Entry 1: December 22, 2007
Who ever said you can never go home again...was wrong.
After four years of college, spending all those
semesters at UConn, all those summers training and
lifting in Storrs, realistically I should call that tiny
town in Eastern Connecticut home.
Maybe I am a glutton for punishment, or maybe it’s
easier for me to identify with the endless winters and
short summers of Rochester than it is to get used to New
England weather. At any rate being back home in Penfield
for a few days bitter sweet. I love being here and
seeing my family, but I miss my football family. That’s
right, I miss all of them especially my teammates. How
could I miss the guys that I spend everyday, day in day
out with? Easy. We are a family, everyone playing their
different roles.
The freshman is the younger brother who doesn’t quite
get the traditions of the holidays just yet, and make no
mistake UConn is making "Going Bowling" a tradition. The
receivers and running backs are those flashy uncles who
show up giving the best presents (touchdowns and hair
care products, thanks 'dre ... shake those dreads). The
defensive backs are probably the reason for the phrase
"you should never talk politics or religion with
family". Nothing is off limits to these guys, they're
moxy knows no bounds and they can literally argue any
point all day. So imagine your Christmas dinner with
Robert McLain, Darius Butler and Tyvon Branch pulling no
punches.
Next, we have the linebackers. The linebackers are like
your favorite cousins, the sons of your Uncle Todd
(Orlando). Uncle Todd doesn’t say much, but he’s got
those boys right. Ever run out of food at your Christmas
dinner? It was probably because your large-oversized
half-brothers all showed up, ate the food and are
comfortably seated in your favorite spot on the couch,
and yeah--they just took the remote. I'm of course
referring to Keith Gray, Mike Hicks, Donald Thomas, Dan
Ryan and Will Beatty.
Did I mention yet about that side of the family. The
ones that only show up at the holidays, long haired and
unshaven. Do you know family members who are sporting
blowouts or bodacious blonde highlights? That’s right,
when the holiday dinner starts to smell like hair gel it
could mean only one thing: the “Kick Squad” has arrived.
And then just when you think the party can't get any
more hectic, when there are no more roles or play or
niches to fill, enter your Crazy Uncle Hank (Hughes):
Stage Right. He has brought with him his adopted fosters
sons -- eight different guys, eight different
personalities. Dan Davis and Alex Polito, who while
adopted, it might be that they were separated at the
birth. Weren't they Plainville Booster Club Linemen of
the year? Nevermind. Julius Williams, Mike Cox, Cody
Brown -- part time ninja – and Lindsey Witten. So with
all these people arriving to eat, some eating too much
(Derek), you might ask yourself who is in the kitchen
doing all the cooking?
Well, of course, that would be the offensive and
defensive staff making sure it all comes together. But
who is that sneaking in to deliver bowl gifts after the
food coma has set in? Randy Claus, of course.
Now that I have gone off on a tangent that I am sure
very few people are likely to have actually read (my
apologies), I want all of you to know that there is an
actual point to all of that.
And my point is this. We may have come from all over
North America, from different states and different
countries. From different high schools in different
towns, but the message is this: We are all a family now.
Each of us have a different role, some bigger than
others. But the bottom line is that come December 24,
this family and its 100-plus members is going to be
arriving in Charlotte N.C., with an appetite for bowl
victory.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Best,
Rob
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