Chapter 70

I woke up Sunday morning to the tantalizing smell of bacon and cinnamon. I pulled on my robe and stumbled out to the kitchen. I found Damian hard at work, assisted by Billy Robinson. Billy explained that the culinary bug bit his lover earlier that morning. He was preparing stuffed French toast, bacon, fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh fruit cup.

Trevor and Stephanie were relaxing at our table, waiting for Damian to complete the preparations for the meal. Chip and Amanda came downstairs to join us. We sat down together to enjoy our repast. Our resident gourmand had outdone himself.

The slices of French toast were stuffed with cream cheese mixed with diced banana and chocolate chips. He infused the maple syrup with cinnamon. The result was delicious. We devoured every bit of Damian's breakfast. We thanked him for his efforts.

I showered when the couples headed off for various afternoon pursuits. I went down to the Mix and picked up a copy of the Philadelphia Inquirer and settled in for my usual Sunday afternoon of reading.

#2 Texas beat Baylor 30-23. #3 Nebraska easily handled Kansas 38-21. #4 Oklahoma pulled out a late game win over Texas A & M 34-33 with a last second field goal. #5 Florida thrashed Vanderbilt 41-20. Ed threw for over 300 hundred yards again. #6 Alabama handled Mississippi State 31-24. #7 USC was upset by California 27-24. USC just wasn't the same team since Brady Rasmussen graduated two years ago. #8 Ohio State rebounded by destroying Northwestern 48-17. #9 LSU beat Tulane. #10 Virginia Tech lost to Florida State.

Jeremy and Notre Dame grounded Air Force. My friend had two sacks and eight tackles in the game. Jake Kring played well as Syracuse upset the Big East's leader, the Pittsburgh Panthers. Maybe Jake could help the Orangemen get out of their decade long slump. Rutgers upset Cincinnati that day too. Hal Long's contribution was four PATs. West Virginia destroyed Connecticut 34-10. Drew McCormick ran for 127 yards and two TDs.

Delaware went up to Amherst and beat Massachusetts 28-20. Andy caught six passes for 92 yards and scored one of the touchdowns. The Blue Hens were looking good for a spot in the FCS playoffs.

I spent time over at the Lasch Building Sunday afternoon caring for the various nicks, dings and aches accumulated from eleven football games this fall. Time in the whirlpool felt damn good.

Coach Burton held a post mortem of the Wisconsin game after dinner on Sunday night. The review was positive and upbeat. What else could it be after you demolish a good opponent 52-20? Both Bruce and Jared Cantrell drew praise for their play filling in for Brian and Tanner.

Tanner Riggs had cleared his second neuro test and was allowed to return to classes and to attend team meetings. There was no chance he would be cleared to play next weekend. Brian was doing better. His limp was gone. Doc had cleared him to practice this week and he was expected to play against Michigan State.

Coach Burton concluded the team meeting with an admonition.

"I am so proud of what this team has achieved so far this season. You collectively set a vision for your season. You set goals and systemically achieved those goals to further your vision of playing for the national championship this season. We have two opponents left.

"I am not talking about the Michigan State Spartans and whichever team we face in our bowl game. Our opponents are complacency and carelessness. Do not let the Spartans' 6-5 record fool you. They are well coached and they won't be handing us anything. We have to dig down and take this win from them!"

Coach Burton waited for the growl of approval to subside, and then went on.

"Something else all of you should keep in mind is that there are a lot of people, be they fans at another school, students at another school, gamblers, whoever, who would dearly love to see their schools slide into our spot. Some of them might just be fanatic enough that they'd do almost anything to make that happen. I know most people wouldn't do anything shady to keep any of our players off the field, but sometimes it only takes just one person who isn't so ethical to do just exactly that. Most of you remember Coach Martin not making the Michigan State game last year because a police officer arrested him for DUI. It turns out Coach's blood alcohol content was 0.00% – he was stone cold sober, but he still missed that game because of the unethical actions of one person.

