Chapter 2

Monday, April 29, 2013

My final day of student-teaching with John Waters was bittersweet. I'd gotten close to John over the last four months of working together. I told John about my new job as a graduate assistant at Temple. He envied my opportunity. He thought he would have enjoyed an opportunity like that if he had the chance after he graduated from West Chester way back when.

I kept a close eye on the clock during the lecture. I had one more thing to say to the class and didn't want to be hurried by the bell.

"Today is my final day with all of you," I said a minute before dismissal. "I've loved working with all of you this semester. You've made my student teaching experience a pleasure. Make sure you get ready for the next month's final for the class. I know Mr. Waters is planning a doozy."

"Work and study hard, everyone. I'm living proof that it pays off. One more thing before I dismiss you ... I want someone to let me know when your football team beats Strath Haven next season. I know you guys can do it!"

The class cheered and clapped that pronouncement. The bell rang during their cheers. "Class dismissed!"

"Well done, Kyle," John said as I headed to the back of the room as the kids filed out. "You're going to make a heck of a teacher when you finish with football."

"This is going to be an emotional day," I commented.

"You handled it perfectly," John replied. Kids in our homeroom were streaming in, so I headed to the front again.

I repeated my speeches to start and end class through each class period. Kids stopped by my desk at the end of class each period to thank me and tell me how much they were going to miss me. I was going to miss them too. The day flew by. I felt the lectures went well. I would find out Tuesday fourth period when I sat down with Professor Buchanan and John for my final evaluation. John came to the front of the room after I dismissed the eighth-period class.

"I've had a dozen student teachers over the years," John commented. "This is always the hard part. It's been a pleasure watching you develop and turn into a teacher, Kyle." He shook my hand. I pulled him into a hug. A handshake didn't begin to express the emotions I was feeling.

"John, I couldn't have had a better mentor than you," I managed to choke out. "Thank you for everything." We held the hug for a few more moments before letting go. I blinked a few times to try to clear my watery eyes. "Keep me updated this fall on the football team. I want to hear how they do."

"I know they will do well," John answered. "I'll send you e-mails every Saturday and let you know how the team played." John gave me a forced smile. His eyes were watery too. "Now get out of here! Go make us proud."

"I'll do my best," I promised.

I was still a little emotional as I drove down the Schuylkill Expressway to Edberg-Olson Hall. I hadn't worked out since last Wednesday and I needed work desperately. I wasn't allowed to officially start my new job yet, not until I had my degree in hand.

--oooOooo--

I had lost track of some of my teammates' fates while I worked out my future over the weekend. Shawn Byrd ended up getting picked with the Eagles' first pick late on Thursday night. Josh Bruno went in the second round to the Texans on Friday night. Christian Hunsecker went to the Chiefs, also in the second round. Greg Nowicki was picked by the Falcons later Friday night in the third round. Damian was picked up by the Bears on Saturday afternoon with their fifth round pick.

Four of my Penn State teammates signed with teams as free agents. Bill Daugherty signed with the Chargers. Brendan Hayden signed with the Broncos. The Cowboys picked up Mitch Jackson. Tanner Riggs got an opportunity with the Rams.

Two more of my high school teammates reported signings Monday. Hal Long was signed by the Carolina Panthers. He would be competing with Olindo Mare, the Panthers kicker of the last two years. Mare was in his seventeenth season in the NFL but was very accurate. Hal was going to face an uphill battle to get a job with the Panthers.

Drew McCormick was picked up by the Buffalo Bills. The Bills' top tailback was pretty good, but they weren't deep at running back. Maybe Drew would be able to break in as a special teams player. That might give him a shot someday at being their feature back.

Tuesday morning was nice. I got to sleep later than normal. I strolled down the street to pick up a newspaper. I made a nice breakfast for Penny and me before she headed off for her Anthropology final. I headed west for school after breakfast. The drive to the high school wasn't nearly as bad at 9:30 in the morning compared to my normal, rush hour drive. I hung out in the faculty parking lot for a few minutes. Fourth period started at 9:57 AM but my appointment wasn't until 10:10 AM.

