to you all spring say how happy you were to play in the slot,” Anders said. “You said, ‘I’ll be on the field for over half the plays. The slot is almost the same as being a starter in our offense.’ I believe you were right. I’ll be fine with being the slot receiver.”
“I owe you for all your help,” I replied. “You helped me steal your starting spot.”
Anders stopped in the hallway and clapped me on the shoulder. “You didn’t steal my spot, you earned it, Kyle,” Anders explained. “This isn’t something you should apologize for. You should celebrate this. You’re a starter now!”
“OK,” I agreed. I still wasn’t comfortable with taking Anders’ place. Anders seemed fine with it. I promised myself to try to always remember his selfless attitude. Put your team first. That was another lesson I needed to learn from my friend.
----------oooOooo----------
Zack Hayes gave me a big smile and a thumbs-up when I got to the locker room. Obviously, Zack knew this was coming. Hassan, Evan, Shawn and J. T. and other seniors starting on our team, made a point of congratulating me that morning. My fellow sophomores all made a big deal about my promotion too. Max Rosen, Aidan Nagy and Alex Majerowicz, all juniors, made a point of ignoring me that morning. I didn’t blame them. It’s embarrassing to be passed over by a younger, less experienced player like me.
Coach Burton, true to his word, put me in at the slot almost as much as at split end in the day’s two practices. Things really didn’t feel different for me during practice.
Tuesday was Penn State Media Day. I was one of about twenty-five team members asked to be on the field after lunch. Reporters from papers and TV stations from all over Pennsylvania showed up to interview us. I did interviews with all the Harrisburg, York and Lancaster TV stations as well as both Lancaster papers, the Lebanon paper and the Philadelphia Inquirer. I had fun answering all the questions, through they did get repetitive after awhile.
Kelly reported her travel plans on Tuesday night when we IMed. She begged her dad to take off from work on Friday so she could come that day. He agreed. She would arrive around lunchtime. I was working from 8 am to noon at the Natatorium to help with freshmen swim tests and would have time to meet her after that. I had practice at 1:30 pm, so we would have little time together that afternoon. All dorm residents had house dinners and orientation that evening.
We noticed traffic pick up around campus during our Wednesday morning practice. The freshmen were arriving that day. Damian and I found our floor crowded with befuddled freshmen and their parents when we stopped by our room after morning practice and before our lunch.
It was nice to see all the pretty freshmen girls wandering around campus. More than a few of my friends checked out the talent, looking for prospects for parties this fall. I wondered if Damian would manage to find himself a nice girl like I had.
Coach Burton had the team switch to our normal afternoon practice schedule on Thursday. The freshmen on the team needed time to do the normal orientation events to get ready for classes.
I met with Dr. Henderson, my advisor, on Thursday morning. He reviewed my class schedule with me. He made a point of reminding me to concentrate on my studies this fall. He didn’t want me getting into academic trouble because I was wasting too much time on something frivolous like football. I assured him that I would do well this fall.
On Friday morning I went in and spent the morning working as a lifeguard at the outdoor pool while we did swim tests for the incoming freshmen. College swim tests are just as boring as Scout swim tests. They just take longer. It wasn’t much fun but it was going to be nice to put roughly forty dollars in my bank account.
Kelly called me as I was leaving the Natatorium. She and her dad were on the Mount Nittany Expressway now and would arrive on campus in fifteen or twenty minutes. I told her I was going back to my room and would meet her at Pollock Commons by the housing office.
We made quite a scene hugging and kissing when we met at the end of the check-in line. Bill, Sr. was correct but cool to me when he greeted me. I hung out with the O’Keefes until Kelly finished checking in and getting her room key. Kelly and I walked over to Beaver Hall while Bill moved the car closer. Housing switched Kelly and Jen down the hall a couple rooms this year. They were staying in room 313 this year. The three of us spent about forty-five minutes moving all Kelly’s things into her room.
Kelly stayed in her room to unpack when Bill and I headed downstairs to the car for the last two boxes.
When we were alone in the elevator Bill said, “My wife and I were extremely disappointed with your behavior in June, Kyle. We expected better from you.”
“May I speak honestly, sir?” I asked.
“You may,” Bill answered.
“You and your wife probably had unrealistic expectations of Kelly and me,” I said. Bill started to interrupt. I waved him off. “Please hear me out, sir. June wasn’t the first time I was intimate with your daughter, nor was I the first man she was intimate with. This is the twenty-first century. Something like 85-90% of men and women our age are sexually active. No one in my circle of friends or Kelly’s circle of friends is a virgin. No one.”
