PodCast

I have added a podcast that a friend and I put together. We are discussing the topic of African American head coaches in college football, well actually the lack of them. It is a pretty important issue facing sports today and I think more and more attention will be brough to the idea.
Give it a listen, tell me what you think. I'd love to hear your input on the topic no matter where you stand on the issue. Debate is healthy, especially for our society and the important issues we are all facing today.

So again, check it out, fromulate your opinion, and drop your input in my comment box.

Last College Spring Practice

I had my last day of spring ball this past Thursday and it went pretty well. We made some good progress over the spring session and grew as a team. It was the best spring practice session I had been a part of at The Mount and I hope it translates into summer workouts and the season. I have alreayd begun my off season diet.

The diet includes:

Meal 1 8:30
10-12 oz meat
5 egg whites and 1 whole egg
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 grapefruit

Meal 2 11:00 - 11:30
Protein shake
¼ cup of almonds (about a handful)

Meal 3 2:00-2:30
10 ounces meat
1 cup oats
2 cups veggies
1/4th cup almonds

Meal 4 5:00
Pre workout meal:
protein shake (about 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to workout)

Meal 5 7:00
(Post Workout shake-within 20 minutes after workout)
1 cup of Brown rice

Meal 6 9:00
10 egg whites with 1 yellow
½ cup almonds
½ cup of oatmeal
2 cups green veggies

Meal 7
protein shake with 20-25 ounces of SKIM MILK
1 large sweet potato

It's fun getting to eat so much, so often. It's all healthy too so no high amounts of fat or sugar or anything else of that nature.

Step two for my off season will be weight training. I have a good friend that hooks me up with a real nice workout schedule and I tried it for the first time last year and it was phenomonal.

Step three is to get quicker and faster. I also would like to increase my balance and hand eye coordination.

These three steps will be the key my personal success next season. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Meeting With Head Coach

Had a meeting with Coach UB today. We talked about small things like the way my name will look in the program, what my height and weight will be, and how my parents name should be displayed in the program as well. Then we talked about big things like personal goals, who captains should be, and how the team will carry itself through the off season.
Coach told me he thinks I can definitely have an All-American season but I told him I would much rather win a conference championship then win a personal award. I play football with all my heart and energy so that I can help my team in our common goal of winning. I truly believe that if you give it your all, play within the given system, and put your team first, then all of the personal accolades will take care of themselves. I don't want great stats so I can look good on paper, I want great stats because that's what my team deserves. I know everyone else on my team is giving me their all so it's only right that I do that in return. It's an uncomfortable topic for me to talk about my personal goals in football because I know, through and through, that fotball is a TEAM sport. So no matter what I have planned for myself, if I don't work as a unit with my team, nothing will be accomplished.
That's enough of me babbling about my philosophy of personal achievements verse achievements of a team and my thoughts on football for now. I'm sure I'll touch on this topic again sometime soon.

Facebook Profile Picture

To your right, you'll see a picture of me wearing a white Under Armour head band, white jersey with purple trim, and a tear running down my face. Yes, I cried in 2003 after we (Elder High School) won the Division 1 Ohio High School State Championship. It was the sweetest feeling. Well worth the tears that I shed and well worth the hard work, bumps, bruises, sweat lost, and blood shed that season. We had won the state championship the previous season and it was great but there was something about the fact that we had gone back and done it again.

Elder High School had been playing high school football for over 80 years with out a high school state championship under our belt. In 2002, my junior season, we went up north and came back with our first ever state championship. In 2003, no one said we would repeat. The critics told us we had lost to much talent and too many seniors from the previous year. We didn't listen to them though, just kept our focus. Our team motto was "One game at a time." We knew that had to be our mindset all season because of all the talk of how we could or couldn't repeat as state champions. We didn't want to get caught looking ahead and lose the games that really mattered, the only one that truly matters, which is the one you are playing in at the time.

Anyways, long story short, we did it. We went back up north and kicked butt the whole way up and came home, back to back state champions. We had to make a statement to our critics that no individual player made up our team, we all played together, and that's why we were champions. Plug and chug, spill and fill, sounds simple right?

We weren't always the fastest or the strongest team on the field but we always had the most will, determination, and heart.

Still hasn't truly sunk in how big of a feat what we did as team truly was and is. I'm sure the older we get, the better the stories will get, and the better we will feel about that amazing season we had together as Panthers in 2003.

