Inside IU Football

GO TO NEW BLOG!

2008-12-24T22:11:00.002-05:00

Looking for my writings? Go to my NEW BLOG at www.bryanpayton.blogspot.com. Postings begin on Jan. 1, 2009! Check it out and feel free to comment!

IDS Column: Weezy a sports pundit?

2008-10-14T22:29:00.003-04:00

I am currently a sports and men's fashion cloumnist for the Indiana Daily Student. I have been writing for them since May, 2008. I have held down my columnist gig since August of this year. I will now be posting my articles on this blog just incase you don't get to read them in the paper or at idsnews.com. My columns run in the paper every Teusday and Friday and will be posted on this sight soon thereafter. Here's my most recent column. Enjoy.

In a weekend when I can honestly say I watched very little sports, it appears from the looks of SportsCenter to be one of great excitement.

I was researching for this week’s column by surfing the Web, and I came across a lot of interesting material. In an article written by ESPN columnist Mark Schlabach, I noticed Clemson fired their football coach, Tommy Bowden, after a disappointing 3-3 start.

Chicago Tribune reporter Fred Mitchell wrote about how the Falcons pulled off a miracle in beating the Chicago Bears.

ESPN NASCAR blogger Ryan McGee mentioned Cindy McCain showed up at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., to watch the NASCAR Bank of America 500.

But finally, I came across Lil’ Wayne’s ESPN blog to find some baseball news, and I thought, “Wait a minute. Did I just see a blog by Lil’ Wayne? The same rapper who released The Carter III earlier this year? Young Money? Weezy?”

Yes, that Lil’ Wayne. I don’t know about you, but I found this to be a very creative and innovative idea by ESPN. Kudos to them for making such a move.

I began reading the blog to see if this was for real. It certainly is.

On top of that, he actually knows his stuff. He puts his own spin on things, which makes his blog an entertaining read.

Who would’ve known Weezy’s favorite player is Brett Favre? Here’s what he had to say about the wily old vet: “Now on to Brett Favre. He must know God’s phone number, ‘cause he is superhuman. Like, Brett Favre? Come on. He’s like 3,900 years old and he threw for six touchdowns? He’s never even done that in his whole career. ... There’s a reason why he’s my favorite player of all-time.”

Also, check out his comical take on Aaron Rodgers’ shoulder injury: “It’s a tricky thing. They say shoulder, and when they say that, that means he could be seriously injured. It’s like me telling you, ‘I’m sick,’ but not telling you what’s sick about me. I’m skeptical about it, because when you say something like ‘he has a sprained shoulder,’ come on, who sprains their shoulder? I’ve never sprained my shoulder.”

Obviously, Lil’ Wayne is no athlete, but I can definitely see where he’s coming from. This is the sports world we live in – get used to it, Weezy. But who does sprain a shoulder?

I don’t know how long Lil’ Wayne will continue to be an ESPN blogger, but now that I’ve discovered it, I plan on being a regular reader. You can read his blogs on ESPN.com by searching “Lil’ Wayne.”

It still remains to be seen if he’s capable of actually maintaining a career as a sports pundit. As a sports blogger/columnist myself, I say welcome to the club, Weezy.

KEEP THE FAITH

2008-10-13T14:35:00.000-04:00

If you've been paying attention the last four weeks you don't need me
to tell you that we've now dropped four straight. But let me assure you,
I'm not about to panic. Therefore, neither should you. Let me tell
you why - we're a great team, period.

We're fighting each day to get better. Unfortunately, things have not
always gone our way. And when it rains, it pours. But the
bottom line is, that's life. As young men we're learning a valuable
lesson in all of this. Yes, times are rough and we're nowhere
near where we expected to be at the beginning of the season. This is a time for soul
searching. I can tell you that my teammates and I, we're all in and we will not stop
fighting, not for one second. Things may not always go our way.
Yes, there have been mistakes made, and to be honest, there will be
more. That is part of the game. But we must continue to move forward and
keep the faith in order for wonderful things to come our way.

God has a plan for us this season. I do not know what it is or what
exactly will come out of this physically, psychologically or
spiritually. But one thing I do know is that it will be for the greater
good. God has given us the talent, all we can do is play our best. In
every game a team will saunter off the football field with its
spirits crushed and its pride wounded. And on the other side there
will be a team celebrating with joyfulness and glee. We plan on being
the winning team. Why? Because we know we can do it and we, more than
anything, have faith.

Murray St. Recap

2008-09-08T15:51:00.002-04:00

Saturday’s game was an important one for our team. We needed to see how we could handle an opponent we knew little about who would come into Bloomington hungry for a win against a Big Ten team. I give Murray State credit. I felt like they played hard and I wish them the very best of luck the rest of their season. But we took care of business on Saturday.

The day began at 9:30a.m., as we were allowed to sleep in a bit due to the late game. After eating brunch at 11 a.m.,we all retired to our rooms for some time to relax and watch some football. My roommate, Trea Burgess and I, switched back and forth between the Michigan vs. Miami (Ohio) game and the Ohio State vs. Ohio game.I was mostly interested in watching Ohio play because my former prep school teammate, cornerback Mark Parson, plays for the Bobcats.They gave the Buckeyes quite a scare.