“How do I know you care about my daughter’s welfare and happiness?” Bill asked. “That you’re serious and aren’t simply using her?”
“If sex were all I wanted, Bill…” I explained. “I’ve had my share of one-night stands. If that was all I wanted, I’d be long gone by now. I love Kelly. I plan to continue seeing her… and making love to her in the future. Your daughter and I understand about the body’s cycles. We’re careful to make sure Kelly doesn’t get pregnant.” I looked Bill square in the eye. “I want you to understand something. If the worst happens and Kelly gets pregnant, nothing you say will stop me from marrying your daughter.”
I didn’t blink when I said it and neither did Bill.
“You believe this relationship with my daughter is serious?” Bill asked. “Do you intend to marry her some day?”
“We’re only nineteen,” I responded. “Kelly and I have talked about our long-term future. We hope our relationship grows and that we can talk about marriage when we finish college. The two of us are serious about that.”
“I guess that is the best you can do for assurances right now,” Bill said. “I hope the two of you make this work.”
“So do I, Bill, so do I,” I answered. Bill shook my hand before we got off the elevator. He was friendlier after we had our chat. Bill, Kelly and I grabbed some lunch at the dining hall before Bill headed back to Pittsburgh. Kelly had a meeting with her advisor after lunch and I had practice, so we kissed and promised to get together later in the evening after the dorm orientation sessions were finished.
Coach Burton kept Friday’s practice light. We prepared for the Saturday morning scrimmage and then broke into position groups to meet with our assistant coaches for half an hour. Everyone was cleaned up and back to the dorms in plenty of time for the 4:00 pm house meetings.
Anders convened our house meeting in the open area by the elevators on our floor. He greeted everyone and welcomed them to fourth floor Hartranft. He explained that we had fifty-six people living on our floor at the moment – fifty-two in rooms and four persons in the study room.
I was surprised to see Joel Peterson and Cameron Miller at our house meeting. I knew they wanted to move into the Omega Chi Epsilon frat house last spring. I gave them a wave when they spotted me across the hallway.
Anders began his welcome speech. “For those of you new to Hartranft, you are rooming with some of the football team. Eighteen freshman and sophomores, plus myself are members of the Nittany Lions squad. This includes our starting left defensive end, Trevor Conwell.” Trevor gave a small wave to the crowd to acknowledge his introduction. “Weak side linebacker, Josh Bruno lives with us.” Josh waved his acknowledgement. Our “Starting split end Kyle Martin lives with us too.” I acknowledged by nodding my head to the group. Anders started on with his speech but I interrupted him.
“Anders is being too modest,” I explained. “He’s the slot receiver on the first team and is one of the keys to making our offense go.”
“Kyle is exaggerating,” Anders responded. “Anyway, those of you new here, don’t put the football players on a pedestal. We aren’t anybody special.”
“Yeah,” Cameron called out. “They stink just as much as the rest of us in the morning before they take showers.”
“Thank you, uh…” Anders replied.
“Cameron,” my friend answered.
“Thank you, Cameron,” Anders said. “Continuing on…” Anders had everyone in the house introduce themselves, tell us where they were from and what we were majoring in. I recognized a few of the other sophomores in our group. The remainder of the group were freshmen.
The whole group headed for Pollock Commons and the dining hall when this was done. Residential Life had set up different sections of the dining hall, one for each house. Anders insisted that last year’s residents had to sit with freshmen during dinner. Damian and I joined a couple of the new guys. They introduced themselves as Reed Davis and Elliot Hawkins. They roomed down at the end of the hall in room 401.
Elliot was a stocky, sandy brown-haired guy from Ebensburg. He was majoring in aeronautical engineering. Reed was a short, thin kid from Scranton. He looked like the stereotypical geek, complete with the short hair and thick unstylish glasses. The stereotype wasn’t far off the mark. Reed was a computer science major.
Elliot peppered Damian and me with questions about football. He had lettered three years as an offensive tackle for the Central Cambria Red Raiders. Surprisingly Reed was knowledgeable about football too. He had worked on his high school’s video crew, taping practices and games for the team.
After dinner Anders talked about housing policies in the dorm, alcohol and drug abuse, hazing, sexual harassment and no means no. It took Anders about an hour to cover all the information he was required to give us. It was pretty much the same as last year’s briefing.
I gave Kelly a call when Damian and I got back to our room. Her house meeting was breaking up. I promised I’d be over in a couple minutes.
After I hung up Damian announced, “I’m going out for awhile this evening. If you and Kelly want some privacy, you’re welcome to our room. I probably won’t be back ‘til 10:30 or 11:00. I’ve got someone I need to meet.” He gave me a wink.