If you want to know more about that season just comment and I'll gladly answer any questions in my upcoming posts.

Week 2 of Spring Ball

Week 2 of Spring practice concluded on Wednesday night. We installed a second defensive front and went over the basic purpose of the defense. The offense was moving well and had very high intensity. As a whole, our team is finally defining itself with an identity after lacking one the past two seasons or so. We are stressing the little things, and how the little things make the biggest difference. One less false step, one less mental mistake, one less missed tackle, could mean the difference between 10-0 and 5-5. That's where we are all, as a unit, starting to gel and understand what potential we have and what it will take to reach full potential.

The coaches are pushing harder then ever and it's what I missed last year. I never want to be satisfied. I can always work harder, run faster, and move quicker then I did on the previous play.

Inch by inch....

Notice the Countdown

I decided to add the countdown timer for a couple reasons. One, it's really cool. Two, I like the constant reminder. Three, for all you who read this blog. Now, you have no excuse to not know when they first game is for this upcoming season.

To all my team mates who read my blog, you also have no excuse!

Game 1 is approaching fast and to be honest it couldn't come fast enough. Whether we are working hard or not working at all that countdown timer is still moving closer to zero. That's the cruel thing about it, it won't wait no matter what you do. It's on a mission and so are we.

Inch by Inch, return to dominance!

Great Week

Week 1 of Spring Practice is officially over. We have a new mind set and we got a lot done. Coach is running us like crazy at the end and people are still showing up to lifting. People are focused and we are cutting through all the static to get back to the fundamentals. The defense is energized, the offense is executing, and our first game will be here before you know it. Next week we have practice on Monday and Wednesday night only because of Easter. Then we will have two more weeks of practice after that.
No more excuses.

Inch by inch, return to dominance.

Way It's Supposed To Be

This past Monday we had our first practice of the Spring session. What a relief! It was great. Last year we didn't have much purpose or organization as a defense and this year is completely different.
We have four new coaches on the defensive side of the ball this year and our defensive line coach from last season is embarking on his first season as a defensive coordinator.

The new coaches include:

Coach Acito- Defensive Line
Coach Roden- Defensive Backs and Special Teams
Coach Crable- Linebackers
Coach Starkey- Defensive Backs

These guys have it together and I already can tell next season we will play with more desire and passion then most teams. I can't promise or predict that every game will be a victory but you will not see a team play harder of more together then we will.
We have a lot of work to do and it's nice to have the coaches who want to see you succeed. That's the way it's supposed to be.

Stay tuned for more updates regarding Mount St. Joseph Football.

Just heard a stat that Lebron James earned $4o million last year on and off the court. He's 24 years old, stands at 6 foot 9 inches, and weighs 260 pounds. He is a world sensation and a force to be reckoned with. He has two kids and is still with the same girlfriend he's had growing up.
I wish guys like this got more publicity for the strong character they maintain off of the court as ell as on the court. Instead we only know about his talent and how much money he makes. We know all about Dennis Rodman's off court shananigans and A-Rod's drug problems.
He's a good guy and definitely someone to look up to no matter what age, race, or gender you are.
This guy understands that basketball isn't everything even though he is everything to basketball. LeBron tells 60 Minutes in an interview, "Don't let basketball use you, you use basketball," and he refers to it as, "a vehicle to get me where I want to go." Simply amazing, this guy is at the top of the NBA and could very well be when it's all said and done, the best player to ever pick up a basketball, and still has ideas for after basketball.
We can all learn a lesson from this guy after looking further into his life, the lesson that there is no shame in believing and failing, only shame in not trying what you believe in.
This young man is gifted, and he knows it. The best of luck to him.

Last Spring Ball

Day 1 of Spring Practice is tomorrow and I'm really excited. We have alot of work to do to get ready for a championship season. With a new defensive staff and some new offensive coaches, Spring practice will give us all a chance to get to know the new playbook and to get to know each other better.
Division 3 Spring practices are unlike Division 1 and 2 Spring practice. The NCAA does not allow D3 football to have any contact during Spring sessions. The reason for this is not clear, but none the less, it is the rules. We will have plenty of time to work on form and technique, study plays, and work on pass coverages, but it would be nice to hit a little bit.
A ton of work is in store for us over the next few months before season and I think as a team we are ready to get it done. The off season lifting program went well and it set a nice tone to what has potential to be the best season yet.