John and Professor Buchanan were seated in the back at my ... well, the table in the back of the room. The performance evaluation didn't take long. John and I managed to keep our emotions in check and kept things professional. Professor Buchanan and John rated me as exemplary on all four categories – planning and preparation, classroom environment, instructional delivery and professionalism.

I scored twelve out of a possible twelve. Professor Buchanan assured me that would give me an A+ for this semester. My streak on the Dean's List that went back to my freshman spring would stay intact. I thanked John and Professor Buchanan for all their help this semester before I left.

I stopped off at the office to drop off my Conestoga Senior High School Teacher's ID. Dr. Cooper overheard me talking with Pat Green, the secretary at the front desk.

"It's been a real pleasure having you work here, Kyle," Dr. Cooper said when he appeared at the counter. "I wish there was a way we could keep you. You've done an excellent job for us."

"Maybe I'll go back to teaching after I complete my Master's in History over at Temple," I replied. "How do I find out about job openings?"

"Talk to the district office," Dr. Cooper said. "They will need a recommendation from me, since you have experience at our school already." He chuckled. "The recommendation won't be ANY problem. Good luck out at Temple, Kyle."

"Yes, good luck, Kyle," Pat added.

I headed to Temple for a workout before going home. The weight room was pretty empty. The Temple football players had finals this week and late morning wasn't prime work out time. I headed back to the apartment and had a late lunch. I rattled around the apartment a little. I was at a loss as to what to do. I should be preparing to move to a new city. I should be studying my team's playbook so I would be ready for training camp and the fall season. Instead, here I was in Philly with absolutely nothing at all to do.

I headed over to Edberg-Olson. I managed to wheedle a playbook out of Coach Golden. Matt Dellavecchia set me up in the film room so I could study video of our team while I learned the playbook. Temple's playbook was similar to but not as complicated as Penn State's. I was confident I would be able to master it well before camp opened up in August.

--oooOooo--

I spent most of the daytime in the week over at Temple, studying and getting ready for my new job. I made dinner each night so Penny could concentrate on her finals. She had her last one on Friday morning. Penny had one more task she wanted to do at school. She talked with her grad school advisor about any possible summer jobs on campus or out at New Bolton Center in Chester County. Penny wanted to find work closer than Dr. Chu's office back in Lancaster County since I would be spending my summer in Philly. We headed back to Paradise, stopping off at New Bolton Center on our way west. Penny set up an interview for the next week. They did hire summer help. Penny would be considered for a spot.

Penny worked with our moms on Saturday on the wedding plans. I packed more of my things to take down to Philadelphia. Our apartment was going to be our home for the foreseeable future. We headed to Penn State late on Saturday for my graduation. Trevor and Damian let us stay in my old room until my graduation on Tuesday.

Baccalaureate was on Sunday afternoon. Mom and Dad came up to State College Monday afternoon. The Thompsons, the Conwells, the Kolmars, the Hunseckers, the Umbles, Penny and my parents went out to dinner Monday night. Trevor, Damian and Christian talked about their experiences at their team's mini-camps. The Jets and the Bears both had full team mini-camps. They got to meet everyone, which was a positive. The Chiefs had a rookies only OTA. Listening to Trevor, Christian and Damian talk about how they were settling into their new teams was bittersweet.

We lingered over dinner. It was great to spend time together. We also knew we wouldn't be getting time together like this again. This dinner marked the end of our college experience. We would all see each other again, probably throughout our lives but not all together like this very often.

Mom and Dad decided to take a stroll around campus after dinner. Penny and I decided to go downtown. We window shopped for a bit before ending up at the Rathskeller. We relaxed over a couple of beers and talked about things. The crowd was mostly graduating seniors like us. The undergrads had left for the summer when finals finished on Friday. I did a few autographs and talked with some of my fans while I was there. We headed back to the apartment around ten o'clock that evening. Penny and I made love before retiring for the night. It had been too many days since we had the chance.

My parents, Penny and I caught a quick breakfast at their hotel Tuesday morning. We headed for the Bryce Jordan Center about half an hour before the ceremony. I took my place up front with my fellow seniors. Penny stayed with Mom and Dad.