“Meet?” I asked. “Like Kelly and I are ‘meeting’?”
Damian just gave me a big smile and said, “I’ll be at least three hours. You two have fun,” as he went out the door.
I headed over to Beaver Hall and picked up Kelly. We scrapped our plans to go downtown and headed back to my room. Damian’s generous offer left us plenty of time that evening to celebrate our reunion. After extensive foreplay and Kelly having multiple orgasms, I let Kelly ride my rod to repeated climaxes. We still had forty-five minutes when we completed our coupling, so we went again. Kelly let me take her doggie style for a nice change of pace. The evening was a great way to start off our fall semester.
Damian came in after eleven pm. His mood was mellow. I teased, “Did your ‘meeting’ go well this evening?”
“Meeting?” Damian replied, “Yeah, my meeting was very satisfying. I got myself satisfied twice.”
“Good for you,” I replied. “Are you ever going to introduce me to your girlfriend?”
“Girlfriend? Let’s just say ‘friend with privileges,’ that’s more accurate,” Damian replied. “I’m not one to kiss and tell.”
“Whatever you call it,” I said. “It’s a hell of a good way to start the semester, isn’t it?”
“That it is roomie…” Damian agreed. “That it is.”
----------oooOooo----------
Our game day schedule was accelerated on Saturday morning, since our scrimmage started at nine am. Breakfast was at the Training Table at 7:30. Coach Burton called the first string offense and the second string defense the Blue squad for the scrimmage. We played the White squad, our second-string offense and first-string defense. Our third-string players would play as back-ups on both teams in the third and fourth quarters.
Zack and our offense lit up the scoreboard in our thirty minutes of football. We scored 31 points while we had possession of the ball. Jay and the second-string offense didn’t so as well. They managed to score 21 points on our defense. The second-string defense did a good job containing Jay, Christian, Tanner, Aidan Nagey, Wyatt and Damian. David McCall made a brilliant interception of one of Jay’s passes.
Glenn Korbel took over from Zack in the second half. Colin O’Shea quarterbacked the White squad for the third quarter. Each managed to score a touchdown while they played. Chip Brinton took over from Colin in the fourth quarter. Chip looked good leading his squad. He managed to score a touchdown and was driving for another when time ran out on the scrimmage. The final score was 38-35 with my Blue squad winning. Our guys looked ready for our next test – our game against Florida International in seven days.
Kelly waited for me so we could have lunch together after the scrimmage. The two of us went down to the bookstore after that to buy our books for the semester. I helped Kelly carry her stack of books back to her dorm. Kelly headed off to see her advisor. I dropped my books off at my room and then went to the Natatorium for the rest of the afternoon. I had promised Mr. Coleman that I would lifeguard for a few hours.
Kelly and I went out downtown for dinner to Baby’s for burgers and shakes. Cameron Miller and Joel Peterson absolutely begged Kelly and me to come to the Omega Chi’s ‘Kick Off the Semester Party’ on Saturday evening.
Cam introduced us to Cole Sellers, the new president for Omega Chi. Cole recognized our names from the Thon fundraiser last year. It seems that the final report to the frat said Kelly and I were the top two fundraisers for the frat. That’s how I found out that Aaron Morano, and Antwaan Booker increased their gifts when they redeemed their pledges. They each donated an extra $5000 to the Thon. Cole wanted to know if the football team planned to get involved in the Thon again. I promised to talk with Zack Hayes and get back to Cole.
I wish I could tell you what Kelly and I did that night. I don’t know exactly. I remember Kelly and I had some beers while we were at Omega Chi and danced some. I’m told Kelly and I ended up the night at Zack’s apartment where we had more to drink. On Sunday Anders told me that we were quite inebriated and that he helped Kelly and me get back to our dorm rooms early on Sunday morning.
Judging by the way my head felt on Sunday when I finally got out of bed, Kelly and I had consumed a large quantity of beer the previous evening (morning?).
I bumped into Anders in the bathroom when I went for my shower.
“You and Kelly had a lot to drink last night,” Anders said after greeting me.
“Yeah, I know,” I answered. “My head is killing me.”
“I’m an RA. You know I’m supposed to write up kids who come in drunk, right?” Anders asked. I nodded my head in agreement. “I’m not supposed to help you drag your sorry ass home and put you to bed.”
“You did?” I asked. I really didn’t remember that at all.
“Yeah,” Anders answered. “I had to help you and Kelly back from Zack’s apartment. Thankfully Kelly’s roommate was there to help put her to bed.”
“That’s Jen,” I confirmed.