Hard Work

Well, my men gave it there all. We had Antoninous on the ropes for three quarters. We were up at half and I really thought we had this one. We lost it though, to a great team that went on to wn city for the second year in a row. I wouldn't have it any other way, we fought hard all season and I'm proud of them.
It's a great feeling when your players look at you and tell you that you're the best coach they've ever had. It's the pay off that you could never achieve without hard work and dedication. The kids asked if I would coach them next year, and I would be honored to come back and coach another season with these young men.
I'll be interested to see how their game, minds, and physical stature develops over the next year. They'll be 8th graders next year and a lot of growth will go on in these next coming years.
Anyway, it's back to the drawing board for me and developing new game plans and building on the great foundation we've already started.

Do You Believe?

Tonight at 8:00 PM, the second round of the city tournament will begin. We take on St. Antoninous for the 5th time this season. They are the only team that we haven't beaten at least once this season and it's time to get a W.
Ironic thing about it is the fact that the very first team we played this season was St. Antoninous, and the outcome was ugly. They stomped us, no polite way of putting it. I had never coached these guys before, I had only met a few of them, and we only had three practices prior to our first game together. After that first game, I knew we had some work to do and I accepted the challenge.
I am proud to say that our team has done a complete 180° turn. They have come so far as individual players, as young maturing men, and as a team as a whole. Also, I have grown a lot as a coach and gotten to know these guys and their strengths. It's been such a great season, and I really am proud of my guys.
We have some unfinished business to settle tonight and I can't wait. The season may have started with St. Antoninous, but we are going to do our best to make sure it does not end with them.
Wish us luck.

First Round Victory

So in the first round of the city tournament we faced St. Jude at their house. I knew it was going to be an intense game judging by the past two times we met in the season. The first time we played them, they won by two points and it was definitely a heartbreaker for my guys. The second meeting, we won a close one. We went up on them early, and came firing in the third quarter, but St. Jude cut our lead down significantly. We pulled it out late in the fourth with a couple clutch free throws, and we got the W.

This time around St. Jude was definitely out to give us their best shot. Tournament time, our series was split over all, and the loser of this one goes home! I told my guys to play with emotion, and poise. They had to play fast, but not hurry. I stressed to them that tournament time is all about balance. You can't depend on one thing to get you through the bracket. Different games call for different strategies and you have to execute. The young men of Visitations 7th grade basketball team responded to my call. They stepped up and got into the madness that is March. We won by 22 and held the other team to an average of 3 points a quarter!

Next week we have our toughest challenge, St. Antoninous. The only team that we've played and haven't beaten at least once. It's time to win it when it counts.

Support

No succesful athlete gained that success on their own. It may not have been their parents, or their family, but someone gave them the support they needed to keep trying. I have been blessed with great family, friends, coaches, and teachers who really want to see me succeed. I've come to realize this more and more as I get older. I realize how much impact people had on me, by realizing how much impact I have on the kids I coach. People have always looked out for me and helped me get back on the path that will lead to my best success. I play on the field with a relentless will. I love the game, and I have had the coaches that have nurtured that passion I have and made me a pretty good athlete. A lot of people have a lot of talent, not all of them have the support, and it's sad that those guys or girls rarely become successful.
If you have any athletes in your life, make sure you give them support. That doesn't mean give them a ton of breaks and let them slide through life. It means give them the love they need, even if it's tough love sometimes. That makes them better at everything they do, when people are honest. It's worked with me so far.

Spring Practice

Spring practices are coming up in April. I like them for the reason that we get the whole together for the first in a while. I hate them because we can't wear equipment, and it's just a tease for the season which is months away. It's always nice to get on the field and practice, I love football. Even of that football is non-contact, which is definitely an oxy-moron.
My focus this spring ball is to be a leader on the field and to push everyone to learn more, and to get better. I firmly believe that everyday, you either get better or you get worse. You will never stay the same.
This is laso my final spring ball in college, sad to think about it like that. I have to make it one to remember. Save the best for last.

City Tournament

Our first tournament game is tomorrow night at 9 PM. I'm overwhelmed with anticipation. We've had such a fun season and I would love nothing more then to make a run with this amazing group of guys I coach. They deserve it, and I hope I can help them succeed in their goals. We started off extremely rusty, not much of a team by any means. We had turnovers, we missed free throws, we gave up easy baskets. We never gave up though, we always had heart. We kept working harder and harder and now it is starting to pay off. As I said before, we have won 7 out of our last 10 games and it's all coming together at the right time, tournament time. After seeing that Slumdog movie, I feel like everything is possible. A lot of practice, a little bit of skill, and a ton of luck, will definitely be needed to get it done. Tip off is at 9PM, Saturday night, at St. Jude. I'll let you know how we do.