"There are also agents out there who would dearly love to make commissions off those of you who may go on to the NFL. These guys are willing to work long term, too, so underclassmen and freshmen aren't immune from them. A lot of times they use runners or other people to get close to players, and a lot of them are willing to risk your eligibility by giving you gifts, buying you meals, etc. Yeah, they'll be sad if you blow your eligibility your senior year, but they won't be nearly as sad as you will be, nor will they be as totally pissed off at you as everyone at this school will be, if it happens, and especially if it costs us games we've already won. So don't accept money, gifts or benefits from anyone, be wary if someone starts talking up some agent, and advise your family members of the same thing. This doesn't mean such people are runners - but it might."

"Some of you might think this sounds a bit paranoid, and it does. The question you have to ask yourselves, though, is 'Am I being paranoid enough?' Be very careful these next few weeks and over the holidays. Don't get into fights, don't get into situations where you could be caught drinking or be accused of inappropriate sexual contact, don't accept anything like meals or other things from strangers, or even from people you know other than family, keep a paper trail of your purchases and keep your cool. I hate to say it, but sometimes you have to act like a preacher's wife, and keep in mind that most bad things happen at bars and at parties after midnight. Finally, if you have any questions or any problems at all, come to see me or one of the other coaches first. I'd rather advise you not to do something than to tell you after the fact that you've blown your eligibility to play for Penn State, and I certainly don't want to learn something bad about any of you from a reporter."

Coach dismissed us, and leaving a sober and quiet bunch of players to find our way back to our dorms or apartments. Personally, I was relieved. I knew in my bones I'd dodged a very large bullet, and hopefully the other players had gotten the message and wouldn't make the mistakes I had made with Derek.

Trevor, Damian, Chip and I caught the ESPN BCS rankings show back at our apartment. There weren't many changes in the BCS top ten standings. USC's loss dropped them down half a dozen spots. Georgia Tech crept up from #11 to #9. West Virginia cracked the top ten for the first time this season at #10. This week's standings were: Penn State, Texas, Nebraska, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Ohio State, LSU, Georgia Tech and West Virginia.

--oooOooo--

Michigan State was an up and down team this year. They upset Notre Dame in week three. They were undefeated when Wisconsin took them down in week six. They temporarily got their act together to beat Indiana. They lost to Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa on consecutive weekends. The Spartans were reeling, going from 6-1 and having BCS bowl hopes to 6-4. They went down to Purdue and were upset by the Boilermakers. They looked whipped at the end of that game.

None of us knew which Michigan State would show up on Saturday. Would we see the balanced, well run offense that had beaten a pretty good Notre Dame team or would it be the dispirited bunch upset by the young Boilermaker QB?

We prepared like we would see the good Spartans. Trevor, Damian and I helped the coaches keep everyone focused on the tasks necessary to win the contest. The coaches' game plan didn't feature anything unusual. We were confident our standard offense and defense would allow us to beat the Spartans. The practices were mostly walk throughs with no hitting.

Dave McCall, Matt Frye, Joe Ricci and Bruce MacCauley volunteered to host the next weekend's party. Ostensibly it was so they got some experience hosting them so they were ready for next year. All they wanted from Trevor, Damian and me was for one of us to do the beer run on Friday so they were stocked up for the party. It was kind of nice to not have to worry about throwing the weekend's party.

Tuesday evening after my receivers meeting, I checked my e-mails. I found two that were interesting. The first came in the morning and was from the College of Education. It informed me that my mentor teacher was named John Waters and gave me contact information for him. I was to contact and arrange to meet with Mr. Waters sometime before the start of next term.

The second e-mail was from Mr. Waters. It's simplest to show it.

2010-Nov-06 16:47:22

From: john.waters@epics.net

To: kyle.martin87@psu.edu

Subject: Student Teaching @ CHS

I'm delighted to hear we will be partnering next semester. I assume that you are THE Kyle Martin that the whole college football world is talking about. Who else would use his jersey number as a part of his e-mail address?

You can probably tell already that I am a Penn State fan. I graduated from West Chester University but enjoy following top notch football teams, especially when they do football right. Your team certainly does that.

I am delighted to find that you apparently share two of the three loves of my life – football and history. ;-) I want to warn you of this – I won't be sharing the third love of my life with you, my wife. You'll have to find your own girl.

Penn State's student teaching coordinator tells me that we must meet sometime between now and Christmas time. Give me a call at 610-555-1212 or reply to this e-mail to set up our meeting. I am looking forward to getting to know you better and collaborating.

