The Dream That Will Never End…An experience of the football camp last year:The first practice is about to start. Everybody was so excited that we all sprinted out to the field. Kevin Tolbert/ Athletic Trainer led us in the warm up drills. We split up into groups and got to spend fifteen minutes at each position working on the fundamentals for the one play that confused everybody. I did not want the practice to end even though it was about 95 degrees. To be taught by these guys was an honor. The practice was very difficult but it was fun. By the end of the practice, some guys had a hard time distinguishing between right and left. Do not worry the coaches pointed that out to us. I think one of them called us the dumbest team he has every coached. It was still a great time and I learned a ton about football in just one day. These guys are great teachers.
After practice, Coach Carr spoke to us and said that if he were in our shoes he would not know if he was playing offense or defense. That made us feels better. He also said that this would make more sense tomorrow. Of course, he was right.
We then boarded the bus back to the stadium locker room and hung up our clothes to be washed for tomorrow’s practice and headed back to the hotel for the 6:30 cocktail reception. Wait a minute it is 6:20 already. Coach Carr hates us to be late. He says better to be three hours early than one minute late. By the way, I need a nap.
The cocktail reception was very nice. They had shrimp and scallops wrapped in bacon with beverages. I met two guys one from Illinois and the other from California. We had another great conversation about Michigan football. What else is there? Dinner was at 7:30. There is a lot of history behind this dinner. When Bo came to Michigan in 1969, his team stayed at the Campus Inn every Friday night before a home game. They still do that to this day. Another tradition is one that we are continuing. For dinner every Friday night before the game the team has the same dinner just like the one we are having. It starts with clam chowder, then salad then either steak or chicken with a big piece of lasagna with a baked potato with corn. The desert is ice cream with chocolate syrup. Excessively too much food.
The guest speaker at the dinner was John Wangler. Let us not forget his pass to Anthony Carter on the last play of the game to beat Indiana. He was also the guy that lead Michigan to Bo’s first Rose Bowl victory. He talked about his time at Michigan and how much he loved the University and his time there will be something he will treasure forever. He also talked about Bo and how he misses him every day. He told a story about throwing an interception in practice one time and Bo jumped all over him. Bo told him that he might be the worst Quarterback in the history of intercollegiate football. Wangler said he response to Bo was “that’s quite a span of time.” Bo kicked him out of practice. Wangler also acknowledged Lloyd Carr. He thanked him for all he has done on and off the field and he had one favor to ask him. He asked Coach Carr if could stay on as coach so he could coach his son at Michigan. He then said, “by the way he’s twelve.” I thought Coach was going to fall out of his chair.
After the dinner was over and I was on the elevator up to the 15th floor, I could not help but think that I must be the luckiest guy in the world. I really think that Kim and I are the only ones that really know how important and special this is for me. I called her when I got back to the room and talked her ear off for twenty but I had to cut the conversation short because I had to study my playbook. I could not let me coaches down. They were counting on me. I noticed that they had dropped off some hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie. This is another tradition of Michigan football before game day.
written by MORENCIE124
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