I bumped into Chelsea Wright as the graduates were assembling for the ceremony. She was sporting a very nice engagement ring. Chelsea found her classical-music-loving boyfriend a year and a half ago. They were getting married next year, after they got established in Pittsburgh. I let Chelsea know that Penny and I had reunited and were marrying too. She wished the two of us the best.

Chad King and I found our spots in the alphabetical lineup. Chad was three persons ahead of me in line. Josh Bruno came by us as he was heading for his place near the head of the line. The three of us got to talk a bit before things started up. Josh loved working with Coach Kubiak and Coach Wade Phillips, the Texans' defensive coordinator. Chad enjoyed hearing about Josh's experiences. I could only wonder what could have been for me. Why were the Raiders such assholes?

Josh was planning to move to Houston full time rather than going back to his parents' home after the season was over next winter. He hoped to do some substitute teaching the same way I hoped to do. Chad hadn't found any nibbles yet in his search for a job. I told him about my grad assistant position at Temple and how I would have time to do my Master's degree.

We didn't get to finish our conversation as the marshal announced it was time for us to file in and take our seats. My fellow grads and I would be seated in chairs on the floor of the BJC. The parents, grandparents and other visitors were seated in the seats of the arena.

Dean Friar, the Dean of Education, opened the morning by introducing Dr. Linda Lane, the superintendent of schools for the Pittsburgh School District. She spoke for about fifteen minutes, talking about her district's "Excellence for All" program. The district was moving beyond the "No Child Left Behind" law and shooting for higher standards for all of Pittsburgh's children. It was a good speech.

Some of the senior professors in the College of Education were seated on stage with Dean Friar. To my disgust, Dr. P. Thomas Henderson was seated prominently, right beside the Dean.

Our valedictorian, Maria Riccioli, gave her speech next. Nearly everyone knew Maria. She was easily the smartest person in our freshman Education Psychology 14 and Educational Theory and Practice 114 classes. God love her. She chose to specialize in working with the disabled. The kids that had her as a teacher were going to be truly lucky.

Dean Friar spoke for a bit and then it was time for us to file up one by one and receive our diplomas. I had a long wait since I had a name in the middle of the alphabet. To my disgust, Dr. Henderson was handing out the diplomas and shaking hands with each graduate before they shook hands with Dean Friar. I would have to face my nemesis one more time before I could escape Penn State.

We were halfway through the big crowd when the usher signaled for our row to join the queue at the side of the stage. We filed ahead one by one as the graduates were announced.

"Chad Anthony King, Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education." My friend looked my way before he climbed onto the stage. I gave him a smile and a thumbs up. He walked across the stage, took his diploma and shook hands with the dean and professors. "Tyler Joseph Marinelli, Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education" was announced as Chad walked off the stage. Chad gave his family a fist pump as he left the stage. I stepped up to the steps as Tyler received his diploma.

"Angela Marie Marshall, Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, with distinction," was announced as the pretty, soon-to-be primary teacher took the stage. I stepped up to the top step as Angela received her degree.

"Kyle David Martin, Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education," was announced. I climbed the last step and walked across the stage to Dr. Henderson. He smiled and handed me my diploma.

"I hear you are not playing football this fall," Dr. Henderson said. "That pleases me."

"I'll be working on my Master's in History at Temple," I answered.

"Go and be the great teacher I know you can be," Dr. Henderson added. "Give up the childish games and fulfill your potential."

I took the diploma from his hands and gripped his hand and shook. I looked the old bastard in the eye, tightened my grip and said, "I WILL send you a photo of me teaching."

Dr. Henderson squeezed my hand and retorted, "THAT would please me. Do not waste your talents." We let go of each other's hand and I stepped over to Dean Friar.

"Good luck, Kyle," Dean Friar said as we shook hands.

"Thank you, Dean," I said before I stepped away.

I walked across the stage and gave my family another wave as they announced, "David William Meadows, Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education." I followed Chad, Tyler and Angela back to our seats. I waited patiently as everyone in the large graduating class of the College of Education took his or her turn on stage. It was after 10:30 when Emily Zook's name was called and she took the stage to accept her degree. Emily was from Lancaster County like me. The graduating class departed from the arena as the organist played the "Pomp and Circumstance."

