This past Saturday was another good win for our program. It kept us on track for what we want to do. We played a good team in Western New England College, and they came in fired up, looking to get a little revenge for some previous meetings between the two schools. Three years ago it took a 60 yard touchdown pass with 2 minutes left to beat them, and then a year later I kicked a 52 yard field goal as time expired to beat them. Saturday was a well played game on both sides, but in the end our line just played a little harder and the running backs got the job done.

Saturday was also the first time in my 4 years that I attempted a pass, and it turned out to be a 19 yard touchdown; the first since the high school days and the first touchdown pass of my college career. It was definitely fun to get out there and feel like a quarterback again…even if it was just for 1 play.

This week for the first time we are going on the road. We get to wake up early and board a bus, to travel across the state and face a very good divisional opponent in Westfield State. Before we won the division last year, Westfield was the three time defending divisional champs, and their turf is always tough to get a win on.

It has been a tough last two weeks for me. I strained my quad and I have been trying to get as healthy as I can for the run through the divisional games. We have a good training staff so they are doing everything they can to make sure I stay on the field.

Other than that the internship is going well and I am learning a lot. I go out every day with the detectives to see what they do and some of the stuff they have to deal with. I also am in charge of entering all domestic violence cases into the computer.

It’s always fun to go on the road for a game. You get to hop on a bus for a couple of hours and often the funniest times in a season happen on a bus or in a hotel. But the comforts and routine of a home game can never be replaced. Our day starts 5 hours before kickoff with an optional chapel service from our chaplan H.D. We have 45 minutes for breakfast which is usually fifteen of eating and thirty of watching the early college game. While most of the team is reviewing special teams notes, a handful of offensive linemen hang out in the computer lab, often trying to see who can find the most ridiculous picture or story online. That has been a tradition for the last couple years and probably will continue for a long time.

The whole team then meets for five or ten minutes in a large lecture hall to revisit keys for the week before the offense and defense meet separately. Both sides clarify any questions or changes made throughout the week. After this we’re on our own for usually ninety minutes until we have position meetings on the field. Most guys like to throw a ball around, kick field goals, or field and kick punts to loosen up physically and mentally. By the time meetings are over, the juices get going and you know its game day.

Home games are also great because you’ll often see a handful of guys you used to play with who show up two hours before kickoff. Its an opportunity to revisit old memories and catch up on new developments. You get to see your loyal and crazy fans like Jenna Brister dressed up in claw slippers, red tights, a purple cape and face paint. Home games are an opportunity for them to plan their entire day around the game, starting with red and purple cat paw pancakes for breakfast and finishing with a celebratory dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s.

For the first time since I’ve been here, the game of the week to watch isn’t the one on Saturday. It’s tonight where the alumni team whose roster reads like an all-american ballot will take on our JV team. This could quite possibly be the game of the year, as some will put on a Linfield pads and jersey for the first time in nearly 20 years. Guys who never thought they would play another game will get what most former college athletes only dream of: one more game.

The Wildcats were fired up for our first game against Western Oregon over the weekend. You can only practice against your own team for so long before you start to go crazy. Especially going against our defense which seems to run every blitz known to football and a few others that aren’t. So finally getting to step onto the field against a different color jersey was a great relief, made all the sweeter by the margin of victory. WOU answered on their first drive to knot things up at 7, mostly riding their monster tight end. Our defense made their necessary adjusments and from then on, it was all ‘cats. The offense scored on all but 2 of our possessions; punting once and turning the ball over on downs at the end of the game.

The defense came up big with 5 turnovers, two inside the 3 yard line while WOU was threatening. The first was a pic by DE Brandon Tom at the 1 and the second a fumble recovery by DE Jeff Denney at the 3. And the reward for building a large lead is the opportunity to watch younger guys play. Many were able to play almost all of the 4th quarter and moved the ball pretty well.

This week we have Wisconsin Stevens Point which should prove a much more formidable challenge. Last year they played us tough the whole way, leading for 3 quarters. We started working hard from the start of the week, including our typical monday recovery day so we’ll be in top form come saturday.

The team has been presented with an awesome opportunity for next spring. We have been contacted to possibly play in Vienna Austria after the school year as part of their professional league’s preseason. It would be a 9 day trip, 5 spent travelling to different cities in Austria. Around 80 guys expressed serious interest and we’ll begin fund raising soon.

Speaking of fundraising, many different groups around the country have been collecting and donating money for the gulf states and Linfield is no exception. We asked all the guys to donate whatever they felt appropriate which resulted in approximately $550. Not bad for an impromptu effort. Other groups on campus are doing their own events including an on-campus concert Wednesday night.

It is often in times of great hardship and tragedy that people’s true characters are revealed. Many people are great people when everything is going right. It is when life gets hard that you find out who is truly strong. Which is another reason why I believe football and athletics in general to be extremely valuable. You learn how to handle challenges and adversity. Everyone will face hardships in life, but it is how they respond that will determine their success.