Call anytime in the evening. Our youngest son is a senior at East Stroudsburg State, so my wife and I are empty-nesters and will likely to be home when you call.

Sincerely yours,

John L. Waters

p.s. If we don't connect before next Saturday, go beat those Spartans! I want a rooting interest in the championship game.

The e-mail made me smile. Mr. Waters sounded like a friendly, engaging sort of person. It was only 8:30, so I decided to give him a call.

The phone rang a couple times before a man picked it up. "Hello?"

"May I please speak with Mr. Waters?" I asked politely.

"Speaking," Mr. Waters replied.

"Mr. Waters, this is Kyle Martin, from Penn State University," I said. "I'm giving you a call to talk about my student teaching with you next semester."

"Kyle, it's good to hear from you," Mr. Waters said. "May I call you Kyle?"

"Certainly, Mr. Waters," I replied.

"Call me John," Mr. Waters answered. "We don't need to stand on formality when we aren't in the classroom. Are you the famous wide receiver, as I supposed?"

"Guilty," I responded. "You said in your e-mail that you love football – as a fan or more?"

"More," John answered. "I am on the Pioneers coaching staff. Um ... the Pioneers are Conestoga High School's team."

"What do you coach?" I asked.

"I coordinate the defense and also coach the defensive backs," John explained.

"That's cool ... very cool," I replied. "What courses do you teach?"

"I have a section of AP European History, two sections of AP U. S. History, a section of Economics, two sections of World Cultures and a section of U. S. Government and Politics," John answered.

"That's excellent. I think I will be competent in the subjects you teach," I said. "I did some lectures on AP European History last spring when I did my student teaching practicum in Bellefonte. I've taken nearly every U. S. History course Penn State has. I'm well versed in that subject. I took two econ courses, but that isn't my strength. I can bone up on the topic and present competent lectures. I took two Poly Sci courses and read the newspapers assiduously to stay current with events."

"It sounds like you are as well prepared for the classroom as you are for the football field," John said. "That's excellent."

"How is your schedule towards the end of next week?" I asked. "I will be home for the Thanksgiving holiday. That is probably the best time for us to meet, if it suits your schedule."

"It certainly will suit my schedule to meet you sometime next weekend, but I can't say when," John replied. "The Pioneers made the playoffs. If we win this Friday night, we will have a game either Friday night or Saturday. I won't know if or when for another few days."

"I understand," I agreed. "I volunteer to help the football coaches at my high school during playoffs when I'm home. Assuming they win this Friday night, I will have a playoff game to assist with next weekend too." I chuckled. "I expect my team will win too. They're..."

"The Wolverines are ranked number one in their district," John said. "I know who you played for when you were in high school."

"Cool," I replied. "Why don't I call you Sunday afternoon or Monday evening so we can compare schedules again. Hopefully our teams have playoff games the same day. I can drive down to Berwyn easily from my house. It's probably an hour's drive from my home."

"You can drive to Berwyn if you want," John replied. " ... but you won't find me there. I live outside a small town called Parkesburg, off of Route 30."

"That's even easier," I said. "I live off of Route 30 too, about ten miles west of you."

"I suspected that, Kyle," John replied. "The reason I knew you played for the Wolverines is that I have seen you play before. When my son Kurt was a senior I took a year off from coaching football. I wanted to be able to make it to his games. I was in the stands when your team demolished Sadsbury that evening."

"Sorry about that," I answered.

"Don't apologize," John said. "What you and your team did that evening was a thing of beauty, if you didn't have a rooting interest. You scored three touchdowns. Your brother scored two more. It put a damper on my son's school's homecoming."

"I wish I could say I remember the game, but I can't," I replied. "High school was a while ago. How long ago was the game?"

"Four years," John said. "I assume my son Kurt is the same age as you. He is a senior at East Stroudsburg now."

"Good luck on Friday with your playoff game," I said. "Who do you play?"

"Strath Haven," John answered.

"Oh ... you need a lot of luck," I responded. "Are they as good as last year?"

"Maybe better," Jon answered. "My Pioneers squeaked into the playoffs as the #16 seed. Strath Haven is undefeated and the #1 seed. We lost 36-7 when we played them earlier this season."

