I waited for the girls to finish then we all went into the clubhouse for lunch where I tried to explain what had just happened. Both of the girls were excited. The Mom's didn't understand why I had to choose why I couldn't play all the sports. I told them all that I wanted to talk to George and Dan about it and see what they said. I asked the girls to take me back to campus early so I could talk to the baseball and football coaches before practice today.
The baseball coach said if I had been a scholarship player, I would be his starter but since I was a walk on, he had to give his scholarship guys first shot. He said he still didn't understand why I had chosen college over a major league contract. I told him again that I just wanted to be sure to get an education, then if there were opportunities in sports, I might try them. He told me to go play golf unless I wanted to be scouted by the majors again.
The football coach wasn't as nice. How could I want to go play some pussy game like golf when I could play football? When I mentioned I was offered a scholarship he looked at me in a funny way then asked, "you? A walk on with me?"
"Yep" I answered.
"I didn't recruit you?" he asked stunned.
"No sir, you couldn't," I told him.
"Why not?" he asked.
"We didn't have a football team where I went to high school," I answered honestly.
"Jesus fucking Christ," he exclaimed. "You never played football before and you were a starter your freshman year? Fuck, now I'm asking myself questions. So if I didn't recruit you, how come you're tagged as an athletic scholarship?"
"The basketball coach was the one who came to see me and brought me here," I said knowing that he should have already known this.
"Damn," he exclaimed slamming his hand flat onto his desk. "You know you are one of the most natural receivers I've seen. You block well off the line and block down field. Your best position is tight end but so far you have done well every place we've put you. You're just a damn good football player. I could really use you this year. You know, when I was penciling in starters from my scholarship kids I kept putting you in. That's why the total kept coming up wrong. Well it's your call. I don't control you or your scholarship but I'll damn well give you one to keep you playing football if you want."
I told him that it was time for me to dress for practice and that I would get back to him.
That afternoon everything I did was with the first team and at tight end. I caught a ton of balls easily jumping over the defenders guarding me. The quarterback sent balls my way really high knowing I would go up to get them.
During one of my breaks while they were working on a special team's drill I noticed the baseball, basketball and golf coach sitting together watching practice.
I also noticed a big, tall, buxom babe in the stands. Sarah was back!
After practice I showered quickly and left to catch a ride out to the girls' house. They were waiting for me outside the locker room along with Sarah.
Sarah gave me a big hug and a very friendly kiss.
"I thought you were, like, engaged or something Sarah?" I said panting in shock over the kiss.
"Oh, I am but that doesn't mean I can't kiss one of my favorite guys does it?" she said smiling, not wanting to let go of me.
"I guess not. But listen, I have to get out to Delta and Trish's house. I need to talk to their dad's this evening. It's important. I'll see you at breakfast if you're there." I said this untangling myself from her and ushering the girls out.
When we got to Trish's house I asked Cecile if I could use her phone. It would be after six PM at home and hopefully Dad would be having a cup of coffee after supper while the kids were finishing up the evening chores.
I explained the whole thing to Dad who was surprised that I was playing golf. His only comment was that maybe I could talk one of the coaches into saving a scholarship for one of my brothers or sisters. He just said that I was in college to learn and that was most important. Sports were important but not what I was here for. Dad said he was looking forward to me possibly coming home for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and that money was good and they were going to be able to help me. You and I will play some golf.
That didn't help much as I still didn't have a direction. I guess I really wanted someone to just tell me what to do. Go play football. Go play golf.
That evening George and Dan gave me their full attention. We talked for over two hours then they called Terry and had him drop by. They wouldn't tell me what to do either. It was up to me. They had both played football and had been on the golf team when they had been in the same school I was in now. They felt that by playing college level they had gained some valuable experience dealing with people and experiences. They thought I was probably receiving that with basketball too though. They did say that football was good for them as they had met a couple of cheerleaders and were now married to them.
Football was fun. Almost everybody in school thought football players were big men on campus. When you did something good on the field, even the Profs were pleased. Baseball was kind of ho hum to a lot of people although it was the most fun to play. Golf was a neat game but was it something that would be good for me later? Football was tough and could leave me with bruises for a long time. Even worse, some guys had permanent injures and would not be able to play any more. Basketball was as hard on you physically and without pads. Baseball was pretty tame unless you were hit by a pitch or a line drive or stumbled over a fence or had some idiot slide into you with his spikes high. Golf could be valuable in business later. George and Dan played golf with customers all the time so it did have some business value later.
We went back to campus that night with me having a tough time making up my mind.
Breakfast was fun. All of the people who used to eat with the group were back except those who had graduated. There were even a couple of people who had graduated and were now in grad school. Adrian and Sarah were there, Misty and Cherry were happy to see me and in a surprise move by Delta, Sandy sat on one side of me while Trish sat on the other. It was exciting to have all the people I knew back together again.