It took fifteen minutes for Penny, Mom and Dad to meet up with me outside the Bryce Jordan Center. Penny took pictures of Mom, Dad and me. Dad took pictures of Penny and me and then Penny, Mom and me. Finally Mom took pictures with Penny, Dad and me.

We stopped off at our car so I could shed my cap and gown before we walked downtown. We hoped Spats wasn't going to be crowded. It was just opening so there was plenty of room. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Everyone headed for Lancaster County after lunch. Penny and I spent the night in Paradise before heading back to Philly.

I worked my way through Temple's academic bureaucracy to get into the Master's degree program. My application was months late and I hadn't taken the GRE exam. I could take up to three courses as a non-matriculated student. I received an academic advisor, Dr. John Lester. He helped me sign-up for HIST 8101: Introduction to American History and HIST 8109: Studies in U.S. Political History Since 1928 for the summer. I would take one course during the fall football season, to give me more time for Coach Golden and the football team. I would finish the GREs and be formally accepted into the Master's of History program by next winter.

Penny had her interview at New Bolton Veterinary Center on Friday. Penny was stoked when she came back. They hired her! My honey was finally going to need to bring her car down to Philly this summer.

--oooOooo--

Penny and I went shopping for birthday presents for Noah and Connor on Saturday morning. We had lunch with Penny's closest college friends, Dave Hansen, Dakota Sheppard, Katie Zamora, Jordan Whitaker and Erin Lambert. We went to the White Dog Café on the edge of campus.

The White Dog specialized in local foods. My first course, the Kennett Square Mushroom Soup was good. I had to try the Green Meadow Cheddar Burger. The menu said that Green Meadow Farm was located in Gap, Pa., not too far from Paradise. Our group tried the Lamb Bolognese, Crab Cake Sandwich, Southwest Chicken Salad and Grilled Steak Salad.

I enjoyed the lunch with Penny's friends. I wish I'd had more free time in the past few months to get to know them better than the occasional Wednesday trivia nights. The group called April Cheney from the café. The University of Edinburgh, where she was studying this year, didn't finish the spring semester until late June. She would miss her graduation ceremony but she would get to see everyone at our wedding.

Penny had errands to run in the afternoon around campus to finish up everything she needed for graduation and for next fall for veterinary school. I hung out at our apartment and studied Temple's playbook.

Dakota and Katie had a graduation party at Dakota's apartment that evening. The party was fun but bittersweet. Penny and her friends knew they would see each other again in the coming years but it would never be like it had been during the past four years. I supported Penny. I certainly understood her feelings. I went through the same thing a few weeks ago at the party after the Blue and White Game.

There was plenty of beer flowing that evening. Penny and I had our share. It was fortunate that Dakota's apartment was in walking distance of ours. I wasn't totally wasted, but I was drunker than I'd been in at least eighteen months. Penny and I made love when we got back. It was wonderful to unite our bodies in spite of our inebriation.

--oooOooo--

Penny and I managed to get cleaned up and have a quick brunch before Jim and Marilyn Edwards arrived. The four of us headed over to the Irvine Auditorium for the Baccalaureate ceremony. The service included music, readings and a prayer.

Penny gave us a tour of campus after the Baccalaureate. Jim took all of us out to dinner that evening. He had made reservations for us at LaCroix, one of the top restaurants in Philadelphia. The restaurant in located in the Rittenhouse Square Hotel. Jim drove us over.

LaCroix was fancy, befitting the occasion. Jim and I had the Corn Soup for our first course. Marilyn and Penny had salads. Penny had the veal with fava beans for her main course. Jim and Marilyn both had the Hudson Valley Duck with cauliflower and waxed beans. I decided on the Divers Scallops with fennel, honey dew melon, and pork belly. It was excellent. We enjoyed some wine with dinner. White Peach ice cream topped off our meal. It was excellent too.

Penny and I gave up our bedroom to Jim and Marilyn and stayed on the pull-out sofa bed. It was small and damned uncomfortable. Thankfully we only had to sleep on it for a single night.

