Story Time: Capital One Bowl

            Vacations are fun, but when they involve Penn State football, they’re even more fun. I’ve had the privilege of going on many road trips with my family and each one seems to be better than the last. The usual crowd is myself, my two cousins Taylor (23) and Dana (19), my uncle Jeff, and occasionally my aunt Jill. It’s always a great time and we always have stories to tell. One particular trip always comes up in conversation when we’re together, our trip to Orlando for the Capital One Bowl in 2010. Penn State beat LSU 19-17 in a soggy, rainy, yet exciting New Years Day bowl.

If anyone has ever been to Orlando you know there is a lot to do. Depending on where you are, you can either spend the day at Disney World or Universal Studios. Personally I prefer Universal Studios as it’s geared towards an older age group with all the amenities it offers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Disney World is a great time, but I’d rather spend my day at the Harry Potter park than getting my picture taken with Mickey Mouse. Anyways, we did spend some time at Universal Studios and checked out the parks. We also had dinner on the CityWalk at the world famous Margaritaville. One of the best parts of our trip and any trip we go on is who goes on the trips with us.

            I remember when I got the plane ticket and game ticket for Christmas, it was by far one of the biggest surprises I’ve ever received; not to be outdone by a box of oranges I got in 2005 when my parents surprised me with a trip to the Orange Bowl. I don’t recall the exact date we left for Orlando but I think it was around the 27^th or 28^th of December and we were down there until the 3^rd of January. When we travel to Penn State games we always go with people we know or always end up seeing people we know. For this trip we had quite a large group; along with my cousins Taylor and Dana, my aunt Jill and uncle Jeff, there was my uncle Chris, my aunt Deb, and my other two cousins Kaleb (20) and Anna (18). We also met with our family friends who have tailgated with us for 20 plus years, Jimmy (we call him JJ), his wife Therese, and another family friend Shaun. If anyone knows my family and the people we tailgate with, you know that list of people is legendary. If you don’t know or have never been to our tailgate, not only are you missing out on the experience of a lifetime, you’re missing out on meeting some truly great people. I consider them family. The stories we have are ones we will always talk and laugh about. They’ve been a part of my life since I was in diapers and even though I only see them a few times during the year, they’re a huge part of my life.

            When game day arrived we looked outside and of course of the only day it should rain is the day of the game. It wasn’t a light drizzle or a mist but a downpour. We got our day started with some omelets from the omelet bar, enjoyed our breakfast, showered up and got ready. We all met in the lobby before our bus arrived to take us to the stadium. Once we got to the stadium, we met up with some more friends with whom we tailgate. Now at the time of the game in 2010, I was 17, but I will say that I had a few drinks here and there. It was raining the entire morning up until kickoff, but it was still soggy and somewhat cold for Florida. When we were walking to the stadium we noticed they were handing out those loud and obnoxious thundersticks you often see at basketball games; I obviously jumped at the chance to grab some. Turns out that wasn’t the best idea. In our section it was myself, Taylor, Dana, Jeff and Jill, along with Therese and JJ. The game was somewhat boring as neither team could really do too much with the muddy field conditions and some rain every now and then so we had to entertain ourselves in the stands. As halftime was getting closer we took our bathroom break and got some drinks. When we returned to our seats we noticed that JJ wasn’t with us. We looked around and couldn’t find him. When the second half started we were still wondering where he was, his wife muttered something that if you know JJ will make you laugh, “oh my God, why is Jimmy on the field?” We look down to the field and there he is, standing on the sidelines, wearing a Penn State Blue Band poncho. Not only was he in the wrong place, so were we. It turned out that we were sitting in the wrong section the entire first half and had been telling people that they were in the wrong section. Alcohol might have played a role in all of that, but I’m not jumping to conclusions.

            This trip really had everything; it was in Florida, we had family and friends, and Penn State won. Based off our last experience, if we ever get the chance to go back, I know my family won’t hesitate to do so.