After breakfast I told the girls that I was going over to see Fred Weathers, the golf coach, to talk to him. When I walked into his office, he was standing next to his receptionist desk talking with her.
"Hey Chuck, just the guy I need to see. Do you have time to visit with a few people?" he asked taking my arm and leading me out the door.
We went to a conference room on the first floor where he handed me a coke and asked for me to wait for him there for a few minutes. About five minutes later, all the coaches came into the room. They all sat at the big table and Fred led the conversation, "Chuck, all four of us want you to play for us. The only one of us that has exclusive rights to you is Jim because he recruited you and has you on scholarship. This type of thing happens every once in a while but usually it's only a conflict between two or three sports, never four. I guess we're lucky you don't play soccer."
I grinned at that, as soccer is a popular sport in Florida. Farm kids usually don't have a lot of time for it as we are needed in the fields during the time soccer is practised and played the most. I was pretty good at school but never had the opportunity to participate with our school team.
"We've all been talking about you and so far the only thing we have agreed on is that you are a good athlete. Jim says you will be a starter this year so he's not going to let you get to far away. Jack says he's talked to you about having his scholarship kids play before you but he would still like you around for a reserve and you could be a starter if you beat out the other guys. Then there is Big Al. He says he thought you were one of his scholarship kids and even used your grades and field success while he was recruiting this year. Personally you would make a great addition to our golf team. I think we are close to being the best in our division and you would put us over the top. In golf competition, one guy's contribution can mean a lot. Anyway, we want to work with each other to see if you can play for all of us. Al says he'll make sure you get time for basketball practice when the time comes and give me some of your time for my practices. Jack says he would work around your schedule with you so you could play in some games if you want. And I want you to start practicing with our group to learn some of the ways we play golf. Terry even said he would come in to help coach for a big tournament coming up. What do you think? Want to try four sports?"
I just stared; totally surprised that I was in a conference room with four University coaches who all said they wanted me to play for them. "My dad reminded me last night why I was here. I'm here to get an education. What's bad is I still don't know what I want to major in."
I stood up hoping to keep my head clear, "I really like playing football. Since I didn't know anything about football, the coaches have had to teach me more than the others I think do. Football is a lot of fun, it's a good game to work off any aggressions you have but you can get banged up pretty good." Big Al was sitting up straighter with his chest puffed out grinning.
I looked at Jack and continued, "baseball was the first sport I played and has always been my first love but I don't think I'm good enough to be a major league player. Too bad I don't hit better than I do. Baseball is just a great fun game to play." Jack was nodding his head in agreement appreciating my love of baseball with a smile.
"Basketball is where I've done really well, probably because I'm so tall, but it is a game that is fun and exciting." I said this looking right at Jim. "There is nothing like the last thirty seconds of a close basketball game. If you get a chance to make a shot or a steal, you feel like you're the best player ever. When I was recruited, I chose this school because it had a very good team and I wanted to be a part of that."
"I don't even know how I started golf other than the golf pro at a country club spent some time with me teaching me how to hold a club and how to hit a ball. I've only been playing golf for about three months and now coach Weathers wants to give me a scholarship."
Fred was looking a little sheepish.
"I'm having a hard time choosing. I'm going to play basketball, that is a certain. If you guys can work it out, I'll play for all of you. If I have to choose only two sports, I don't know what to say," as I sat back down muttering quietly, a little exhausted.
Fred took the lead again. "Here's what we've loosely worked out. Right now go to football practices. And Al can see if he has another developing receiver. Since our matches are sometimes on the same day as football games, we'll have to toss to see who you play for when a match is on a Saturday. Today it would be football, tomorrow we'll see. You can make Sunday practice with us if that isn't too much for you. Next spring we will see how this all works out for baseball."
I left those guys still not knowing how I could play for all of them. There just wasn't enough time for everything.
As I was walking back toward the cafeteria for a snack, Delta, Trish and Sandy found me and walked with me. I told them about what had happened and that I was still confused.
Delta said, "you know what? The only thing you need to do is go to school and play basketball to fulfill your scholarship. Everything else is second."
"Yeah but he's a good football player too," Trish said, "with us being cheerleaders, it's cool to have a boyfriend who is a football player."
"We can cheer at basketball games too," Delta defended.
"But it's not like football. Football is the big sport in college. Football is where guys show they are real men." Trish was trying to make her point.
"So what about golf?" Delta asked. "Our dad's play golf a lot and use the game as a business tool."
