Chapter 6

Saturday, October 30, 2032 – Beaver Stadium, State College, PA

The Hayden family met the Martins at the G. O. Carlson Airport outside Coatesville for the quick flight up to State College Saturday morning. Brendan and Becca’s two kids, BJ (Brendan Junior) and Mary, joined their parents and the Martin clan for the flight to the mid-state. BJ was a seventh grader who would turn thirteen in a few weeks. His little sister Mary was in fourth grade.

A university van picked up the two families around 10:30 that morning and conveyed them to their hotel for the weekend. They dropped off their luggage, but did not check into rooms yet. They whole group climbed back in the van and headed back to the Lasch Building to meet the other 2012 team members attending this reunion. An admin from the athletic department led the Martins and Haydens back to the team auditorium.

The room was crowded with 2012 team members, spouses and kids. Kyle scanned the room, recognizing nearly all of his former teammates. A few he thought he recognized but was not certain. He had not seen some of these guys since graduation. And oh my, what a gang of kids! There must have been close to three dozen among the crowd. The kids varied in age from Jessie, who at sixteen, looked to be one of the oldest down to a couple who were barely more than toddlers.

Trevor Conwell and Damian Thompson-Robinson were down in front, apparently trying greet everyone. Damian saw Kyle and waved for him to come down to the front.

“Honey, why don’t you and the kids have a seat and get comfortable,” Kyle suggested. “I’ll go see what the plan is for the morning.”

“It’s about time you showed up, Captain,” Damian said as he held out his hand for a handshake. “It’s time to get to work.”

Kyle brushed his hand away and gave his former roommate a hug. “We don’t get together nearly enough, buddy.” Trevor came over. “Trev, good to see you again.”

Kyle and Trevor exchanged hugs too. “What’s the plan for the day?” Kyle asked.

“We hang out here for maybe half an hour or so,” Trevor replied. “We can socialize and catchup with each other. Someone from the AD [athletic department] will come by and take us over to the Training Table at Pollock Commons for an early lunch with the team and the recruits.”

“Yeah, the recruits...” Damian chuckled. “Penn State versus Ohio State ... any kid dreaming of playing in college is here this weekend to catch this game. It isn’t like when we were recruited or were helping with the recruits. The team is hosting fifty-some recruits this weekend.”

“Yeah, the team is asking that we old-timers step up and help with recruiting,” Trevor added. “Family members will have lunch together. They are asking us old-timers to spread out around the cafeteria and ‘host’ a table with a couple current team members and bunch of the recruits. The goal is to sell our school to the kids.”

“I understand,” Kyle laughed. “Bob [Burton] has always been good at using every tool at his disposal to build up this program.”

Kyle, Damian and Trevor circulated through the auditorium, greeting old teammates and meeting the wives and kids. Eighteen of the 2012 team made it back for this 20th anniversary celebration. Seventeen spouses were there along with forty-two kids. Bruce “Squirrel” MacCauley came with his two kids, but no moms. He was twice divorced. Joe and Shannon Ricci took the prize for most kids. Joe and Shannon had seven kids, aged thirteen to three. There was no question about Joe’s religion nor his stance on birth control. He had a good, old fashioned Catholic family.

The athletic department assistant showed up about half an hour later. He led the throng of ex-players, spouses and kids down to Pollock Commons for lunch. The ex-players were doled out to tables to sit with recruits. The rest of the families sat together so they could continue to converse.

Danny managed to get designated as a “recruit” for the afternoon and joined his dad at a table with six other recruits. Kyle asked the group at the table to introduce themselves while they waited for their turn to go through the buffet line in the football team’s cafeteria.

“I’m Kyle Martin,” Kyle explained to start things off. “I live in Landenberg, PA and have a BA in Secondary Education from The Pennsylvania State University, Class of 2013. I am currently head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles football team.” That drew smiles from the group, who all knew exactly who they were privileged to sit with. “Next...” Kyle nodded to the young man to his right.

“Carlos Monteiro, a sophomore from Bethel Park High School, Bethel Park, PA,” the Hispanic youth said. “I play defensive back.”

“Yasin Whitlock,” the slim black recruit said when it was his turn. “I’m seventeen and play cornerback for Anacostia High School, in Maryland.”

