Chapter 49

An officer came by my cell half an hour later. "I have the right to a phone call," I asked politely. "Can I make it please?"

"Kid, it's the middle of night," the officer replied. "You can call someone in the morning."

I slept fitfully the rest of the night on the thin, uncomfortable mattress on the bunk. I woke up to the sound of someone opening the door to my cell.

"C'mon Martin, you made bail," the officer at the door said.

"Huh?' I grunted as I tried to wake up. This all had to be a bad dream. I WAS in a jail cell. Last night was VERY real. "How did I make bail? I didn't even get to make a phone call yet."

"Don't know, kid," the officer replied. "Follow me."

I followed the officer out of the jail area to another room. I found who my savior was. Anders Voight was standing beside the booking sergeant from last night.

"Anders, thank God you're here," I exclaimed. "How did you know?"

"Bev called Christian, Christian called me, I called Coach Burton," Anders explained.

"Coach knows?" I said.

Anders nodded yes. The rest of the shit just hit the fan. I knew Coach and his policies on alcohol use and conduct detrimental to the team. None of this was going to look good for our team.

Anders filled out the required paper work and paid my bail. The sergeant itemized my belongings and had me sign paperwork to acknowledge I received everything I had on me last night when I was arrested. Fifteen minutes later I was following Anders out the front door of the police station.

"Where do I get my car?" I asked.

"You get it later from the police impound," Ander answered. " ... after you pay the impound fee."

"Do you know how much it is?" I asked. "I have some money is my wallet."

"No, I have direct orders from Coach Burton to take you straight to his office," Anders answered. "You will have to get your car later."

Anders drove us down Allen Street to College Avenue and then back onto campus.

"Kyle, I thought you got this shit with drinking too much out of your system," Anders commented as he turned onto Pollock Road.

"I did," I answered. "I didn't have anything to drink last night stronger than Coke. This whole thing is bullshit."

"Really?" Anders said as he glanced over at me. "Kelly too?"

"No, Kelly was very drunk," I explained. I related the happenings to my friend (and coach) as he drove us to the Lasch Building. "I hope this works out for you, Kyle," he said when I finished my story. "It's going to be ugly for awhile – at least until the police drop the charges."

"Thanks for picking me up, Anders," I said. "I appreciate your help."

"I was there more as a football coach than a friend this morning," Anders explained. "I'm just doing my duties."

"Still, I appreciate it," I answered.

Anders pulled into the parking lot in front of our building. "Time to face the music," Anders commented as we climbed out of the car. I followed him inside and back the hallway to Coach Burton's office. Anders knocked at Coach's door and stuck his head inside. "I have Kyle out here coach," Ander said.

"Send him in."

Anders pointed towards the door and then disappeared as I started inside. Coach was behind his desk. "Have a seat, Mr. Martin," Coach said from behind his big desk. He pointed at the chair in front of his desk. Normally when we meet it is informal and both of us sit on his couch. I had a seat as directed. The 'Mr. Martin' worried me too. Coach Burton always called me Kyle or used my nickname 'Coach'.

Coach Burton stared me straight in the eye, took a deep breath and said, "Driving under the influence, disorderly conduct and underage drinking," Coach began. "You've had a busy night."

"None of it is true, Coach," I explained.

"Tell me exactly what you did last evening, starting with when you left the building with the recruits," Coach directed.

I related my evening in detail, leaving out nothing except the part about the recruits having a couple beers at the party and Matt having sex. Otherwise, I told the complete and honest truth about everything.

"You insisted on a blood test?" Coach asked. I nodded yes. "That may save your ass, Kyle."

"I hope so," I agreed.

"The blood test will confirm all of this when it is done?" Coach asked.

"Guaranteed, Coach," I said.

"Was there alcohol at the party you took the recruits too?" Coach asked.

"Some of the team members are over twenty-one Coach," I explained. "Some of the guys that are of age did have alcohol."

"You had none?" Coach asked.

"Absolutely none, Coach," I replied. "I had iced tea for dinner and Cokes after that until I took the recruits back to their hotel. After that I went straight to bed."

"This certainly is a mess you have gotten yourself into, Kyle," Coach said. I took some comfort that he was calling me by my first name again.