“I don’t know where in the hell Damian was at two am, but he wasn’t around to take care of you,” Ander said. “I had to undress you and put you to bed myself. You were pushing friendship a little far last night, Kyle.”
“Sorry,” I apologized as sincerely as I could. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“See that it doesn’t happen again,” Anders replied. “No one on the team minds if you have a drink, just remember moderation is the key.” I agreed with my friend and promised again to behave myself at parties.
After I treated myself for my hangover and cleaned up, I called my sweetie. We met for a late brunch and then retired to her room to recuperate, to avoid bright lights and loud noises and to read the Sunday paper together.
I found an interesting e-mail while we were hanging out in my room later in the afternoon. I announced, “I got an e-mail from Ed Fritz.”
“What’s up with Ed?” Kelly answered.
“He’s griping about how training camp ended up,” I said. “He hoped to make QB #2. Last week he thought he had out played DeShaun. Coach Meyer put him at #3 yesterday after their scrimmage.”
“Is DeShaun the guy who transferred into Florida this summer?” Kelly asked.
“No,” I replied. “DeShaun Williamson is the senior who got us resupplied with beer during spring break. Ed is ahead of Terrence Walker, the kid who transferred in.”
“Was Ed being realistic to think he could beat a senior when he’s a red-shirt freshman?” Kelly asked.
“Jay did it here,” I replied.
“Well, that’s Jay,” Kelly countered. “Is Ed really as good a quarterback as Jay?”
“I have played with both guys,” I answered. “Ed is every bit Jay’s equal.”
“What are you going to write back to Ed?” Kelly asked.
The two of us sat down and composed our reply: “Chin up buddy. Cream always rises to the top. Keep studying and practicing. Your opportunity will come some day. You still have four years to be QB #1. Love, Kyle & Kelly”
I was feeling better by the time dinner was over, thankfully. Coach Burton wanted the starters to attend the Lion Ambassador’s ‘Be a Part from the Start’ rally at the Bryce Jordan Center. I threw on one of my game jerseys and headed over to the Jordan Center.
Zack and I got a chance to talk with Gary Stanton, the gymnast who plays the Nittany Lion while the Ambassadors taught the half full arena of freshmen Penn State lore, cheers and songs. We football players hung out when the Lion headed out to entertain the crowd. Zack Hayes, Evan Foster, Shawn O’Conner and I represented our offense. Jake Washington, Trevor Conwell, Karol Zizka and Cuch Cuchiella represented our defense. All twenty freshmen football players huddled with us while we waited for our introductions.
Coach Burton introduced us to cheers and applause from the audience. Zack, of course, got the loudest cheers from the crowd. The crowd politely applauded as the freshmen football players were introduced en masse. The atmosphere of the pep rally was electric. It was a fun way to spend the evening.
I hung out with Chip, Jared and David McCall during the dance outside after the rally was over. They seemed to have fun checking out all the freshmen girls. I got hit on by a few girls. I was polite but let them know I was unavailable.
I headed for my room and bed when the dance was over. I was psyched for the start of classes in the morning. I was looking forward to classes and to the first game, only six days away. I thought I would have a good year this year, so let it begin!
Chapter 22
I rolled over and ignored the sound of the first alarm that rang at 6:45 in the morning. Life was good. Damian had an eight o’clock Psych class Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I only had one eight o’clock class this semester – Scuba Certification on Thursdays.
Kelly and I had coordinated our schedules as much as we could. We had History 20 – American History up to 1877 at 9:05 on Mondays and Wednesdays. We met at the Pollock Dining Hall at eight o’clock for breakfast. We headed for the Wartik Labs and our first class. Kelly and I made our way through campus hand in hand, enjoying the glorious mid-70’s late summer weather.
I was surprised after we found room 110 and had seats. The professor for the class wasn’t at all what I expected. I understood most introductory level courses were taught by grad students or very junior instructors hoping to make professor and get tenure someday. The instructor, a stout, compact woman of 5’-1” and maybe 140 pounds, had short dirty blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. She began her introduction.
“I’m Dr. Katherine Brennan, professor of military history for the Pennsylvania State University. Welcome to History 20.” She paused briefly and scanned the classroom. I noticed more than a few of my fellow students were surprised by her. She smiled. “I know what you are thinking. ‘What in the hell is a full professor doing here? Who did she piss off to get stuck with you?’ I’m here by choice!” She smiled and paused to gauge our reactions.
“I teach mostly older undergrads and grad students in my courses. I always like to teach one course with younger students, such as you. You’re not jaded yet. I love to watch when the light clicks on and you get it – history. Get ready people. We are going to launch ourselves on a tour of the first couple hundred years of history in our country. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a fun ride together.”