“Kyle Dawkins, seventeen, wide receiver,” the tall, white kid said. “Patuxent, MD.”

“Emanuel Reynolds, a sophomore at Bishop McDevitt,” the black kid explained. “I play linebacker.” That was no surprise to anyone at the table. The young man went about 6’-2” and 210 pounds.

“Braden Mitchell, senior and quarterback at Archbishop Moeller High School, Cincinnati, OH,” the young man stated. He was nearly as tall as Kyle and looked to be close to Kyle’s 201 pounds.

“Nick Brown,” the tall, heavy set black teen said when it was his turn. “I am sixteen and play defensive end for Perryville High School in Perryville, MD.” The young man was as tall as Kyle and had to be close to three hundred pounds. Moving him off the line of scrimmage had to be a challenge for a high school offensive lineman.

“We’re practically neighbors,” Kyle commented. “Your home is probably not much more than twelve or fifteen miles from my home. Next?” Kyle commented as he looked to his left at his son Danny.

“Daniel Martin, quarterback for the Avon Grove Red Devils in West Grove, PA,” Danny said. “I guess it is obvious who my dad is.”

Just as the introductions were finished a cafeteria aide indicated their table could join the line to the buffet. The group trudged up and joined the line. The training table food looked better than Kyle remembered from when he was a student here.

The group filtered back to their table once they had their food. Everyone made trips to get drinks before settling in to eat. The table was quiet for a bit until the group overcame their shyness around someone as famous as Kyle. Eventually the recruits began to talk.

“Coach Martin, can you tell us about how NIL works?” Kyle Dawkins asked. Kyle was a senior from Patuxent, MD. The young wide receiver was named for his dad’s favorite NFL player, Kyle Martin.

“Yeah, I am curious about that too,” Braden Mitchell added. “I heard you can get NIL money while you are still in high school. Is that true?” Braden was a senior who played quarterback at Archbishop Moeller, a powerhouse football team in Ohio.

Kyle started to answer but Danny interjected, “Yeah, it is possible, I got an offer to do a commercial a few months ago.”

“I’m the wrong guy to ask about Name, Images and Licensing,” Kyle replied. “I am from a different era of college football. We were forbidden from taking anything of value. I got called into Coach Burton’s office once for going to lunch with a former teammate and he picked up the tab for our lunch. That question is better addressed to your recruiter. He would be more up to date on NIL.”

“But your son says he got an offer,” Braden said. “Why can’t I take advantage of what’s available?”

“Maybe you can,” Kyle responded. “The offer Danny referred to was for both him and me. I suspect the offer was as much for me and our last name than it was for Danny on his own. Understand, NIL is something to help you out, but don’t count on it to make your fortune. You are here to get an education, period. Football can be a tool to facilitate that, but just a tool.”

Kyle looked around the table at the seven potential recruits. He could see the confusion and surprise at his announcement. “Anybody know how many varsity high school football players there are in the country?”

Emanuel Richards, a junior who played linebacker at Bishop McDevitt, outside Harrisburg, answered first. “I don’t know the exact number but it is a lot.

“There are roughly one million varsity high school football players in our country,” Kyle said. “You already know most of your teammates did not get an invitation to visit Penn State like you seven. They have zero chance of getting to play here. Am I right?” Every nodded in agreement.

“There are around 100,000 college football players at any level,” Kyle continued. “How many of you have dreams of playing in the NFL?” He wasn’t surprised when every hand went up, including his son Danny.

“After four or five years in college, that 100,000 gets whittled down further,” Kyle stated. “There are 1,696 active spots on NFL rosters. Many of those slots are held by players like me, who stayed for five or ten years. Each year roughly 250 players are drafted by NFL teams. Probably an equal number of seniors graduating from college make it onto a ninety-man roster for training camp. That is 500 college players out of 100,000, one in four hundred. Most of those rookies will be cut at the end of training camp.”

“That may be true in general, Coach Martin,” Braden said. “You aren’t considering who you are talking to. All of us here got invited to visit Penn State. We aren’t your average guys playing in high school.”