2015 NFL Draft Preview: Picks 1-10

With the college football season now officially over, and congrats to Ohio State on their championship, the next phase for some players is NFL. There are still two days left for underclassmen to declare for the draft and for the most part, those who are on the fence many believe will fall towards the NFL Draft. This years class isn't like recent years and doesn't have the talent but that doesn't mean there aren't future NFL stars.

Last week I came out with the top 20 picks and each teams needs. Here's a look at the top 10 picks and potentials draftees for each team.

1. Tampa Bay- Leonard Williams, DT, Southern California 
2. Tennessee- Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
3. Jacksonville- Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa
4. Oakland- Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5. Washington- Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
6. New York (Jets)- Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7. Chicago- Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
8. Atlanta- Shane Ray, DE, Missouri 
9. New York (Giants)- Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky
10. St. Louis- La'el Collins, OT, LSU

     Mock drafts are always a mess and very rarely accurate. They're usually based on team needs, who fits where, and maybe someone making a stretch pick (the Raiders). I'm pretty hesitant to assume certain prospects will flourish at the next level just having seen what they've done in college. 

     Quarterbacks are usually the hardest to evaluate. Oregon's Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota is one of those quarterbacks. The system he's been in for the last three years and the numbers he's put up doesn't translate to immediate NFL success. Having not taken a snap under center hurts him and running a spread option offense doesn't give scouts all the answers on what kind of NFL quarterback he'll be. He can read defenses fairly well and generally throws to open receivers because of the offense and he has the athletic ability to expend plays. 

     You can never say that a player is a "sure-thing", but we like to do it anyways. There's no Andrew Luck in this draft, no Julio Jones, or no Luke Kuechly, but there are prospects who could make an impact early on. 

• Amari Cooper- The All-American wide receiver from Alabama looks to follow in the footsteps of former Alabama great, Julio Jones. The junior has the tools and skill set to be a threat at the next level. His route running is excellent. His ability to get off the line is NFL caliber. And above all, his work ethic and him wanting to be great is something you can't teach. 
• Leonard Williams- The Southern Cal product can step in right away and be "that guy". The potential number one pick has the size, strength, and athleticism to line up inside or out and make the play. At 6'5" 298 pounds, he plays with incredible strength and will be a force at the next level.

The NFL Draft will be held April 30-May 2 in Chicago.

Concussions: How Bad Can It Be?

            This is why we watch football. As fans we love to see the brutal hits, we love seeing a wide receiver come across the middle and take a shot from a linebacker or safety. Our jaws drop every time they show a replay because while we sit at home on our couch, we couldn’t imagine taking a hit like that and getting up. As someone who played football in high school I know how bad a helmet to helmet hit can hurt; and as someone who liked to lead with my helmet demonstrated poor tackling methods, I also know the risks that come with playing that way. I’m 22 and I lost count of how many concussions I've had but I know it’s upwards of 10-15 and because of that I have post concussion syndrome. Not all were severe but nonetheless, a concussion does damage. When I see an athlete go down with a concussion and come back into the game I just shake my head. I sit there and wonder how the training staff can let them go back in and take more repetitive hits the head and cause more damage to their brain.

            My first concussion was in 4^th grade during peewee football. My most severe concussion was during my senior year of high school when I took multiple blows to the head on the same play. My head hit the turf and I was out. I woke up sitting on the bench and when I opened my eyes, the pain the resonated in my head was something I had never felt before. I went to a neurologist the following day and got all the tests done along with an X-ray, MRI, and CAT Scan. When I went in to see the neurologist after the results came back he told how bad it was, he told me it was by far the worst I’ve had. My next question was how long would the headache I was having last; he said another week. That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. The symptoms I had lasted about a month but the headaches still linger today.

            Those who live with them every day can only understand the lasting effects of concussions. The last time I saw my neurologist was this past October, he asked me when the last time I didn’t have a headache was, I told him probably 4 years ago. I can take medicine to lesson the headache but it’s always there. My short-term memory has slowly gotten worse over the years. On days when I have strong headaches it causes mood swings, I lose focus and energy, and I’m drained emotionally and mentally. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t act like my normal self, and as much as I’d like to, it’s something I cannot control. I give my fiancé tons of credit for now having to deal with me when I have bad days. I came to grips with the long-term ramifications of concussions and just moved on. I’m very fortunate, however, that my life living with concussions isn’t as bad as others. I didn’t play college football mainly because I didn’t have the skills or size, but I knew that my brain couldn’t handle it.