"It sounds like your post Thanksgiving weekend may be free after all," I replied. "The Wolverines are #1 seed, playing #16 Hamburg on Friday night. I expect that I will have a game to coach the following weekend. Our school has come to count on it. We haven't lost an opening playoff game since before I was a freshman in high school."

"A record I suspect you helped start," John countered.

"Yes, I did," I agreed. "I'll let you get back to what you were doing before I called. I will be in touch when I hear about next weekend's playoff schedule. I'm looking forward to working with you."

"I am too, Kyle," John replied. "Good luck on Saturday against Michigan State."

"Thank you," I responded. "Have a good evening, John."

I barely knew John Waters, but I liked him already. I could see where he would be an excellent mentor teacher for me. I also suspected that Coach Burton and Coach Caffrey were right. I would be tapped to help with the Pioneers during their off season. That was fine. What kind of future coach would I be if I missed an opportunity to coach when it was offered to me?

--oooOooo--

I saw Derek Whitaker in the plaza near Chambers Building Wednesday after my history class. He gave me a wave from across the plaza, smiled and headed the other direction. That confirmed to me that Derek was on the up and up. If he was really working for Todd Rosenbaum, he would have carefully pursued me. I returned the smile and waved back before he departed.

Trevor, Chip, Damian, Christian and I met at the Lasch Building after lunch. We headed over to Paternoville by Beaver Stadium to visit with our student fans. Paternoville was a tent city that was erected outside the stadium before every home game. Student seating was general admission for games, so students lined up early to get the best seats for the game.

The five of us circulated through Paternoville, greeting our fans, talking with them and signing autographs. I worked my way from the back of the line to the front. I was surprised when I reached the first tent and greeted the inhabitant.

"Adam?" I stuttered. "I didn't expect to see you here." Adam was Adam Morretti, one of the "East Hall guys" that had been hanging the "Kyle's Krazies" banner for the past four seasons.

"Why not?" Adam answered. "We're always out here in Paternoville. How do you think we get the premium spot to hang your banner?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," I replied. "Where's Mike and Dan?" They were the other two buddies who hung with Adam since they roomed on the same floor of Snyder Hall in East Halls as freshmen.

"They're both at class right now," Adam said. "I want to give you a preview, Kyle. We're doing a new banner for Saturday." Adam hopped out of his lawn chair and dived into his tent. He reappeared with the banner. Adam laid it over his tent so I could see it. It read: "Kyle's Krazies – Thanks for the Incredible Four Years." It wasn't quite finished. The bottom line, "Incredible Four Years," was penciled in but not painted.

"That's a great sign, Adam," I replied. "Thanks so much for your support over the years. I really appreciate it. I'll let Mike and Dan know on Saturday after I finish warm-ups."

"It's been a pleasure watching you play, Kyle," Adam responded. "You've been great to Mike, Dan and me. We wanted you to know how we feel."

"What you got there?" Christian asked as he joined us and looked over the unfinished banner. Adam displayed the banner for Christian.

"Cool, I like that," Christian commented. "Coach certainly deserves our thanks."

"You're a fantastic receiver too," Adam countered. "The girls that fly your banner every game seem just as dedicated to you. Have you met them?"

Christian, Chip, who had joined us, and I all laughed. "The one is my fiancée and the other is her roommate."

"I guess they know you," Adam said.

"Thanks for your support, Adam," I said as I shook his hand before we headed back to the Lasch Building to get ready for practice. Trevor and Damian joined Christian, Chip and me as we headed back.

"You know, I love the sentiment on that banner," Christian commented. "Coach certainly has earned the fans' thanks. I feel the same way. We seniors need to show our appreciation for all the support our fans have given us the past four years."

"What do you suggest?" I responded. The five of us talked through ideas in the half a dozen minutes it took for us to return to the Lasch Building. By then we had an idea. The big question was could we pull off the logistics in two days? Damian would talk with Billy Robinson before we headed to dinner.

Damian reported back to us at dinner that Billy would be able to get everything done by 3:30 on Friday afternoon. Trevor, Damian, Christian and I circulated around the Training Table, asking all the graduating seniors to help with our thank you project. Everyone agreed.