With that, Dr. Brennan launched into the day’s lecture. Kelly and I shared a look. This professor’s warmth, humor and love of teaching history were infectious. This was going to be fun!
It was. The fifty-five minute class passed much too quickly. Kelly and I parted with a kiss. I had to head to Economics 4 in the Thomas Building. Kelly went back to her room for an hour until she had to head off to Electrical Engineering West and her philosophy class.
I hoped I would get a more dynamic instructor for economics than Dr. Noble was last semester. I knew economics was important for me to understand if I expected to teach kids social studies and history, but man, it was soooo boring last semester.
I expected my fears were coming true when the professor walked in the front of the big auditorium. He was a short bald man who looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. I initial impression seemed confirmed when the little man introduced himself as Dr. Frederick Blanchard in a high nasal voice. I groaned silently to myself. How in the hell would I stay awake for this guy?
Fifty-five minutes later I was chagrinned to find I had judged my professor much too quickly. After briefly outlining the course contents, Dr. Blanchard launched into an explanation of how economics affected nearly everything in our lives. He illustrated his examples clearly and with a touch of humor. If all his lectures were like his first one, I wouldn’t need two cups of coffee just to stay awake like I did last semester.
I relaxed at my room reading the Daily Collegian. I was upbeat when I met Kelly back at her room after her philosophy class. We grabbed lunch and then relaxed together at her room until it was time for our next classes. Kelly had golf for an hour and fifteen minutes. I had Poly Sci 3 – Intro to Comparative Politics at the Forum.
Dr. Sally Hewitt was the professor for my Poly Sci class. We would meet Mondays and Wednesdays at the Forum for our big lectures. On Fridays we met with one of her grad assistants in a small class. I was assigned to Brian Kelley’s 9:05 class at 207 Hammond. Dr. Hewitt seemed like an interesting lecturer. I shouldn’t have trouble; I was interested in the subject too.
I headed for football practice after Poly Sci. Normally Tuesday was the day the coaches went over the game plan for Saturday’s game. Since we didn’t have game videos to review, Coach Burton presented us with the game plan for our game against Florida International.
Florida International was a FBS team (old I-A) but wasn’t highly regarded. They were in the Sun Belt Conference, not one of the powerhouse conferences. Our arrangement with Florida International was simple. They came to our stadium for us to beat up on them and we paid them a half a million dollars. Our team sold out our 107,000 seat stadium, made tons of money for the athletic department and we got to fine tune our team before our real season started in a couple weeks.
I’d checked on-line on Sunday to see how FIU ranked. FIU didn’t show up in any of the rankings of the Sunbelt Conference last year for top rushers, passers or receivers. I didn’t find them in the conference rankings until I looked under scoring. One guy on their team was tied for 29th in scoring in their conference with 24 points. The other guy was tied for 33rd with 18 points. I’d outscored their top two scorers put together last season and I wasn’t top scorer on our team! They were going to have their work cut out for them.
Coach Burton praised FIU’s top running back and quarterback. He warned us we had to be careful with them. Some of the older team members joked as Coach Burton unveiled the game plan that he sounded just like Coach Paterno, praising each opponent before we beat them. He ended with a pointed reminder. A few years ago I-AA Appalachian State beat highly regarded Michigan in their season opener. Michigan never recovered their poise that season. Coach Burton preached “Never underestimate your opponent.”
I hurried to clean up after practice. I needed to be in front of the dinner line at the Training Table. I had class at six o’clock. My NAUI Scuba Certification course met on Monday evenings. I had permission from the coaches to be a few minutes late for evening meetings. My class wasn’t over until 7:20 pm. I headed up to the Natatorium after I gobbled down dinner.
I changed into my swimsuit in the locker room and headed for the indoor pool where I expected the class to be held. I didn’t find a scuba class. Denise, the receptionist at the front desk told me that my class was upstairs in one of the meeting rooms. I hurried up, arriving a couple minutes after the six pm start time.
I found the room and ducked inside. The other people in the class were seated at tables, watching our instructor. I pleased to see that Mr. Coleman, my boss, was teaching the class.
“Have a seat, Kyle,” Mr. Coleman said, pointing to an empty seat in front.
I noticed I had made another mistake. No one else in the course was dressed to swim that night. I guess I didn’t pay attention to the information on-line for the course. Fortunately, it wasn’t a big deal.
Mr. Coleman explained that we would not be in the water at all that day. We had a lot to learn about diving before we put on tanks and went in the water. Mr. Coleman went over the course schedule and then talked about the requirements to become certified as an open water diver.