"What is going to happen now, Coach?" I asked.

"I have to suspend you from the team until the police and magistrate decide on charges," Coach said.

"I kind of expected that," I answered. "Will it take them long to do the blood test? Do think this can be wrapped up before next weekend's game?"

"I doubt it, Kyle," Coach answered. "I suspect it will take longer than that."

"Great," I said. "I'm sorry I let you down."

"This isn't over and you haven't let me down if you are telling me the truth," Coach said. "Meantime, while we wait for the judicial system, you cannot practice with, eat with or workout with the football team. Anders will escort you to the locker room where you may pick up any personal items from your locker. You are banned from the Lasch Building until your case is resolved and you are reinstated on the football team. Your scholarship and apartment on campus will remain for the remainder of the year if you are found guilty."

"I didn't do it Coach and I will be back," I said. "I'm not worried about my scholarship. They will find me innocent."

"I hope that is the case, Kyle," Coach said. "The athletic department will put out a press release today announcing the charges and your suspension until the charges are resolved. Be prepared, Kyle. I'm sure you will get reporters calling you. Be careful how you discuss this with them."

"I will, Coach," I promised.

Coach Burton called Anders back in using the intercom. I followed Anders towards the locker room.

"Are you suspended?" Anders asked.

"Yeah, pending resolution of the charges," I answered.

"I'm sorry, man, ' Anders said. "I hope all of this works out for you in the end."

"It will, once the blood test comes back," I said.

I gathered up my personal things from my locker, loaded them in the gym bag I kept there and followed Anders to the entrance of the building. Anders held the door open for me.

"Good luck, Kyle," Anders said as I walked.

"Thanks for bailing me out," I replied. "I'll see you around."

I felt totally alone as I walked back to my apartment. My support and lifeline in this huge university was suddenly gone. What now?

I wandered back to my apartment. It was 7:30 in the morning and the place was quiet as a morgue. Everyone was asleep. I put my things from my locker in my room and went down the street to the Mix to grab breakfast and a newspaper. As I was walking back I remembered one other detail I needed to attend to: Kelly was still in jail.

The answer to Will's question about my relationship was obvious. I would have been much better off last night without Kelly. Regardless of how our relationship went in the future, the decent thing to do would be to get her out of jail.

I called the police department and asked about Kelly when I returned to the apartment. The receptionist told me that Kelly was out on bail too. I asked about my car. I could go down Monday during regular hours and pay the towing and impound fees and get my car.

One thing I knew I would need was a lawyer. Everyone was talking about filing charges. I needed someone who knew what they were doing that was on my side. I decided I'd better call home and break the news to my parents as soon as possible. I glanced at the time. My family didn't normally leave for church for another twenty minutes. I got Dad when I called home.

"Dad, I have some bad news," I said. "I was arrested last night for driving under the influence, disorderly conduct and underage drinking."

There was a few moments pause before Dad said, "OK." There was a longer pause while he collected his thoughts.

"None of it is true, Dad," I added to the silence.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Dad finally said.

I related the entire story to Dad; answering any questions he asked when he interrupted my story. When I finished I commented, "I guess I'm going to need to find an attorney. Do you have any suggestions, Dad?"

"I could suggest a couple here in Lancaster County but I don't know any in State College," Dad replied. "I'll talk to Mr. Groff and see if he knows any one where you are." Mr. Groff was Dad's personal attorney.

"Thanks, Dad," I said.

"Can I assure your mother that you did not drink?" Dad asked.

"You can assure Mom that I did not drink one drop of alcohol last night, Dad," I promised. "The blood test will confirm it."

"Carefully worded, Kyle," Dad chuckled. "That assurance will have to do for your mother. I won't ask about any other nights other than last night."

"Thanks, Dad," I said. "I'll keep in touch and keep you up to date on what is happening up here."

I ate my breakfast sandwich while I read the newspaper. The Inquirer had a good article on our victory over Wisconsin yesterday. This time the paper correctly noted we were in control of the entire game. Our 28-24 win was not a close call. Jeff Morgan had gotten my point through to his editor.

Ed Fritz led Florida to a close victory over Georgia. His team won 14-10 in a tight defensive battle. Ed threw both touchdowns. He had no interceptions. Terrence Walker's ankle wasn't expected to be healed before next Saturday.

