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2:44 PM Mon, Jun 02, 2008 | Permalink
Kevin Burnett http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips
My shoulder pads are on, I'm taped up, I got my socks right, my prays have been heard. Now it's time to play football. With 1:25 to go about half of the team is left in the locker room. Now that we are all dressed we gather around for a players only prayer lead by Greg Ellis "AMEN".
"5 minutes on the last group" are the golden words. This is when our captain Bradie James gives us last instructions before we hit the field. We get an " L-BEEZ" breakdown slide our helmets on and we are out the door headed toward the field. As we reach the turf we begin to jog out onto the field through all the groups that went out before us slapping hands as we reach the other end of the field. While all this takes place my heart is pounding and I'm sweating like no other. I really have no thoughts all I can hear is myself breathing, now that I think about it, it's kind of scary.
Returning to our end of the field is always a blur. When we get down to the other end I jump in line with the offense and go catch a pass during pat and go (playing catch with the qbs). Once I catch my pass, I head toward the tunnel where the lineman will be out any second. When the lineman come out we gather as a team get words from our captain or who every feels like talking get a breakdown then go stretch. I'm always next to Nate Jones (what am I going to do this year), it was our thing for the 3 years we played together. We shook hands and hugged right before we stretched and after that very few words were said. Done stretching now! Head toward your designated area with your position coach(s) for some individual drills. My favorite part of warming up is the angle tackle, this is probably your only chance in life to make a perfect textbook tackle.
Once our headaches fade it's time for 7 on 7. So now at this point you guys are going APE and we're trying not to burn out to early (expend too much energy). We come together with about 35 minutes left before the game and have a few plays of full team work. This is the only real live work you get before the game. The clock hits 27 minutes and the punt teams gets together to cover one last punt just for timing purposes. We cover the punt as a group and head into the locker room to cool down and prepare for contact.
We march up the ramp as a group giving each other last minutes tips and reminders. Once to the top it's probably the slowest 15 minutes of your life. At this time I go take a quick wiz and I'm ready to play. Players, trainers, and managers are all making last second adjustment and getting things they need. With 2 minutes left the coaches come out and we all take place in the Lord's/ Disciple's Prayer (No history lesson today) "AMEN". Wade say his last hoorah and we take almost in a dead sprint toward the door. It's only a selected few who like to be in the front I'm one of those guys.
We get to the Bottom and my mind resets. I forget everything I had been thinking about and all I say to myself is WOW and I get chill bumps. By this time the media director is pointing to us telling us to run out of the tunnel. We all kind of look around and head toward the light. Now that we're all out the tunnel and the offense or defense has been introduced. We take off toward the sideline and some of us (myself included) run down toward the visitors end of the field and show some love.
I line up on the goal line and like the dragsters warm up their tires one last time before the race, I get a 10-15 yard full speed run in toward our bench then kind of walk toward the 50 yard line for the National Anthem. I lip sing the words and I really start t get into the game at this point swaying back and forth slightly. "HOME OF THE BRAVE" sets the team in motion and all I can hope for is to kickoff first.
If we win the toss the kickoff team is huddled up on the sideline and that's when KD (Keith Davis) looks everyone in the eye and asked if we're ready. We get a break and run on the field. The music starts going and the whistle blows which starts us down the field toward the opposing end zone next thing you know your chasing a kicked football.
Bathroom Break
Yes we do take a wiz on the side lines. We pee in emptied out Gatorade bottles, while we are wrapped by managers equipped with rain coats. Makes you think twice about drinking a yellow Gatorade.
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Kevin Burnett http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips
My shoulder pads are on, I'm taped up, I got my socks right, my prays have been heard. Now it's time to play football. With 1:25 to go about half of the team is left in the locker room. Now that we are all dressed we gather around for a players only prayer lead by Greg Ellis "AMEN".
"5 minutes on the last group" are the golden words. This is when our captain Bradie James gives us last instructions before we hit the field. We get an " L-BEEZ" breakdown slide our helmets on and we are out the door headed toward the field. As we reach the turf we begin to jog out onto the field through all the groups that went out before us slapping hands as we reach the other end of the field. While all this takes place my heart is pounding and I'm sweating like no other. I really have no thoughts all I can hear is myself breathing, now that I think about it, it's kind of scary.
Returning to our end of the field is always a blur. When we get down to the other end I jump in line with the offense and go catch a pass during pat and go (playing catch with the qbs). Once I catch my pass, I head toward the tunnel where the lineman will be out any second. When the lineman come out we gather as a team get words from our captain or who every feels like talking get a breakdown then go stretch. I'm always next to Nate Jones (what am I going to do this year), it was our thing for the 3 years we played together. We shook hands and hugged right before we stretched and after that very few words were said. Done stretching now! Head toward your designated area with your position coach(s) for some individual drills. My favorite part of warming up is the angle tackle, this is probably your only chance in life to make a perfect textbook tackle.
Once our headaches fade it's time for 7 on 7. So now at this point you guys are going APE and we're trying not to burn out to early (expend too much energy). We come together with about 35 minutes left before the game and have a few plays of full team work. This is the only real live work you get before the game. The clock hits 27 minutes and the punt teams gets together to cover one last punt just for timing purposes. We cover the punt as a group and head into the locker room to cool down and prepare for contact.
We march up the ramp as a group giving each other last minutes tips and reminders. Once to the top it's probably the slowest 15 minutes of your life. At this time I go take a quick wiz and I'm ready to play. Players, trainers, and managers are all making last second adjustment and getting things they need. With 2 minutes left the coaches come out and we all take place in the Lord's/ Disciple's Prayer (No history lesson today) "AMEN". Wade say his last hoorah and we take almost in a dead sprint toward the door. It's only a selected few who like to be in the front I'm one of those guys.
We get to the Bottom and my mind resets. I forget everything I had been thinking about and all I say to myself is WOW and I get chill bumps. By this time the media director is pointing to us telling us to run out of the tunnel. We all kind of look around and head toward the light. Now that we're all out the tunnel and the offense or defense has been introduced. We take off toward the sideline and some of us (myself included) run down toward the visitors end of the field and show some love.
I line up on the goal line and like the dragsters warm up their tires one last time before the race, I get a 10-15 yard full speed run in toward our bench then kind of walk toward the 50 yard line for the National Anthem. I lip sing the words and I really start t get into the game at this point swaying back and forth slightly. "HOME OF THE BRAVE" sets the team in motion and all I can hope for is to kickoff first.
If we win the toss the kickoff team is huddled up on the sideline and that's when KD (Keith Davis) looks everyone in the eye and asked if we're ready. We get a break and run on the field. The music starts going and the whistle blows which starts us down the field toward the opposing end zone next thing you know your chasing a kicked football.
Bathroom Break
Yes we do take a wiz on the side lines. We pee in emptied out Gatorade bottles, while we are wrapped by managers equipped with rain coats. Makes you think twice about drinking a yellow Gatorade.
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