We would complete all the requirements except for the open water diving test. We could arrange to do that through the university in the spring when water conditions would be warmer or we could take our partial certification home and complete it at home during the summer with another instructor.
Mr. Coleman discussed the risks and rewards of scuba, the equipment required, and physical requirements to dive safely. We would get in the water on Thursday morning. We would practice our skills snorkeling before we used air tanks for real dives. I expected that I would have no problems with the snorkeling section. I had taught Snorkeling BSA a couple times at Scout camp to help my brother.
I changed and headed for the Lasch Building when class was done. I arrived about fifteen minutes after the receivers meeting had started. I settled in and listened as Coach Adams briefed us on what to expect from Florida International d-backs on Saturday. He took time after the meeting was done to review the part I missed while I was at class. I did my daily workout and run before I headed back to my dorm room. I gave Kelly a call before bedtime to say good night and tell her that I loved her. We made plans to meet for breakfast on Tuesday.
Kelly and I met at the dining hall at 9:00 on Tuesday morning. I headed off to 207 Sackett Building for my Math 111 calculus course. I was pleased to see Dr. Gowavaram was teaching this course again. He was a good lecturer. I was also pleased to not see Bai Huo Wen, the grad assistant who “helped” me last fall with Math 110. We only had 39 students in the course, so there was no need for grad students to do individual instruction. We would meet Tuesdays and Thursdays for 50 minute sessions.
Kelly met me in front of Sackett Building when my class was over. We headed east for our next class, English 134 – American Comedy. We walked across campus using the IT building skywalk to get over Atherton Avenue in the center of town. Our classroom in the Leonhard Building was located on the east side of campus near the White Golf Course.
Our instructor was assistant professor Debra Pitts. She was a very pretty blonde-haired woman in her early thirties. Watching her teach was going to be really easy on the eyes. I was going to have to be careful not to stare too much. After all, my girlfriend would be sitting beside me in the class.
We would have a lot of reading for the class, starting with Mark Twain. We would cover all the modern comedy writers in America in the next sixteen weeks. We would also have essays and analysis papers on each of the books we read over the course of the semester. Kelly and I agreed that we should have fun together with this course.
Kelly and I headed back to Pollock Commons for lunch. Kelly had to head back across campus for Golf. I went to the Lasch Building to work out and study film of Florida International.
I stopped off at the academic center to arrange for a tutor to help me with Math 111. There wasn’t any sense waiting until I got in trouble. I passed the academic honor board on the way. I paused to look at the board. Kyle David Martin stood out prominently on the Dean’s List. I very much wanted to keep my name there where it belonged this semester. I talked with one of the assistants at the center. I asked if Kevin Lee, my tutor from last year, was available. He said he would try to get Kevin, but couldn’t guarantee it. He would have Kevin or whoever would tutor me call in a few days.
Kevin Lee called me Wednesday night. He was going to be my tutor again. We compared schedules and agreed to meet Tuesdays and Thursdays after lunch so I could work on my calculus homework while Dr. Gowavaram’s lecture was still fresh in my head.
I was reading the first book for American Comedy on Wednesday evening after Kevin Lee called when our room’s phone rang again. I answered it on the second ring.
“Hello, Is Damian there?” a female voice I didn’t recognize asked when I answered the phone.
“He’s over at the Lasch Building working out right now,” I explained. “Would you like to leave a message?”
“Tell him Mel called,” she replied. “He has my number.”
“OK, I’ll give him the message,” I replied. She thanked me and said good bye. I made a note for my roommate and set it on his desk.
Damian returned a half hour later. “You got a message while you were out,’ I said. ‘Who’s Mel?”
“Mel called? Cool!” Damian said. I gave Damian a quizzical look. “Her name’s Melanie. She’s a friend from high school.”
Raising my eyebrows, I asked, “A friend?” I remembered Damian’s going out late last Friday evening for sex. “A really good friend? You know… a friend with benefits?”
“No comment, Kyle,” Damian answered. “Billy and I are trying to set up something with Melanie and her roommate Sarah for Saturday night.”
“Did Melanie transfer here from another school?” I asked. “I don’t remember you talking about a female friend from your high school last year.”
“Mel has always been a Penn State student, “Damian explained. “She couldn’t get space here on Main Campus until this semester. She commuted to the Erie Campus last year.”
“I see,” I said. “Are you going to introduce me to her some time?”
“I’m sure you’ll meet sometime,” Damian allowed.
I went back to my reading. It was obvious that Damian wasn’t going to give me any more juicy details about Mel or her roommate.