Jeremy North's Fighting Irish beat Navy 30-24 yesterday. Jeremy had two sacks, an interception and eight tackles. Hal Long's Rutgers lost to Connecticut 27-17. Hal was one for two on field goal tries. Drew McCormick's West Virginia Mountaineers beat the Syracuse Orangemen 38-14. Jake Kring did play in the fourth quarter in mop up duty.

All nine teams ahead of us in the BCS rankings won their games. Our team wouldn't climb in the polls this week. Michigan and Ohio State both won so we were still tied with them for the lead of the Big Ten. There were going to be a lot of Nittany Lions fans cheering for Ohio State next Saturday. If Ohio State beat Michigan we would take the Big Ten title and go to the Rose Bowl again. I harrumphed. I'd go if this mess was cleared up so I could play again.

I checked the next page of the sports section. Andy's Blue Hens beat William and Mary 28-14 yesterday. The paper reported Andy caught three passes for 81 yards and scored one of the touchdowns for his team. I had to chuckle. 81 yards on three passes was excellent. Andy must have broken a tackle and ran in for a long touchdown.

Trevor was the first person up in our apartment. It was only 8:30 when he came out of his bedroom, heading for the downstairs bathroom. He stopped short when he saw me.

"What the hell, Coach?" Trevor gasped. "What are you up so early for?"

"It's a long story, have a seat," I said.

"I desperately need to pee," Trevor said. "Give me a second."

Trevor returned a minute later and had a seat on the couch. I told my story about all the happenings last night and this morning.

"Damn, Coach, suspended?" Trevor exclaimed when I was finished. "I can't believe this is happening."

"It is," I replied.

Stephanie came out of the bedroom looking for Trevor. She saw the two of us talking and asked, "What is going on?"

"Oh man, I can't tell this story one person at a time," I complained. "This is going to kill me."

"I'll get everyone together," Trevor said. "I can see where you wouldn't want to repeat this story all day. I'll get everyone over here."

Trevor disappeared into his room for a half a minute. He came back out talking on his cell phone. "Billy, tell Damian to get his ass back here right now." Trevor bounded up the steps and then called down, 'Who's in Damian's room? Kelly's brother?"

"Marco" I replied.

"Cuchiella, get your ass out of bed. I need you downstairs now!" Trevor said as he beat on Damian's door. "Jay, let's go. Coach needs us downstairs."

Trevor called Tyler Madden, Jibril Sloan and Andrew Perkins. They would assemble key members of our team. Everyone was to gather in our apartment in thirty minutes.

Trevor, Tyler and the other team leaders assembled an amazing number of our guys for a 9:00 am meeting on a Sunday morning. Tyler, Jibril and Andrew included Chip, Tanner, Max, Christian, Damian, Elijah Berks, Greg Nowicki, Ben Walker, Trevor, Bill Daugherty, Josh Bruno, Brendan Hayden, Shawn Byrd and Salim Rogers in the meeting. Marco stayed for the meeting since he was here already.

Tyler started things off. "Coach had a problem last night guys that all of you need to know about. Fill us in, Coach."

I took about ten minutes giving a blow by blow description of what happened last night and this morning. My teammates' faces went from curious to disturbed to shocked as I continued the story. My teammates stared at me in utter shock when I explained that Coach Burton suspended me from the team until the charges were resolved.

As I finished the story Chip blurted out, "What the hell are we going to do without Coach next week? We're already missing Tyler on defense."

This started a spirited discussion as everyone threw their thoughts into the discussion. Tyler finally brought order to the discussion. "We have one hundred and twelve people on the team. Two of us will miss the game. It isn't the end of the world."

"Tyler's right," I agreed. "Brian is just as fast as me. Christian is my equal as a receiver. Max is playing excellent ball. Tanner is as good as anyone going over the middle. You won't have a problem replacing me."

The discussion continued with my teammates expressing more confidence in their ability to play without me. As the discussion continued more guys asked what was going to happen to me. I didn't have any answers. Max did.

