Chapter 9

The 2 day whirlwind of speaking to sports scholarship recruits was over after meeting Tim Waters right at the Albany International Airport. Waters was a wide receiver, lanky, but strong, who had impressed many by his overall athleticism. Jared Winslow knew little about him except that his predecessor was impressed enough to take a chance on recruiting him although he might be an academic problem. Jared saw right away that taking a fatherly approach with the boy might be the best way to approach him. He explained that with all of his talent, he could go nowhere if he didn't hit the books. He need only ask for tutors and help and he would get it, as long as he applied himself. However he made it clear that once academics became a problem, he would be ineligible to dress for subsequent games until he fixed the problem. In talking to him it was apparent that he was a bright young man who skated on his talents in High School.

"Tim, let me explain something to you," Jared said as he took a firm stance leaning into the young man before him, "Think about your favorite sports teams."

"That would be the Dallas Cowboys, Boston Red Sox, and Notre Dame anything." Waters said with a proud smile.

"Think of the lowliest man, least talented player on each of those teams. You can bet he was the most gifted player in his neighborhood, on his Little League or Pop Warner team. He was probably the best player on his High School team and that in many cases, the best player in his city or town if he was from a non-metropolitan area. You might feel, and you should, that you are the best at what you do, but remember that if you make the team there are 40 plus others who feel the same way. It's not going to be easy anymore and the difference in getting a fair chance on the athletic field might be your academic performance. The schlubs that made up your taxi squads who were the class clowns aren't going to be there. Every player who puts on that uniform is in the same situation as you here in the Albany area. He thinks he's the best. You'll have to perform at all levels of this undertaking, and that means buckling down and studying. I can't fight for your sports eligibility, if you don't work. I don't "carry" anyone. Are we clear?" Winslow finished.

Tim Waters face sobered from the toothy grin he had not been able to wipe off since he and his parents were escorted into the private room the airport provided.

"Sir, I want this more than anything. Mr. Woodard wasn't as "in your face" when he had me sign this letter, but I thank you for being honest and forthright. I will work harder than I ever have in hopes of making everyone here glad they gave me a chance." Waters dead panned.

"That is all anyone will ever ask of you. I think you will do just fine." Coach Winslow said standing to shake the young mans hand.

After a series of hand shakes and back patting Joe Barber and Jared Winslow made their way to their gate to get the last flight to Burlington. Having never left the secured gate area they were prescreened and were able to board.

"We're not driving home tonight, are we?" Jared asked.

"No, but we have to be on the road by 6 tomorrow morning so we can be settled on campus by 9. I expect you'll have a pretty good bunch showing up on the two fields by 10. We'll have a driver though. One of the SID assistants drove the van from Bradley, where we left it, to Burlington today. They'll drive us back." Joe Barber told him.

"What's Dean Reynolds got against renting a car?" Jared said with a knowing smile.

"She wants to cut back to afford you!" Joe said, winking and smiling. "In reality, the van was donated by an alum, but it's a lease and we have to turn it back in a few months. She wants to squeeze every nickel out of that deal."

"God Bless her penny-pinching heart." Jared said as he soon nodded off during the flight.

After a hurried tour of their four student-athlete scholarships it would be 12 hours from wheels down in Burlington, Vermont to the opening of the first of two one day mini-camps for the NEAT football program. As the two men walked from the secured gate area they saw a young man holding a NEAT sign to identify himself as their driver. It would be not quite 45 minutes before they were situated in the Residence Inn on I-89 and headed off to a quick recovering sleep to prepare them for the 5 a.m. wake-up for the final leg of their trip back to campus. Joe and Jared would have the coffee laden trip back to go over notes and discuss what they were hoping to accomplish that busy day.

By 9 a.m. all three assistant coaches and their staffs had their hands full writing up students for the camp. It was mostly a medical and legal release for the University to clear up any problems of accountability for injuries suffered. There would be 60+ students on hand for the camp that included 6 players who finished the previous season on the injured list. They were just here to prove they had recovered and could be ready for the next year. Two members of the soccer team, including Brian Faraday, were there as well as 3 female students, including Oksana Cushman, the high school punter from Texas. The rest of the participants were returning members of the current team and walk-ons. It was not a mandatory camp, but any team member who was physically able to be there, was. Many course finals had already taken place and students traveling long distances were not expected to return, and some had internships they could not abandon. As far as how participation would affect Coach Winslow's appraisal at try-outs the following year, you took your chances if you were a bubble player. Desire played a major role in his thinking and after seeing the gung-ho attitudes of the 4 incoming scholarships he was hungry to see more of the same.