----------oooOooo----------
Coach Burton announced a change he decided to make for our team’s preparations for home games. On Friday nights we would have dinner at the Training Table as usual and then go over to the Lasch Building for our team meeting and to do final studying of our opponent. Instead of going back to our dorm room for the night, we were going to take buses over to the Toftrees Resort Hotel a few miles from campus. Coach Burton felt we’d be able to get a better night’s sleep that way without all the distractions of staying at the dorm.
Kelly and I settled into a comfortable routine – breakfast and lunch together, history and English together and then spend a little time together in the evening after I finished with football. We didn’t get as much time together as we wanted, but it beat the time we had together in the summer.
I was psyched up and ready to get on the football field and hit somebody by the time we finished practice on Friday night. After dinner the team headed over to the Lasch Building for a team meeting before going over to Beaver Stadium. The university had a start of the season pep rally planned for the evening.
I didn’t realize how big a deal the pep rally was until our team walked over to Beaver Stadium for the rally. The university set up stands with food and games outside the stadium to entertain the crowd of students before the pep rally. The team gathered in the tunnel when the rally started. The Blue Band and the cheer leaders warmed up the crowd for us. Coach Paterno whipped the crowd up with a speech and then turned the microphone over to Coach Burton.
Coach Burton introduced the starters on the defense first. Karol Zizka and Jake Washington drew the largest cheers when they ran out through the gauntlet of cheerleaders to the center of the field. Coach introduced the offensive line next followed by our tight end, Evan Foster.
Evan drew sustained applause. His two and a half years as a starter earned him the students’ respect. Hassan Jackson ran out next. I followed him when Coach called my name. I was surprised at the cheers and applause I received. Hopefully I would live up to their expectations. Shawn O’Conner drew sustained cheers and applause when it was his turn. Zack Hayes, our captain and undisputed leader, ran out to the loudest cheers of the evening. It was his due. Our hopes for the season did rest on his broad, sturdy shoulders.
My friends and I stared around the stadium, taking in the feelings of the 20-25,000 fans cheering our success tomorrow and the remainder of the season. The Blue Band serenaded us and the crowd with another rousing march and then led us in singing the fight song before the rally ended.
We funneled back through the dressing room and back to the buses when the rally was over. Our overnight bags had been loaded earlier in the night before we went to the stadium. The buses delivered us to Toftrees for a quiet evening. We were assigned very nice double room suites. I shared my room with Damian, just like I did on the road most of last season. Damian and I went down the hall and joined Jay, Shawn, Trevor, and Tony. We played some poker and watched TV until our 11:00 pm curfew.
----------oooOooo----------
Saturday morning went just like a road game last season. Get up, get breakfast, do position meetings, spend some time for personal pre-game preparations and take the bus to the stadium to check out the field. The field was in good shape. The sky was a clear bright blue with scattered clouds. The heat of the morning warned us that this was going to be a hot game. It was seventy-seven degrees when we checked out the field at ten o’clock. The Weather Channel predicted the temperature could reach ninety in the afternoon.
We went back inside for a late morning snack and then dressed for the game. The coaches warned us to get ourselves hydrated. Each of us went through our pre-game rituals to help prepare for the coming contest. I was pleased to see Chip imitating Zack and Jay studying the playbook. Chip was going to watch the game from the stands since Coach Burton planned to redshirt him this season. My friend was taking his responsibility to prepare himself seriously.
I reviewed the game plan a bit after I dressed. I felt relaxed and confident that day. That was quite a contrast with twelve months ago. Then I was so nervous that I threw up. That reminded me of Aaron’s support to calm me down. I glanced around the locker room, checking on the freshmen.
I glanced down the row of lockers. Jared Cantrell, who some of my friends had dubbed ‘my protégé’, was engaged in an animated discussion with Bruce MacCauley of blocking assignments on kick and punt returns. Both guys looked fine.
I scanned around the locker room. David McCall was sitting along across the locker room in the d-back section, staring at the ceiling and looking kind of pale. I walked over to him.
“How’s it going Dave?” I asked cheerily as I sat down on the stool beside him.
Dave gave me a startled look as he stuttered, “Umm… OK.”
“You nervous?” I asked gently.
“Yeah,” Dave confirmed.
“You ready to throw up?” I asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Dave answered.
“Good, you’re in better shape than me a year ago,” I replied. “Last year I was in the john puking my guts out before the game.”
“Really?”
“I was,” I confirmed. “Do you know what happened when I got out on the field?”
“I watched that game on TV,” Dave answered. “You ran the kickoff in for a touchdown on the first play of the game.”
“Exactly,” I answered. “I was worrying for nothing at all.”
“Well… that’s you,” Dave countered. “Everyone knows how talented you are.”