Max explained that I would have to appear before the district magistrate. Underage drinking was a misdemeanor that resulted in a 90 day license suspension, $300 fine and up to 90 days in jail. Max reassured me that they rarely jailed first time offenders. He didn't know what the penalties were for DUI. He hadn't been caught behind the wheel last year.

I thanked everyone for their support when the questions finally died down. Most of the guys headed back to their apartments or rooms. Some of the guys, including Jay, Chip and Shawn were helping work out the recruits this morning.

Christian stayed when most of the guys left. "Things are a mess over at the girl's apartment," Christian explained. "Bev says Kelly has been crying since I got her home from the jail."

"Oh, you were the one who bailed Kelly out?" I asked. Christian nodded yes. "Thanks man. I wasn't in a position to do that myself."

"No problem," Christian replied. "I went over to get both of you but the sergeant said Anders bailed you out already when I got there. Now I get it. He was hauling you over for your meeting with Coach Burton."

"Yes," I agreed.

"What about you and Kelly?" Christian asked. "I know the two of you have been having problems for awhile. Are you going to forgive her for this fiasco?"

"I really don't know," I answered. "I haven't had time to think that through." My brother's question echoed in my head again. 'Are you better off with her or without her?' The answer to the question was painfully obvious. Could I actually give up the girl I loved? I had a lot to think about.

I thanked Christian for helping Kelly this morning. I told him that I would call Kelly eventually after I had time to think things through.

I spent the rest of the morning reading the Sunday paper. It helped get my mind off my troubles. After I finished the paper I walked down to the Mix again to get a sandwich for lunch. On the way down my cell phone rang. I looked at the screen. It said Matt Sauder was calling.

"What's up, Matt?" I asked when I answered the phone.

"Where in the hell did you get to, Coach?" Matt asked. "I thought you were to join us for breakfast and the workout."

"I was," I agreed. I took a deep breath. "You'll hear on the news soon enough. I was arrested last night for drunk driving."

"No way!" Matt responded. "Hell, I don't think you had anything to drink last night. All I ever saw in your hand was cans of Coke."

I related the night's story to my young friend. He responded, "That sucks, Coach."

I overheard his mother say, "Matthew! Language!"

"Sorry, Mom. That really stinks, Coach." Matt said. "Let me tell the other guys and parents what happened." Matt got back on the phone with me. "Dad and Mr. Mitchell want to take you out to lunch before we go home. Dave, Cody and I owe you so much for everything you do Coach. What do you say? Can we pick you up at your apartment?"

"I am heading down to Pollock Commons," I answered. "I guess friends from home would be welcome. Where are you guys at?"

"We're at the parking lot outside the Lasch Building," Mr. Sauder said. Matt had given his phone to his dad.

"Drive down Hastings Drive," I explained. "I'll meet you at the corner of Hastings and Bigler Roads."

"You got it, Kyle," Mr. Sauder said. "How long will it take you to get there?"

"About thirty seconds," I answered. "I was out walking that way anyway. I have the intersection in sight."

"We'll pick you up in a minute," Mr. Sauder said. Three cars pulled to a stop at the intersection in less than a minute. Mr. Sauder, Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Stevens huddled with me for a moment to talk about where to go to lunch. They wanted somewhere with on-site parking so I listed the options I knew. We ended up going to Damon's Grill.

The restaurant wasn't too busy on a Sunday at noontime. They found ten seats for our group within a couple minutes. The waitress handed menus to everyone.

"Order whatever you want, Kyle," Mr. Sauder said. "This meal is my treat."

"I can't," I replied. "I'm a member of the football team and ... Well, I was a member of the team ... I don't know what the rules are when you're suspended." Finally I said, "Maybe I better pay my own way so I'm safe. I don't want to be accused of accepting illegal gratuities from a fan."

"Whatever you want, Kyle," Mr. Sauder said.

"Exactly what happened after you dropped the boys off at their hotel?" Mr. Stevens.

"Bob, you are being too direct," Mrs. Stevens said. "I'm sorry for my husband, Kyle."

"No, it's all right," I replied. "The whole world will hear about this tomorrow when it hits the press." I went on to relate the whole story, pausing when the waitress stopped by to get our orders.

Dave Mitchell was first to speak when I finished telling me story. "That does stink, Coach," Dave said. "You do a good turn for Kelly and her friends and you get arrested for your trouble."