"They would have never gotten their jobs if they were not football players. Dad has told me that a ton of times. People who hire kids out of college will look at them differently if they played football. Basketball is a little like that, but baseball and golf, never," Trish continued to pound it out. "Chuck knows how to play golf now so he wouldn't be at a disadvantage in the business world."
"Play football Chuck," Sandy got into the conversation. "That way I have a big football player as a lab partner for chemistry and biology this semester."
This whole thing was getting nuts. Delta was hugging an arm trying to help me decide. Trish was waving her arms around expounding the benefits of being a football player. And even little Sandy had an opinion.
"I'm going to play football this season and see how it goes. I'm only going to be here this season and next if I go to summer school next year. There are professional football players but I don't think that they notice tight ends in small colleges. But who knows I could get drafted by a pro basketball team," I said this making up my mind.
"Yeah and you will probably be offered a lot of jobs when you graduate if you don't go to grad school," Trish was saying.
"Grad school?" I was surprised. "Who said anything about grad school."
"You know you could get a fellowship or grad staff position with your grades. Besides you would still have a year of eligibility left in sports so your scholarship would still pay for another year and summer of school," Delta now had my attention.
"You guys are talking grad school and I can't even choose a major," I said.
"Don't worry, it will come to you," Trish said. "You could always be a scientist, or engineer, or even go to medical school."
"You can go to medical school with me," Sandy said brightly. "With our grades any of them would want us."
"I can't afford medical school," I said. "My folks could barely pay bus fare to get me here. The school had to buy the bus ticket."
"You don't have to worry, with a good background, there are lots of medical schools that offer full scholarships for people like you. Just keep taking all the pre-med classes like you are now so if you decide to go, you will have the pre-requisites," Sandy answered quickly.
"Let's walk over to the golf coach's office so I can tell him I'm not going to be on his team," I said.
The four of us went to the sports complex and I had a short conversation with Mr. Weathers. He was okay with my decision but extended a long-term invitation to practice with his players any time I wanted.
I went to the football offices and talked to Al Benton, the coach. He was stoically happy. Stoic because I had to give up other sports for football. He did say that he would make sure I had plenty of time for basketball practice when the time came. He said he remembered I had split my practice time last year and that I could do it again this year.
With all of that settled, there was only about a half-hour before practice so I told the girls I would meet them at supper and left for the locker room.
Since this was my second full year at school, I was able to look at the excitement and bustle of the new fall semester differently than before. I could be more of a spectator than a confused freshman not knowing where to go, what to do or how to do it. Once again all of my classes were early in the morning through one afternoon class. The only messy class was another lab class, this time in biology. Sandy was going to be in the class with me so I would have help if I needed. The little girl was entirely too smart for her age.
The first football game was an away game that was a couple of states away, which meant Friday would be a travel day. Since I now had classes with both Sandy Trish and Delta it would be easier to get assignments and make up work. Trish and Delta hardly ever traveled to the away games as they said a lot of the cheerleaders became comfort stations for the ever-horny football players. When I heard that Misty and Cherry were going to be traveling this year I figured that knowing them the way I did, a lot of the team would find comfort.
Our quarterback was the same guy as last year and was now a senior the same as Adrian. His experience showed as his passing was almost perfect and he was a runner when given the chance. The leadership he showed on the field was going to be a boost to our season.
This first game was with a big-ten team that wanted a patsy for a pre-season practice game. Big Al had coached us hard for several weeks for us to give these guys a game. Going out onto the field of a major college football stadium is an exciting experience. It's easy to awe a country boy when you stand on a field with almost a hundred thousand fans around you. Everyone on the team was in a little shock at how many people were there.
During warm ups, whenever the other team's players were close they would say stuff like, "just let us run on by so you don't get hurt," and, "don't let us hurt you boys too bad," and, "what school is it you guys are from?" If this was supposed to scare us it didn't. If it was supposed to make us mad and screw up, it didn't. We were a pretty good team and we knew it. We just had to prove it.
We kicked off to them and controlled their run back at the twenty-five. Their first play was a long, long pass to a receiver running flat out down the field. If Keith had been day dreaming it could have been an easy score but the ball was a little short and Keith turned into the ball, intercepting it at our thirty-five while the receiver was trying to come back to the ball. Keith's momentum carried him out of bounds.
Our first play was predictable with a handoff to Adrian who gained almost six yards. The play was repeated but on the other side of center for a first down. We lined up the exact same way for the next play. Adrian was to run to the outside of me then up field. I pushed my defender to the inside and the wide out pushed his guy to the outside. Adrian was running for the outside when the ball was snapped and tossed to him just when he turned up field. He was fast enough to get almost fifteen yards before he was caught. Again we set up the same way and all the defenders came forward to stop a run. Our two wide outs had man to man coverage down field so when Stan the quarterback faked a toss to Adrian who was running outside of me again, all the defenders started toward him. Our speedy receiver made an easy reception and ran into the end zone.