--oooOooo--

We took Jim and Marilyn over to the Green Line Café on Lancaster Avenue for breakfast on Monday morning. They serve a nice selection of coffees, teas and cold drinks. They also have muffins, scones, croissants and bagels available too. I had a cold chai latte, an apple-cherry walnut bagel with cream cheese and a chocolate croissant.

Jim, Marilyn and I walked over to Hamilton Village with Penny. The undergrads, grad students and faculty were assembling there for the procession to Franklin Field, Penn's athletic stadium. Jim, Marilyn and I helped Penny don her gap and gown. All of us gave Penny hugs and kisses before we let her search out her friends in the sea of caps and gowns.

I walked Jim and Marilyn across campus to Franklin Field. We found seats in the east stands near the north side. Penny told us that would put us closer to where she was sitting in the undergrad seating. The processional arrived on time at 9:30 that morning. The baccalaureate students led the way, followed by the master's and doctorate students. Representatives of past classes followed the students into the stadium. The class officers for the Class of 1988 and the Class of 1963 came next. The faculty followed the alumni into the old brick stadium. University president Amy Gutmann, the Provost, the guest speaker, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and the deans came in last.

A recent graduate from a couple of years ago sang the National Anthem for the crowd. The Chaplain led the invocation and then turned the program over to the president of the Board of Trustees who introduced President Gutmann. She welcomed everyone and then asked the Provost to confer the honorary degrees to eight recipients.

Secretary Gates was presented with a Doctorate of Humane Letters. The Humane Letter degree was gilding to the secretary's outstanding resume. The program told us that Secretary Gates received his Bachelor's degree from William and Mary, his Masters from Indiana University and his Doctorate in Russian and Soviet History from Georgetown. I had total respect for the secretary. When reports came out of poor medical treatment and care at Walter Reed for our soldiers, heads rolled. Top heads too, not junior underlings. I read how he made getting body armor out to our troops a high priority. I knew he drove the military procurement people to get armored vehicles to Iraq and Afghanistan to protect the troops from IEDs. Regardless of your politics, you have to respect a leader who looks after his men and women.

The Provost introduced Secretary Gates after the eight honorary degrees were presented. Secretary Gates talked about the challenges our country faced in the coming decades. He called for the graduates to show public mindedness and to spend part of their working lives in public service. Our country needs leaders able to make tough choices and to work together on the hard task of keeping our country strong and safe.

History teaches that there is evil in the world and we will always need to be prepared for it. Secretary Gates advocated using diplomacy and development to disarm potential conflict whenever we can. He said our country still needs hard power to back up the soft power he was advocating. We also need to keep our economy and our politics strong if we expect our country's military to be up to the task of protecting our country.

Secretary Gates concluded his fifteen minute speech with a call for each graduate to find a way to serve and lead our country to greatness at home and abroad. Secretary Gates was given well-deserved sustained applause for his remarks.

President Gutmann came forward and introduced the deans, one by one. Each dean read the names of the graduates from his or her college. The new graduates stood at their chair as their names were called, saluted President Gutmann with their caps and placed them on their heads before switching the tassels to the opposite side of the caps.

Jim, Marilyn and I all stood with our cameras ready as Dean Rebecca Bushnell, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, recited the names Andrew P. Eastman, Holly M. Ecay and Jonathan R. Edge. We were ready with our cameras when she announced "Penelope Ann Edwards, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude."

Jim, Marilyn and I had a long wait after Dean Bushnell moved onto the next graduate. There were a couple of thousand members in the Class of 2013. We waited as the deans of the other colleges announced their graduates and then the graduate schools announced their lists. It was after noon when President Gutmann gave her closing remarks. The big crowd sang Penn's alma mater, "The Red and Blue" before the Chaplain dismissed the graduates and faculty. We stood during the recessional.

Guests and visitors weren't allowed to depart until after the end of the recessional. I called Penny after we waited our turn to exit the stadium to help Jim, Marilyn and me find Penny and catch up with her outside the stadium. Dave Hansen, Dakota, Katie, Diane, Jordan and Erin were gathered with her. Katie and Jordan's parents met up with the group ahead of us. The rest of the parents found the cluster shortly after us.