"It will work out in the end," I said. "I'm glad they took blood to test my blood alcohol content. Everything should work out eventually. I'm innocent and the test will show that." Everyone seemed relieved at my conclusion. "Enough about me. How did your workouts and meetings with Coach go?"

"Good," Dave said. "Good," Cody added.

"Unbelievably fantastic!" Matt said. "I may be a teammate of yours. Coach Burton offered me a full scholarship today."

"A full scholarship?" I asked as I stared at my young friend. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Matt replied.

"Wow, that's amazing," I commented. "That is excellent news, Matt. By the way Matt, if you accept the scholarship and come here, you won't be my teammate. I graduate before you can start college."

"Not necessarily," Matt countered. "Chip and Jay both said it would be smart if I finish high school early and start college after Christmas next year."

"Matthew, I don't know if you should plan on graduating early," Mr. Sauder cautioned.

"I think the only credits I will be short on for early graduation are credits in English," Matt countered. "I can take a double load of English next fall and graduate in December. It would give me a huge leg up on learning the offense here at Penn State."

"You'll only be seventeen when you graduate," Mrs. Sauder said. "That is so young, Matthew."

"Mom, I'll turn eighteen about a week after spring classes start," Matt said. He turned towards me. "Classes start the middle of January, right, Coach?"

"They do," I agreed.

"We don't need to decide your future over lunch, Matthew," Mr. Sauder said, closing that discussion.

I asked, "Dave, Matt – how did your talks go with Coach Burton?"

"I didn't get a scholarship offer," Dave said. "Neither did I," Cody added.

Both guys were disappointed not to be embraced the way Matt was. Coach did say they would be welcome as walk-ons on the team. I reminded them that I had gotten the same offer when I was a junior.

I questioned the boys about their workouts. Dave had run a 4.41 second 40. Cody did it in 4.45 seconds. I suggested that Dave and Cody would benefit from going out for track and field in the spring. I improved my sprint starts tremendously thanks to track.

Our food arrived. I talked about things the three kids could do to improve and prepare for college level football. I talked about my experiences when I was a freshman. The parents were particularly interested in Coach Paterno's efforts to monitor and help athletes succeed academically.

It was nice to spend time with my friends and their parents. It took my mind off my problems. This was a decidedly sympathetic audience for my problems. Mr. Stevens promised to talk with my parents when he got home and let them know I was holding up OK so far.

The checks came and everyone settled up the bills. Matt teased, "Since you're not busy Friday night, are you going to come to our playoff game?

"That's a good idea, Matt," I replied. "I would drive myself crazy sitting in my apartment alone Friday and Saturday nights while all my teammates are out at Michigan State. You may see me at the game."

"That would be excellent, Coach," Matt agreed. Dave and Cody seconded Matt's feelings.

I thanked the three families for inviting me to lunch with them and for providing a sympathetic audience for my story. I told the three kids to make sure they kicked Daniel Boone's butts on Friday night. Mr. Sauder drove me back to campus.

I had four messages on my voice mail when I got back to campus. All were requests for interviews about my legal problems. I decided I would wait until they contacted me again. I wasn't anxious to call them to talk about what happened.

Fifteen minutes later a reporter from ESPN called me. I talked with him briefly, outlining the events that happened. I explained I was helping friends who had too much to drink get home from a party. I insisted I had nothing to drink last night and that I would be cleared of the charges as soon as the blood test was completed.

I did another dozen interviews over the course of the afternoon. It definitely was a pain in the ass. I was sick of that by dinner time. Jay, Trevor and Damian headed for the Training Table at 5:45. I realized I had nothing for dinner at the apartment. I decided to head to the regular dining hall in Pollock Commons for dinner. It was weird eating with all the underclassmen. I didn't know a soul in the dining hall. I picked an empty table in the back and ate my dinner quickly.

My lonely dinner gave me time to think about the other problem I had. What future did Kelly and I have? I was so mad at her that day. In spite of six months of warnings about her drinking, her actions had put my football future into jeopardy. Could I forgive that?

I went back to my apartment after dinner, grabbed a book and my MP3 player and collapsed on the couch to read and listen to some music. Hopefully it would sooth my mind, if only temporarily.