Our kick off was long so there was no run back. This time they ran the ball, which our defensive coach had planned. They only got about three yards. The next play was also a running play but one of our linemen was able to catch the ankle of their back and trip him up for a loss. For a third and seven play they set up for a run but our coach had set up for a zone defense feeling that they would try to pass instead of run. They tried a double reverse. Our guys stayed where they were supposed to and watched the handoff to a receiver then the second handoff to the other receiver before they converged on the line who was trying to pull us to the inside. Two safeties hit the ball carrier stopping him at the line of scrimmage. Fourth down. I was on special teams for the punt return to block. They didn't seem like they were in a normal punt formation with the exception of the punter who was a little too far back. There were two guys in front of him for protection but neither one of the two looked like they were big enough. Adrian was on my left and I yelled at him to watch for something as I moved farther out to help cover anything on the outside. Adrian yelled at Keith who ran to the outside on his side.
Sure enough, one of the protectors received a direct snap while two of their outside guys took off down field. It would have worked if he had not thrown the ball directly at me. It was an easy catch and I immediately started up field with Adrian leading. One of the other team's linemen had an angle on me and went through Adrian and wrapped me up. First and ten on their eighteen.
We lined up with two backs and two tight ends showing run. Stan just stepped back and fired to the right side of the end zone to find his favorite receiver. Fourteen zip and only half of the first quarter used up.
When the game started, the noise was deafening but at that moment I actually heard a single cough come from someone in the stands.
The kickoff was a repeat of the last one so our foe was at their twenty. They made it all the way to the fifty before Keith blasted past the line on a safety blitz and took the quarterback off his feet. The ball flew out from the hit and one of our defensive ends picked it up and carried it all the way for a score. Twenty-one zip and still in the first quarter.
The other team was getting a little testy and came with a fierce rush during the point after with a lot of extra curricular punching and jabbing in the pile up on the line.
This next kick off was shorter and their guy started at his ten and began running straight forward. He turned to get outside and was in the process of shifting the ball from one arm to another when Keith ran by him. I couldn't figure out why he didn't tackle the guy until the runner just stopped and watched Keith put the ball down in the end zone. Holy smokes Keith had actually stolen the ball right out of the runner's hands. Twenty-eight to nothing against a 1A team and still in the first quarter by fifteen seconds.
This time the kickoff was through the end zone so we lined up and the other team ran the ball for four yards. It was finally the end of the first quarter.
The coach had us gather around. Big Al told us that the other team was still good and that they had just experienced a whole lot of bad luck and we had played the way we had been coached. He told us to just keep playing hard the way we practiced.
The second quarter was not as exciting and the other team finally scored a field goal. Our defense felt pretty good at being able to control such a superior team. The entire half time lecture was Big Al telling us to watch out as these guys were really good and that they had been unlucky so far.
When the second half started, the crowd was back in it until our middle line backer who also was our kick off return guy ran the ball all the way to their sixteen. When their defense set up, every one of them to a man looked like they were growling. Adrian must have eaten his Wheaties for breakfast as four runs later he was in the end zone. The point after was pretty rough but it was now thirty-five to three.
During the fourth quarter I finally got a touch. They called for a slant off a play action and I was able to get twelve yards and a first down. The other team finally mounted a drive that took almost the rest of the fourth quarter but they did score. We had one last possession but it was all Adrian and all runs. It was a big win for us at thirty-five to ten.
We were all jubilant. A big win against a nationally ranked team and no injuries.
The buses were pretty rowdy on the way home. I heard later that Misty, Cherry and the other cheerleaders that had traveled were very entertaining. We traveled all night to get back to school in the morning about nine.
Back on campus, the team was greeted with great fanfare. You would have thought we won a bowl game the way everyone carried on. Delta and Trish were dressed in their uniforms along with the other cheerleaders that didn't travel. They were jumping and yelling waving their pom-poms.
When all the excitement died down everyone of the travelers headed for the cafeteria. The girls had already eaten but stayed with me while I ate. I went back to the dorm to shower and change for church. After church all the group including Sandy with Keith and Sarah with Adrian and Mandy went to the student union for coffee, donuts and newspapers. The newspapers had a big splash about the game but the big city newspaper from farther away was lamenting that the nationally ranked team was very unlucky and most of the team must have had the flu. Not a word as to how well we played. At least our local paper gave us the accolades we deserved.
After our relaxation we agreed to get our materials and head to the library to study. I had Friday's work to make up. We lasted till five then packed up to go to Delta's for supper. We could have brought a dozen or so friends with us but we only brought Sandy and Keith along. Sunday was an early night as I was beat from the travel. The girls said they wanted an early night too.