--oooOooo--

Dad called after dinner on Wednesday to coordinate my plans with Mom's and his trip.

"Did you and Mom find a hotel yet?" I asked when Dad explained the purpose of the call.

"We did," Dad answered. He chuckled. "You know the place well. We are staying at Toftrees. You know how it is if you wait too long to look for a room on a game weekend."

"I'll take your word for that," I replied. "I've never tried to get reservations downtown. If you and Mom stay at Toftrees, make sure you tell Mom I am expecting her to come down the hall to my room and tuck me in for bed that night."

"I'll pass that request on, Kyle," Dad answered.

"You and Mom can't go partying all night either," I added. "We football players need a full night's sleep." Dad laughed hard at that one.

"I will inform your mother of that restriction on our fun," Dad answered laconically.

"Seriously, Dad, if you and Mom are interested, I think I can get you in for a tour of the Lasch Building on Saturday morning," I said. "I remember seniors bringing their families through for tours on Senior Day previous years."

"That would be excellent, Kyle," Dad said. "Your mother and I would enjoy that."

"I don't know if you'll get to campus in time, but we're having a big pep rally Friday night," I suggested. "I think you'd enjoy seeing the whole college football experience."

"What time is it?" Dad asked.

"7:30," I replied.

"We'll see what we can do, Kyle," Dad said. "How are you coping with your final game at Beaver Stadium?"

"I'm ignoring that, Dad," I replied. "If I spend time thinking about that, I won't be my best against Michigan State. I have to focus on beating them. I'll deal with everything else when the game is over."

"Good luck with that, son," Dad said. "We'll be cheering for you from the stands. I'll call you after dinner Friday and let you know our plans."

"Do you have a place picked out for dinner Saturday night?" I asked.

"All set, son. Don't worry about it," Dad said. "You will enjoy dinner."

"Love you, Dad," I answered. "I'll see you this weekend."

"Love you too, son," Dad agreed.

--oooOooo--

I headed out to the beer distributor Friday morning after my Geography lab to pick up beer for the party the following evening. I didn't have time to drop it off at Dave's apartment, so I left it in the car trunk until I had time to catch up with Dave. We affected the transfer before practice that afternoon.

The team went through its paces enthusiastically Friday afternoon. We ran the script for the first fifteen plays nearly perfectly. Coach Burton was pleased with the results. He dismissed everyone fifteen minutes early to recognize the effort.

I was drying from my post-practice shower when my phone rang. It was Dad.

"What's up, Dad?" I asked as I answered the phone.

"We're here in State College already," Dad answered.

"Wow! You must have left early to be here already," I commented.

"We did," Dad answered. "We are going to have some dinner and then head over to the pep rally this evening. You said it is at 7:30 pm, correct? I assume it is in the stadium."

"The time is 7:30 pm," I replied. " ... but it is at the Bryce Jordan Center. Do you know which one it is?"

"I will find it, Kyle," Dad said.

"If you hang out near the entrance, you may be able to hook up with me when our buses bring the team over," I added. "We can confer by phone if we miss each other there. We can meet over at the hotel."

"Will you have time then, Kyle?" Dad asked.

"Sure, we don't have any football meetings at Toftrees," I answered. "Coach takes us there to get us away from the noise and partying on campus and make sure we get a good night's sleep."

"I'll see you later tonight, son," Dad said before ending the phone call.

My roommates and I headed to our apartment to pack our overnight bags before dinner. We ate at the Training Table and then headed back to the Lasch Building to load our bags and ride to the pep rally.

Crowds of students and fans met us outside the Bryce Jordan Center when our buses arrived. My friends and I worked the lines of fans, shaking hands and doing autographs as they wished us good luck and urged us to demolish Michigan State the next day.

The team waited off stage as the pep rally started. The seniors lined up in the front of the group since we were going to be introduced first. The Blue Band entertained the big crowd while we waited our turn. The cheerleaders and Nittany Lion were going out front when I heard three high pitched voices call, "Unka Ky! Unka Ky!" "Kyle!"

I spun around and saw Noah, Connor and Hunter weaving between the legs of my teammates, trying to get through the crowd to me.