“That wasn’t true last summer,” I explained. “I had been with the team less than a month. I knew maybe fifteen plays in the playbook. I’d never returned kicks or punts in my life. I had reason to be scared.” David nodded his understanding. “You know the blocking for special teams right?”
“Yeah, I know them,” David replied. “I’m not worried so much about the returns. I find my man on the field and hit him. I can do that.”
“Good,” I said smiling. “I wouldn’t want their gunner to take me down on a return before I got started.”
“I’ll get him, Kyle,” Dave answered. “I know I can do that. It’s basic football. I’ve been blocking and tackling guys since pee wee. I’m more worried about having to go in on passing plays. Am I ready to run with college receivers? Everybody is bigger and faster than I’m used to in high school. Can I handle this?”
“Faster? Yeah, college receivers are faster,” I confirmed. “You’re one of the fastest guys on our team.”
“Except you,” Dave countered. “You beat me all the time when I go against you in practice.”
I leaned in close and whispered to him, “Don’t tell the others I said this. I have more trouble against you and Shawn than I do the other d-backs. You make me work for every catch.”
Dave looked surprised at what I told him. “You’re a good cornerback,” I explained out loud. “Any way, the first string will play until we have a good lead. When you get on the field the d-line will be teeing off on the quarterback. If you stay with your guy for two or three seconds, you’ll be fine.”
“Do you really think so?” David asked.
“Absolutely,” I conformed. “You’re a good cornerback now. You’re going to be an excellent cornerback when you have more experience.”
Dave and I sat together for the next twenty minutes talking about cornerback and wide receiver play. I told him about the tricks I’d learned to help me get separation from a cornerback and some of the things I had done to me to stop me from catching a pass. Dave listened intently. I knew that would help him get in the proper frame of mind to play football.
Dave seemed much more relaxed when we went out for warm-ups. I was pleased that I had done my good turn for the day. It wouldn’t hurt me either. Dave would block better for me on returns if he was comfortable on the field.
I made a point of stopping by the East Halls guys who always hung a “Kyle’s Krazies” banner for me. We talked for a couple minutes. Christian and I stopped by to thank Kelly, Bev, Cindy and Jen for their “Kyle’s Krazies” and “Christian’s Crew” signs. Christian and I returned the kisses our girlfriends blew to us before we headed inside.
I saw Dad and Andy in the family section. I gave them a wave when they saw me looking their way. I headed inside with my friends to complete our final preparations. Coach Burton addressed the team and reminded us of the goals we set for ourselves this season – go undefeated and play for the BCS Championship on January 8th. We huddled for a final cheer and then headed out for introductions.
I waited patiently in the tunnel in front of most of my teammates for our introduction. Our team ran out onto the field behind Coach Burton, Zack Hayes and our other captains. I raced between the lines of band members as they played our fight song. We ran across the field to our benches as our 107,000 fans cheered wildly.
Zack, Jake, Evan and Karol took the field with Florida International’s captains for the coin toss. We won. Coach Ferguson gave me and the other kick return team players final instructions before we took the field. The other special teamers and I huddled briefly on the field while FIU got set for the kick. I called for the guys’ attention.
“Nail the guy you’re blocking everybody!” I commanded as the guys looked to me. “Make a hole for me. Let’s take this ball home!” We broke our huddle with a shout and lined up for the kick off. I drifted back to the 5 yard line. FIU’s diminutive kicker had a strong leg. He boomed the ball down the field to me. I drifted back a couple yards and settled to receive it.
I caught the ball to my chest at the 2 yard line and started forward. I scanned right and saw Dave McCall engage his man. The blocking wedge was forming in front of me as I scanned towards the center of the field. I ran to get behind them. I watched as Shawn Byrd on my left shoved his man towards the sideline and out of the play.
I continued forward, watching my blockers engage FIU’s wedge busters. Damian kicked his man out smartly. I accelerated through the crease he made for me. I dodged a couple arm tackles as desperate tacklers tried to adjust in the chaos around us. I faked one more guy as I cleared the mass of struggling players. The kicker adjusted to try to tackle me. I faked right and he stayed on me.
The guy had to be the shortest person I had ever seen on a college football field. I doubt he was as tall as Kelly’s 5’-7” height. I lowered my shoulder and bowled over him. The lucky SOB managed to grab an ankle as I trampled him. The sucker wouldn’t let go! By the time I shook loose, FIU’s pursuit hammered me from the back and put me down.
I hopped up when the two tacklers climbed off me and tossed the ball to the referee. I smiled as he placed it on our 39 yard line. It wasn’t a touchdown like last year, but it still was a good return. The crowd roared its approval as our special teams exited the field.