Totally Off Topic

If you have been following my blog, you will have read a post titled 212°. It's about the smallest things meaning so much later on in life. I just saw the movie Slumdog Millionare. That movie epitomizes that whole philosophy. Wow, that movie was amazing. If you see a movie this year, make it that one. If you buy a movie this year, make it that one. If you decide to grab a handheld camera and shoot a home movie, try and reenact that one. Such an inspirational movie with so many turns and twists. I think this is possibly the best put together movie since Pulp Fiction, in my opinion. You may be saying to yourself, "Who cares about your opinion?". Well this is my blog and I get to share my opinion all I want! Just kidding, but serioisly, see that movie. You'll be happy you did.
Now that I've turned myblog into a movie review site, feel free to comment your own thoughts on the movie. If you have any other movies that you can suggest to me, please let me know.

Get My Weight Up!

I currently weigh 246 lbs and stand at 6'4". That's a decent weight but I'd like to play next season a little heavier. Preferably I would like to weigh 255 lbs. It's extremely hard for me to put on weight but I work at it and get it done. When I first came to college here I weighed in at a whopping 218 pounds! So there's proof that I've put in work! Anyways, although gainging weight is tough, the real trick is in gaining weight and staying fast. I have to still run and get my agilities in line which means on top of lifting and burning calories, I burn even more running. You know what that means? You guessed it, I have to eat a lot. The average man should take in about 2,000 to 2,5000 calories according to most health and nutrition professionals. When it is time to start bulking up I take in anywhere between 5,000-7-000 calories! Talk about being full. I got some work to do but I know I can get it done. I'll keep you posted.

212°

At 211° water is hot. At 212°, water is boiling! Boiling water creates steam, powerful steam. Steam has the power to run a locomotive. Hot water has a hard time powering a cup of coffee. It's amazing what one degree difference can do. One degree makes all the difference. Pilots have to do this calculation all the time to work out wind drift angles. In basic navigation training they are taught a useful shortcut which enables swift mental arithmetic to be used. It's called the 1 in 60 rule. If you steer 1° off course you will be 1 mile offtrack after 60 miles. So say you are flying from Los Angeles to New York City, those cities are about 3,000 miles a part. And the pilot gets off track by 1°, that plane will end up 50 miles off of it's destination. That tiny single degree is possibly the difference between landing in the Big Apple, and landing in the big blue Atlantic Ocean!
Anyways, the reason I am ranting on about this one tiny degree is this: The small decisions that we make everyday affect our lives greatly later on. Take the time to analyze your track, your effort, your attitude, and see if you are headed in the right direction. Are you headed towards your goal? We each have a our own path, and it's rarely a straight line. Just realize that one small break you take, or that uninportant thing you miss, could mean all the difference.

Inch by Inch

Our new team motto as a defense and as a team is, "Inch by Inch, Return to Dominance!". We are definitely starting off on the right foot. We are having great turn out in the wieght room. People are already buzzing about next season. Last season after a pretty good run of 8 wins per season or more, we went a dismal... 5-5. Now don't get me wrong, things could have been much worse. It's just that a .500 record leaves a sour, bitter, gagging, eye watering, gut wrenching ( I could go on) taste in your mouth. You want to everything you can to get it gone! You analyze where you went off track, and wonder why you ever started "expecting" to win. Wins are earned, not given. No one will give up because your team won conference three years in a row. You will get your best shot from every team and you better be ready for it. Last year, we weren't. This year, we don't care who we play, they better be ready for a fight! I'm getting to amped up right now to keep this post going... so I'll end it the way I started it. I promise, inch by inch we will return to dominance.

Tire Flips

Today for football off-season training, a bunch of us thought it would be fun to flip these 500 pound tires. We were right, it was a blast! It also was a great team building exercise. Guys were throwing this around trying to out do one another and make it look easy. I'm smelling a championship next season, just a hunch. We'll see though, the off season is an enigma. If you work out and train hard then it seems very short. If you don't work to get better, then it is a very LONG time to be doing nothing. You have to find the right balance and work to get better the entire time. September 5th will be here before we know it. Hopefully we can flip some of the opposing teams like we were flipping those tires. Be sure to come out and watch our games, it will definitely be worth it.

