Game Day: Week 5

The alarm clock screaming at me to wake up at 8 A.M. and telling me that I should’ve went to bed a lot sooner than I did. That seems like it happens a lot through my football career. I get out of the shower like I always do to wake up for football. I start making my way to campus for devotional and rubbing my eyes trying to focus on the road also pondering why I put myself through this were every other college student is sleeping as late as they want on a Saturday morning. But in a few hours it will be all worth it when the ball is kicked off.  We all pile into the chapel on campus for our devotional from Pastor Greg who always reads scriptures that relate to everyday life and how it will help motivate us throughout our game that day. After singing our signature song “I Believe I Believe” we head to Hein dining hall where we are served the usual average breakfast that I try to eat as little as possible so I’m not still full during the game.  Putting up my dishes it’s time to go to the field house and start mentally preparing for the game today. As I get to the locker room I put all my gear together and lounge around watching other college football games that are on TV. The worst thing about playing college football is that you don’t get to see all the big games that happen in division 1 football because we usually play. During this time the team messes around making jokes and pulling little pranks that won’t attract too much attention from the coaches but enough to have a good time. But sooner than later it is time to go to position meetings to make sure that everyone knows what team they are on and where they are supposed to be. Then the coaches and captains try their best to pump up the team the best they can before the “battle”. When the meetings end it is time to load the trusty Yellow dogs (buses) and go to the field. Arriving at the field it is our first time seeing a little bit of the other team that we will be going head to head against for the next 60 minutes. While we are sitting in our other locker room it is pretty much silent just guys mentally getting ready mostly listening to music or just sitting quietly. The loudest thing is one player who thinks he could pursue a rapping career but he doesn’t sound as good as the professional quality that he hears through his ear phones which is pretty distracting. The coaches come in periodically to yell how much time each group has until they need to go out while we are all putting on our gear. Finally we are all out on the field for stretch and warm up and this is when we all start getting hyped up and feeling the butterflies in your stomach. We do the usual drills to get loosened up and get the head thinking about football. When stretch is over we head in to get a little water and pray together just to head back out to line up for the national anthem. “O say can you see ……” and soon enough after the coin toss we are lined up getting ready to kick the ball off. The nerves pulse through everyone’s veins until you hear the first thud of the kick then the fight begins. It is a pretty jumbled up time coaches yelling and people going on and off the field waiting for the coach to yell for you to go in. When you’re on the field everything is so fast you line up across from a guy about your size and react when the center snaps the ball. You work across the guys face and all you see is blurred until out of nowhere you see the ball and make a break for it to wrap up the running back and drag him to the ground. Then the buzzer sounds and we head into the locker room for half time. The next half is the same thing except even more intense when we are battling for the win right down to the very last second. Buzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!! Everyone is smiling patting each other on the back and coaches telling the players good game. Then the whole team gathering together on the 50 yard line to thank God for allowing us to play the game and come out victorious this time. Then we make our why back to campus to ring the victory bell to signal our victory and let everyone know that the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs won their game that Saturday.

Quarterback- Brent Peavy