            Life after football for NFL players varies. Some guys can live a long, somewhat healthy life and just deal with the nagging bumps and bruises. Others will have to deal with a short life full of headaches, depression, anger, and sometimes regret. You hear former players talk about their memory and how bad it is. Former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon has publicly said that he needs to write down directions on how to get back to his house. Those are just some of the issues they have to deal with. If you’ve seen any of the documentaries or heard stories of those players, including the ones who have passed away, you know what their life was like. Painkillers were abused, drugs and alcohol are abused, divorces were happening, and their life is never the same. There have been players who have passed away in recent years and doctors have examined their brain have diagnosed them with having had CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), it is a form of encephalopathy that is a progressive degenerative disease and is caused by repetitive blows to the head. Trainers and team doctors need to take the appropriate protocols to ensure the safety of the players. The Big Ten Conference is taking a strong approach into the way concussions are recognized. 

           The only way concussions are going to be stopped is if football is stopped. As a fan I never want to see that because I'm selfish and love the entertainment value of football and love the game but players are going to continue to get bigger and stronger and will continue hit harder. I won't say football will be eliminated, but down the road I feel it will be strongly considered if you have a dramatic occurrence on the field because again, it's all about player's safety.  

Story Time: The Draft

            What if I told you I attended an NFL Draft party; is that something you might be interested in? Well it happened. In a million years I never would have thought I would be sitting in the same room as an NFL prospect when he got the phone call of a lifetime.

            The summer of 2012 was an eventful one for me to say the least. I had a summer job at the Penn State Golf Courses just for shits and giggles. It was an easy job; I was outside all day and I got free golf. How could it get any better for a college student? I was told by my boss one day that we’d be getting an intern from the Penn State football team. My first thought, being the Penn State fan that I am was this is going to be awesome. My second thought was that it would be the backup punter because you never see the starting quarterback or another premiere player with an internship. When I got to work on that day I was walking up to the clubhouse and standing at the door was Penn State’s starting defensive tackle Jordan Hill. I knew who Jordan was, I had seen him play for 3 previous years, but I didn’t know him. He came up to me, shook my hand and said, “what’s goin on, I’m Jordan”, I proceeded to do the same. We worked together for about 5 hours during the day so we got to build some sort of friendship over the eight weeks he interned. In July, roughly two weeks after the NCAA handed down the sanctions from the Jerry Sandusky scandal and Jordan’s two roommates, receiver Justin Brown and tailback Silas Redd, had transferred due to part of the sanctions. Jordan came up to me at work one day prior to both transferring and said if they ended up leaving that he would need a new roommate. Thinking he was joking, I laughed and said, “yeah I’m in”, turns out he wasn’t joking. I got a phone call a couple of days later from Jordan saying both roommates were gone and he proceeded to ask me if I was still interested in moving in. I talked to my parents, called him back and told him I’d move in. The rest is history.

            Fast forward to November 24^th; Senior Day against Wisconsin, Jordan had the game of his life. He recorded 12 tackles (8 solo), 3 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. He was a dominant force down the stretch for the defense. After the game we all headed back to our apartment to celebrate, and to say that the celebration was big is an understatement.

Once the New Year rolled around it was time for Jordan to get to work in preparation for the NFL. I knew that it took a lot of time, commitment, and hard work for someone to make it to the NFL but never in my life had I seen someone dedicate more time to something than Jordan. He had essentially change his lifestyle to get his body right for the next level and what would come with it. There were also some perks that came along with that preparation too; his agent had hooked him up with a Mercedes Benz for the time being while he was still in State College, needless to say that Jordan and I had a good spring. 