"Holy Cow!" I said as I kneeled down to meet them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Watch you p'ay foot-bah," Noah said as he reached me first.

"Yeah, we watch you p'ay tomoh-whoa [tomorrow]," Connor agreed. I stooped down and gave Noah a hug and a kiss. I hugged Connor when Hunter wiggled through the legs of my teammates.

"Hi, Kyle," Hunter exclaimed as he hopped up and hugged me around the neck.

"Hey, little bro," I said after giving him a kiss.

"Yours?" Josh Bruno asked.

"This is Connor," I said as I patted Connor on the head and as I stood. "This is Noah. They are my brother Andy's boys." I hoisted Hunter up to my side. He wrapped his arms around my neck again and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "This is my little brother, Hunter."

Josh, Christian, Trevor and Shawn greeted the boys. "How did you get here, Hunter?" I asked as I held him.

"Car," Hunter answered with total seriousness.

"And a little help from their family," Dad said. The team had parted to make room for Mom and Dad to join us. "Hi, son."

"Hello, Kyle," Mom said. I gave Mom a one armed hug with Hunter sandwiched between us. "Your father and I thought you should have everyone special to you here for your last game in Beaver Stadium."

Mom and Dad stepped apart to reveal the biggest surprise.

"Holy shi..." I blurted before remembering I was holding Hunter. "Holy cow!" I managed. "Penny! How did you get here?"

"Car," my lover teased as we embraced. I wrapped my free hand around Penny as she embraced Hunter and me. We kissed hungrily, our tongues twisting and searching until a squeal brought us back to reality

"Kyle, 'mashing me," Hunter protested.

"Sorry, little buddy," I said as Penny pulled the arm on Hunter's side away. Penny and I separated so we were standing side by side, but still together. I let Hunter drop down to the ground.

"I can't believe you're here," I gasped after we hugged and kissed again.

"After your dad told me about the plans for Senior Day, I had to come," Penny replied.

"Plans?" I asked.

"I'll let your parents fill you in on that," Penny said. "I hope you don't mind my little white lie a few weeks ago. I could have come for the Northwestern weekend but then I couldn't have come this weekend."

"You're here," I replied. "That's all I care about. I'm so happy to see you. Are you staying at Toftrees like the rest of my family?"

"No, I'm saving money," Penny answered. "I'm staying with Steph tonight. I assume both of us will be staying at your apartment tomorrow night."

"You bet'cha," I agreed enthusiastically. "How in the heck did all of you get in here?"

"Inside help," Dad teased. "Specifically, Anders Voight. Anders has been invaluable in setting up everything this weekend."

"What exactly are the plans for this weekend?" I asked. Before Dad could answer, the music in the arena swelled and the announcer proclaimed, "Now, introducing the Nittany Lion seniors..."

Dad said, "Later."

"From Rochester, Pennsylvania, #2, our punter, Mitchell Jackson, who majors in Electrical Engineering," the speakers blared.

Mitch jogged out to the center of the stage and waved to the crowd as they cheered him. The announcer worked his way down through the list of twenty-two graduating seniors.

"From Unionville, Pennsylvania, #98, team captain and All Big Ten defensive end, Trevor Conwell, majoring in Business Marketing," the announcer intoned. Trevor jogged onto the center of the stage, joining the other seniors. The applause swelled louder than any previous introduction.

"You're next, roomie," I said as tapped Damian on the back.

He turned back to face me and gave me a diffident smile. I could see his eyes were tearing. "This is going to be tougher than I thought."

"From Erie, Pennsylvania, #34, team captain, All Big Ten running back and our starting tailback, Damian Thompson, majoring in Business Management."

"Go get 'em," I said as I gave Damian a swat on the backside. Damian jogged onto the stage to resounding cheers and applause. Penny slipped her arm around my back and snuggled against me. I draped an arm over her shoulder.

"It's your turn, honey," Penny purred. "I love you, Kyle."

"I love you too," I agreed.

"From Paradise, Pennsylvania, #87, team captain, four time All-American and three year starter at wide receiver, Kyle 'Coach' Martin, majoring in Secondary Education."

I leaned down and gave Penny a kiss before jogging out onto the stage. Connor, Noah and Hunter crowded the edge of the stage to get a better view.