“Granted, Braden,” Kyle acknowledged. “You’re sitting here at a table at Penn State on a sanctioned visit. Your chances of making the jump from high school to college probably are higher than many students. Still, if you make it to college level and excel, your odds of moving on to the NFL are slim. If by some miracle, you make it there, the average NFL career lasts two or three years. You’re done playing football and you’re what? Twenty-five? What do you do with the rest of your life over the next fifty to seventy years?”

Kyle’s question was met with silence. “This is why education is the key. Prepare yourself for life after football.” Kyle chuckled. “I may not be the greatest example, but I was ready when I finished playing. Now, my chosen career path was to coach football, so I am still around the game, but I was prepared in case coaching did not work out. I have a bachelors in education, a masters in business management and a doctorate in history. I do not need football to live a fulfilling life.”

Nick Brown, a huge African-American sixteen-year-old from Perryville, MD interrupted Kyle’s talk. “Coach Martin, aren’t you supposed to be convincing us why we should come play at Penn State? You haven’t said one word about football, just told us our dreams aren’t possible.” Nick was as tall as Kyle and probably weighed nearly 300 pounds. Needless to say, he was a lineman, playing mostly defense for his high school.

“I am talking about education and the long odds of you getting into the NFL for a reason,” Kyle replied. “I am proud of the education I received here at Penn State. My academic credentials stood up wherever I have gone. My Masters is from the University of Pennsylvania, a prestigious Ivy League school. I was fully prepared for their rigor and no one looked down on my education at a ‘state school.’ If you come to Penn State, you can receive a world-class education at a top university. That is the most important reason to choose this university.”

“And the football?” Danny prompted.

“And the football?” Kyle laughed. He appreciated the assist from his son. “Penn State has one of the premier college football powers in our country. Coach Burton has helped or led the Nittany Lions to five national championships in twenty-five years. We have top-notch facilities to prepare you for your games. The coaching here is exceptional. If your dream is to play in the NFL, here is the place to be. They can develop your talent and physical capabilities to their fullest. Where can you do better than Penn State, both academically and in football? Nowhere. That’s my pitch, guys. Questions?”

“I saw the Martin Academic Center at the Lasch Building last year when I did an unofficial visit,” Yasin Whitlock asked. He was a senior from Anacostia, MD who played defensive back. “You’re the Martin in that?”

“My wife and I, thorough our foundation, did contribute to upgrade the academic center half a dozen years ago,” Kyle acknowledged. “An emphasis on academics has been important at Penn State, going back decades, back at least to when Coach Paterno became head coach back in the 1960s. We Penn Staters are very proud of our record of academic excellence over the years.”

“My cousins Noah and Connor graduated from here two years ago,” Danny added. “They told me how the freshmen are all expected to show up every day at the academic center to do their homework and to get tutoring, if it is needed.”

“It wasn’t quite that formal when I was here twenty-some years ago but the academic center was available if you needed help,” Kyle added. “Pardon my French, but it saved my ass in calculus freshman year. Take full advantage of the help the university offers while you are here.” Kyle paused for a moment. “That’s probably enough of the old guy preaching. Remember, your physical skills and football knowledge gives you an opportunity here at Penn State. This university can give you the keys to a great life, however far your football skills take you. You guys probably have some football questions to ask.”

The seven recruits around the table did. Kyle spent the remainder of the lunch answering their questions and telling some stories about playing at Penn State. A couple times their questions veered towards getting girls, which Kyle did not answer. The most they could coax from him was an admission that being a football player did not hurt when you were seeking companionship.

Athletic department handler gathered up all the recruits after lunch. Danny asked, “Hey Dad, can I hang with the recruits until the game? I’d like to get to know them better. They may be my teammates someday.”

“Sure, why not?” Kyle responded. “How much trouble can you get into under the care of the team’s recruiters?” Kyle smiled slyly. “No, I do not want to know what kind of trouble you could get into. Catch up to our family after the game. We have a reunion dinner with my old teammates and families after the game. You WILL attend that dinner. No college parties for you tonight, if you hoped for that.”

“I know, Dad,” Danny agreed quickly. “This weekend is about you and your team, not about me. I’ll catchup with you after the game.”

The recruits’ handlers did not blink at Danny joining their group. They knew Danny’s status as someone who had accepted a scholarship offer. Another reunion kid joined the recruits too. Danny spotted Alex Conwell joining the crowd heading back to the Lasch Building.