Last Practice?

Last night was possibly the last practice for my 7th grade basketball team that I coach. I didn't tell them that though because it's actually city tournament time and I don't want to introduce the idea that we would ever lose. We are playing team that absolutely destroyed us the first team we played them. We met up with them again later in the season after my team under went much improvement. We blew them out of the water. It was a great feeling for my kids, and they have won 7 out of their last ten games since then. We are firing on all cylinders right at the time when it counts the most, tournament time. One loss will grant us our ticket home, and allow me to give me the "Great Season" speech. I'm not ready to do that yet, I want to make a run. I'll let you know how we did.

My Legs Are Killing Me

I'm sore, plain and simple. I realized that I haven't been stretchin as much as I need to do. Yesterday I did heavy squat weight at a high number of reps followed by hang cleans and a half mile run. The half mile doesn't sound like much but I sprinted most of it and it was right after I ripped my legs apart in the weightroom.
That's not all, I also played a basketball game that very same night. I couldn't feel my legs and when I did feel them it was only pain. No pain, no gain, and with no gain, there's no success next year on the field. I'm focused and on the right track.
I want to represent my team, my family, and all those who root for Mount St. Joseph football in the best way possible. So I will continue to work hard so we can make our fans and supporters proud. Go Lions!

The Game of Inches

So I was excited for the snow on Tuesday, but the snow on Wednesday caused me to miss a day of lifting. I will make it up tomorrow though. I will just have to get in the gym two days in a row. It's hard being cooped up in the house for two days straight but I tried my best to enjoy it and make the most of it. I got to shovel some snow out of the drive way and I figured I would try and turn that into a work out of its own.
Lesson learned, shoveling snow isn't "kind of like a work out" it is a work out! Full body work out at that. Got my arms, legs, back, and my forearms all working. I got it done though and it felt good to complete something on a day when you can't really get out to do anything. Cleaned off the two cars as well. After all that shoveling of snow, chipping away of ice, and struggle with gravity to not slip and fall, I was exhausted.
Must have been upwards of 5-6 inches in some spots I shoveled. Funny though because I can always find a relationship between everyday life and football. They say football is the game of inches. So many games have been decided by one inch lost or gained here and there. A field goal that need to be just an inch left or right to miss the upright and go through for the win. Or a pass that's just an inch out of reach for that big gain, or touchdown. You have to cherish every inch of ground you gain on the field and in life, and overcome all the ones you give up or lose. So those inches of snow could have either been a set back, or an opportunity to get better. I chose to get better, even if it was just an inch better. Even if it was just a half an inch better, I did something to move forwad.
It felt good in the end when the job was done. Hardwork and dedication is always worth the outcome whether it is ice and snow, a relationship, or an off season work out. When I woke up I figured the day was shot and I looked at the snow as a reason I couldn't make progress, but I flipped it and made it an opportunity instead of a problem. Don't let things keep you from working towards your goals. Every obstacle can be overcome, we just have to stay positive.

Long Day

I'm approaching my fourth and FINAL season of college football and I'm feeling the pressure build. We had a team meeting today to talk about our goals for the off season, our goals for next season, and all the other important things on the laundry list.

I didn't catch a word of it though to be honest. I was too busy elsewhere in my mind. I mean it was hard to take in the fact that that was my last "off-season" meeting. I couldn't help to think that come this time next year, I will have officially completed my campaign as a Mount Saint Joseph Lion. The jersey with #99 will no longer belong to me. There will be no "better luck next year" for me. There will only be the reality that my football career is merely a memory. Something for the record books, maybe. Or maybe nothing more than just old grid iron tales for my kids and grandkids to listen to so that they can look at me say "yeah right" or " not again!" to. Either way it will be over.

I'm not complaining or mourning about what has yet to come, just coming to a realization. This realization is giving me time to think back on my earliest years of football and ask myself "What have I learned?" To ask myself, "What would I do now that I didn't do then?", and still have time to act on it and do those things. Here comes my last hurrah, a curtain call to what I would say has been a pretty nice college career so far. I'm motivated, inspired, and ready to go out with a bang. It's not how you start, it's how you finish, and I have no other plans than to finish strong.