Kelly called around 7:30 in the evening. I almost let her call go to voice mail but decided I better talk with her a little.

"What?" I barked into the phone as I answered it.

"I'm so, so, soooo sorry, Kyle," Kelly pleaded. "I really didn't think that..."

"That's right," I growled. "You didn't think! I really don't want to talk right now."

"What are we..." Kelly said before I ended the call. My phone rang again a minute later. It was Kelly again. I let my voice mail take the call. If I talked to Kelly right now I knew I'd lose my temper. If our relationship had a prayer of continuing, I didn't need to make things harder to resolve by saying the wrong thing in the heat of the moment.

Jay, Trevor and Damian returned from the team meeting at the Lasch Building around 8:30. They plopped down in the living room with me. Jay flipped on the TV to watch the Sunday night NFL game on NBC. I continued reading my book in the living room while the other guys watched TV.

I got a call from Christian around 9:00 in the evening. "Yeah, Christian, what's up?" I asked as I answered his call. I headed back to my bedroom to get a little quiet so I could hear.

"Kelly is a basket case," Christian said. "She's crying constantly. Bev, Cindy and Jen are trying to help but I think she really needs to hear from you. She is afraid she's wrecked your relationship. Please talk to her. Give her some comfort."

"I wish I could, Christian," I answered. "I'm so mad right now if I talked to her I know I would destroy whatever chance may remain of us reconciling by saying the wrong thing in the heat of the moment. Kelly is going to have to give me time and space to calm down and sort things out."

"At the least, can I tell her you aren't dumping her right now?" Christian asked.

"She made a God awful mess," I replied. "I don't know that you can tell her that. I don't know if it is possible to fix this."

"OK" Christian said slowly. "I wish there was more I could do to help her."

"Thank Bev, Cindy and Jen for comforting Kelly," I said. "Tell Kelly I still love her but I don't know if that is enough. She needs to give me time to sort out my own feelings."

"OK, I'll pass that message on," Christian said.

"Thanks for being a good friend, Christian," I said. "I'll see you later."

"See you, Kyle," he replied. "Bev and I will both be praying for you and Kelly to work this out."

"Thanks," I answered before ending the call. I didn't have a truer friend among the 50,000 people on this campus than Christian. We didn't share that many common interests other than scouting and football but he literally would do anything to help me. That is the kind of friend you want to hang onto for life.

I tossed and turned a lot Sunday night as I wrestled with my issues. What did I want from my relationship with Kelly? What was most important in my life? What did I need? And of course, 'Was I better off with Kelly or without her?' I didn't have any answers when I finally fell asleep.

I got up around eight o'clock Monday morning. I grabbed a breakfast sandwich at the Mix on the way downtown to retrieve my car. The towing fee was $85. The impound fee was $125. My good turn Sunday morning was proving to be very expensive. I parked my car in the East Parking Deck and headed back to the apartment.

I found an e-mail from Dad when I got back. He talked with his attorney and got the names of two local attorneys that might be able to help me out. The first name on the list was Michael C. Allen, Esq. I looked him up in the phone book and called. I spoke with the receptionist briefly and explained why I needed to talk with her boss. I had to wait a minute until Mr. Allen was available.

"Hello, Michael Allen, how my I help, Mr. Martin?" he asked when he answered my call. Before I could answer he added, "Are you Kyle Martin, the receiver for the Lions?"

"I am," I replied.

"I saw the article in the paper this morning," Mr. Allen said.

"Oh ... wonderful," I replied. "I didn't know it made the papers yet."

"It did," Mr. Allen responded. "DUI, underage drinking and disorderly conduct – that is quite a list of offenses you racked up. I should warn you. I don't so miracles. If you were drinking Saturday night when you got in this trouble you should just save yourself the attorney's fees and plead guilty unless there are some extenuating circumstances. It will save you and the magistrate a lot of time and trouble."

"Extenuating circumstances like I didn't drink any alcohol that night?" I said.

"None?" Mr. Allen asked.

"None at all," I replied.

"OK, how is your schedule?" Mr. Allen asked. "Can you come in and talk? How about 3:30 today?"