Cameras came out and megabytes of pictures were taken – parents with graduates, boyfriends and girlfriends, families, and the group of grads together. The group lingered together outside the stadium for a while but hunger got to us eventually. There were hugs and tears as the close-knit group departed and went their separate ways. I know how tough it is leaving, knowing that the close friendships you shared over the past four years will never be recaptured.

None of us were in the mood for anything fancy for lunch. We stopped at Stan's Deli to grab some sandwiches on the way back to the apartment. We ate our lunch back at the apartment before departing. Jim, Marilyn and Penny headed back to Lancaster County. I stayed in Philly. Work started tomorrow. Penny had things to do to get ready for the wedding. She was coming back to Philly on Monday, after her first day working at New Bolton Center.

--oooOooo--

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Coach Golden sent me down to Temple's security office for a new ID badge that would identify me as a graduate student and employee of Temple University instead of a visitor. They gave me a parking pass so I could park in the coaches' parking lot between Edberg-Olson and the railroad tracks to the east of our facility. It will be nice not to have to search for on-street parking every day.

Coach Golden introduced me to Coach Matt Rhule when I got back to Edberg-Olson. Coach Rhule was the co-offensive coordinator for the team responsible for the passing game. Matt Dellavecchia and I would be working for him. It was no surprise that Coach Rhule was a Penn Stater too. Coaching jobs often go to who you know. I suspected but hadn't confirmed that Coach Golden's call to me two weeks ago was at Coach Burton's prompting. The timing of me turning Coach Burton down and fifteen minutes later having Coach Golden call to offer me the same position on staff couldn't have been a coincidence. Hell, Coach Golden didn't even have my cell phone number but he found it pretty darn quick before he offered me the job.

Coach Rhule showed me to the cubicle I would be sharing with Matt Dellavacchia. We were in a small room at the back of the offensive coaches' office area.

"I assume you are well familiar with the film study system at Penn State, Kyle," Coach Rhule said as I settled at my new desk.

"Sure."

"You know how it carefully indexes each play by down, distance and situation?" Coach Rhule asked. "How do you think it gets that way?"

"Some brand new grad assistant indexes all the video?" I offered. Coach Rhule gave me a big smile.

"Al said you were bright," Coach Rhule said. "Matt is about half-way done with our Big East opponents for next year. Why don't you get started on the non-conference opponents' film."

"Sure, no problem," I agreed. "Who do I start with? Who is our first opponent?" Coach Rhule chuckled.

"Notre Dame."

"At home?" I asked hopefully.

"South Bend."

"Oh ... kay..." I sighed. "Challenges are a good thing ... I guess."

"That happens when you aren't at a top tier program," Coach Rhule. "Matt will show you how to how slice and dice the film and then index it for our system."

"Thanks, Coach," I called out as he headed out. Turning to Matt, I asked, "What other killers are on our schedule?"

"We play Fordham next," Matt answered. "They shouldn't be any big deal. After that is Penn State."

"You guys are always on our schedule," I responded before I realized what I'd said. "Give me a little slack. It will take a while for me to get used to calling Penn State them. Those guys in State College are on our schedule pretty often." Matt laughed.

"We'll cut you a little slack..." he teased, " ... at least for a week or two. Just so long as you tell us every relevant scrap of information about your old team so we can finally break the jinx they have on us."

"I'm pretty sure Coach Burton was involved in Coach Golden hiring me," I replied. "Coach Burton knows how competitive I am. I'll do whatever I need to do to help my team win. He knows I will give everyone here a full accounting of what I know about the Lions team. I'm an Owl now."

"The final team you'll index is Idaho," Matt said. "I cover our Big East opponents: Memphis, UCF, SMU, Connecticut, Rutgers, San Diego State, Louisville and Houston. Ready to get going?"

"Let's do it, Matt," I agreed.

Matt showed me how to use the computer program they had to clip out one play of video, save it to the database and add keyword indexes for the offensive and defensive formation, quarter, down and distance to go, opponents and game date. It wasn't hard, just tedious. It wasn't much different from what I did in high school, except it was better indexed.