            As the NFL Draft was fast approaching Jordan had been taking visits to teams and participating in private workouts. We all had high hopes as to where he would get drafted. It was hard to not read the projections for him; some had him late first round. Others had him second round and some had him third round. Regardless, we knew he’d get drafted. Friday, April 27^th, the second round of the NFL Draft. The day began with Jordan’s family and friends coming into town early to start the festivities, all in all there was probably 15 of us in our townhouse. The second round didn’t start until the late evening so it was a long day of eating and some drinking. Once the second round was underway, the waiting game had begun. The second round had come and gone with no phone call. The room was still lively as there there was still one round to go. The tension started to rise however as the third round was winding down, there were 12 picks left and his phone still hadn’t rang.

Pick number 86, the Indianapolis Colts were on the clock and the phone went off. We all started to cheer because we assumed it was the Colts. It wasn’t the Colts; it was the Seattle Seahawks. Jordan’s name came up on the screen, as he was the 87^th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Pandemonium ensued. Everyone let out one giant cheer. High fives and hugs were going around. Meanwhile, while Jordan was on the phone downstairs, the rest of us cracked opened some beers and poured some liquor; it was time to have fun. About an hour later we headed down to the bars for an even bigger party. I don’t recall all of what happened that night but I do know this, it was a night I’ll never forget.

My friendship with Jordan is more of a big brother; I look up to him for what he’s gone through on and off the field. He looks out for me when I need it. He’s the best man in my wedding and one of my closest friends. He worked harder than anyone I had ever met, and he still does. His NFL career is just getting started and it’s going to be something special. Keep doing your thing buddy; the best is yet to come.

2015 NFL Draft Preview

It's that time of the year when potential NFL prospects make the decision of whether they want to cash in and go pro or keep hitting the books and stay in school. Those underclassmen have until January 15^th to declare themselves for the draft. It's a hard choice for some. Not every player is first round material; but players have the chance to be drafted and show what they can do. They have plenty of opportunities to do so; their first opportunity is the regular season and a potential bowl game. Next up are the postseason games; these games are for seniors. The Senior Bowl is the premier game that players attend with hundreds of scouts in attendance. When April comes around some 300+ players will be invited to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s the single event where players show how fast they are, how strong they are, their intelligence, and plenty of other on the field and off the field skills. After they show off their skills in Indy, they have a Pro Day, which is their schools private workout for NFL scouts. Players who weren’t invited to the Combine can use the school’s Pro Day as that stepping stone. Once all that is over come the private workouts players will have with teams. Then in April the NFL Draft happens; it’s an event that can be full of surprises both good and bad.

The NFL “experts” will put together their list of the top prospects and where each could end up. I like to wait until all players declare to put out projections, for now I’ll show the teams needs in order of what they need the most.

          NOTE- Picks 21-32 are to be determined 

1.    Tampa Bay- Quarterback, Offensive Line, Defensive Line

2.    Tennessee- Quarterback, Defensive Line, Cornerback

3.    Jacksonville- Offensive Line, Cornerback, Running Back

4.    Oakland- Defensive Line, Defensive Back, Wide Receiver

5.    Washington- Offensive Line, Defensive Back, Defensive Line

6.    New York Jets- Quarterback?, Offensive Line, Defensive Back

7.    Chicago – Linebacker, Defensive Line, Defensive Back

8.    Atlanta- Defensive Line, Tight End, Defensive Back

9.    New York Giants- Linebacker, Defensive End, Offensive Line

10.  St. Louis- Quarterback, Cornerback, Running Back

11.  Minnesota- Offensive Line, Defensive Back, Running Back

12.  Cleveland-Wide Receiver, Linebacker, Defensive Line

13.  New Orleans- Defensive Back, Quarterback, Defensive Line

14.  Miami- Linebacker, Offensive Line, Defensive Back

15.  San Francisco- Quarterback, Defensive Line, Offensive Line

16.  Houston- Quarterback, Offensive Line, Wide Receiver

17.  San Diego- Defensive Back, Defensive Line, Offensive Line

18.  Kansas City- Wide Receiver, Offensive Line, Defensive Line

19.  Cleveland (from Buffalo)

20.  Philadelphia- Defensive Back, Linebacker