After the sign up, equipment fitting, stretching exercises and quick indoctrination each coach ran drills until they were able to establish and offensive and defensive unit to plug different players in and out of for situational drills. Some campers were sent to the Bleacher Bowl field little by little as coaches winnowed down talent and non-talent. Many at the second field were still being looked at for special teams as well as the kickers. Ger Nietczyk, the one time nations leading scorer, was there to tutor Brian Faraday on the skills of soccer style place-kicking, but he also had 2 other candidates for place kicking whom he thought could make a serious run at the job. One was a female, Julie Murcer from Oklahoma who had challenged State High School scoring records but was never recruited by any programs. It was only when her friend Oksana Cushman was going to be given a chance to audition did she see the new coach might be open minded enough to try-out another female. She really felt too small for men's football, but she relished the challenge.

Murcer was a petite, slight girl who was obviously well muscled despite her diminutive frame. She looked more likely a ballerina than a football player but after a lay-off from competition she was having no problem consistently hitting 30-35 yard kicks on the straight and narrow. Nietczyk was impressed and encouraged her to keep rebuilding stamina and to stay by to provide some mechanical demonstrations for his "pupil".

The "pupil" Faraday caught on quickly to the placekicking aspect of the job, but had to hone down his approach to a 2 or 3 step dance coordinated with the ball snap. His athleticism shown through as he quickly caught on to the rhythm in repetition and after only an hour of counting his way through the "dance" he seemed to have set an inner cadence. His efforts got straighter and longer as he kept up the reps.

Nietczyk smiled as Brian took tips from the young Murcer girl as he asked her questions. Ger had been content to let Faraday play his new game over and over as assistants chased down balls and kept "reloading" the snapper. Julie stepped into the path of the kicker and squatted to point to a spot on the ball and made a motion about follow through. As Faraday hit a few more long ones Nietczyk approached Julie Murcer.

"Do you think he can win the kicking job?" He wondered.

"Oh God, yes. He tells me this is his first day. His mechanics are a bit sloppy, but as he does reps he'll iron some of that out. He's easily 15 or so yards longer than me. My long was 40 even in high school, but I was accurate. He's only going to get better. I'm not really here to make the team, just to see if I can still do it. I couldn't take a hit from these guys." She said.

"If I were in a pinch with no kicker I would call you in a second, you have great mechanics, but your size is a problem.(she knowingly nodded and smiled) But I think the chance of you being hurt is small. Remember that the line in front of you is a lot more sophisticated than what you saw in High School. I don't think you're timid and I'm betting you know how to take a hit. You are small, but it also makes you a smaller target. As long as you are aware that you can be hit and know how to take a hit, you would be OK. The one thing both you and Brian have over the boy kicking on the other side of us is, you're both very athletic. He's very good, but too mechanical, but he'll have the summer to work it out." He said with a smile back to her.

The third candidate was a heavier lad who kicked classic style, deadly straight and long, but with a snap and hold he was just too slow. He simply had to look at the placement too long. It was a common malady and not an easy one to overcome. After displaying his skills Nietczyk summoned the kicker, Ben Breen, to his side.

"Ben, you really have a talent, but your mechanics are way too slow. Work on a rhythm over the summer and when we come back in the fall and hold try-outs be sure you're here. I usually just work with soccer style candidates with Coach Winslow. However, I've made several notes about your accuracy and distance, but at this point and at this level of competition you would be way too slow to the ball. You and your holder would be in traction with the hits you might take. We have video tape of your tryout and I will review it with Coach Winslow and I'll be sure he sees it." Ger said to Breen before patting him on the back and sending him off.

Meanwhile back in the stands Joe Barber himself was manning a video camera set on a tripod to record the kickers. Other staff of some of the assistants were beginning to set up video of their own to record "skills", as Jared called it. Like Nietczyk and Barber, they each had some sort of wireless communication to get the shots they wanted. Mini "skills" clinics were opening around the field as candidates were sent from Meditek Stadium to the smaller field. Real contact was being avoided to be sure there were no injuries, but Ger was on the phone with Jared to ask a favor.