In the moments leading up to our game I did my best to keep my mind free of distractions while staying mentally loose at the same time. My entire football career, it is these types of games that have been the most trying on me mentally for the simple fact that we were “supposed” to win. I prepared the same way I would for any other opponent, but I sometimes tend to put undue pressure on myself for the simple fact that I’m afraid to fail. Therefore, I do my best to clear my mind.
As for the game itself, I am very proud of our defense. Holding the Racers to three points was outstanding. I have the utmost confidence in the defense every time it takes the field. I’m also very proud of my teammates on offense, especially the offensive line. The condition that they are in is second to none. I think you’d be hard pressed to find another offensive line in better shape than ours.

I was so happy to see Thigpen score two touchdowns. He deserved to have a great performance. He works hard and I know he will continue to have a great season. I was also excited to see D. McCray find the end zone after the trying year he had last season. Congratulations to Zach Davis-Walker on his first collegiate touchdown. Now, we need to get Trea in the end zone. Also, congratulations to Damarlo Belcher for scoring his first touchdown last week, to Tandon Doss for his first collegiate receptions and Ben Chappell for scoring the first rushing touchdown of his career.

Ofcourse, I was happy to find the end zone for the first time this season. Although, for a moment earlier in the game, I thought it wasn’t going to happen. On a run in the first quarter, I got the ball and tried to spin off a defender. As I did this the defender and another player corralled meand bent me backward. Both my knee and ankle were in a weird position and for a split second I thought to myself, “Well, my season’s over.” But thanks to the good Lord above, I got up okay.

I want to thank all of you who attended the game. You made your presence known and believe me, we all appreciate it. Encourage your colleagues and friends who didn’t attend the game to attend the Ball State game in two weeks. You all make a difference, so we need more and more of you.

The Grind

2008-08-15T13:14:00.001-04:00

Preseason camp has gone well thus far. We are in the middle of what we players call “The Grind.” It is hot, the days are long and guys are getting banged up, but the practices and hard work continue. Training camp is something that can become a burden if you let it, but our coaches have been doing a great job keeping our eyes on the prize.

Guys are finding interesting ways to pass the time and dinnertime conversations are becoming one of the most enjoyable aspects of camp. Guys have done everything from watching the Olympics to singing and dancing soulfully to the smooth sounds of R&B from the 60’s and 70’s. Naps are also important, though I’ve only taken two since camp has started. I prefer to watch television, or read a book or magazine during our limited free time.

There comes a time when you realize that you are going to have good days and you are going to have bad days. And even the good days can seem downright awful. Maybe you dropped a pass, or fumbled or missed a block. We all try our hardest not to allow those things to happen, but one must know that this is football and these things happen to everyone. Every player is working hard to be successful for this football team and to help us become better than ever.

“The Grind” is a necessary evil. We will get through it and be better football playersbecause of it. We have all been very busy and any free time we get we definitely take advantage of it. If we are not beating each other up and playing fast, we are meeting, eating or sleeping.

I cannot wait for the season to begin. But first we must get better through training camp and pay the dues that training camp requires of all of us to become better players and ultimately a better team.

A Young Man Determined

2008-08-01T16:28:00.002-04:00

Wideout Brandon Walker-Roby knows he ready for greatness…No matter what’s happened in the past.

On a one hot muggy day this past summer I can remember us players being in the beginning stage of one of Mark Wateska’s unforgiving workouts. It was probably the second forty yard sprint we were running when I noticed a big neon green object out of the corner of my eye. When I looked over it was Brandon Walker-Roby out in front of everybody running hard with a SPARQ parachute attached to him to create resistance while he ran. For a split second I was surprised, but when I thought about how his summer has gone I thought again.

Brandon has stepped up his game this off-season. He hasn’t been perfect but there’s a sense of urgency that wasn’t there before. Of the twenty of us players redshirted from Hep’s first recruiting class he was one of the few to earn playing time as true freshman back in 2005. Since that year his production has steadily declined. But Brandon has big dreams and is bound not let his past performances hinder those dreams. “My career hasn’t gone the way I wanted it to be,” said Brandon. “The way I see it is you only need one year. I look at Devin Thomas (formerly) of Michigan State. His sophomore year he only had six catches. He came out his junior year and killed and now he’s in the league. So, I really don’t look at the last two years of my career. I just have to move forward.”

Fast forwarding is more like it. Brandon has found the time all summer to make himself better despite also interning with Channel 8 News in Indianapolis. He is now bigger, faster, and stronger due to a combination of workouts from his personal trainer at home and Mark Wateska’s grueling workouts here in Bloomington.
More so than anything, it is the pursuit of happiness mixed with a healthy dose of fear that pushes him each day. “My biggest fear is not being successful,” he explains. “I see lots of people out here working nine to fives and they hate it. I can’t see myself doing that. I have to be playing football. It’s my motivation to do what I want to do in life and be successful.”

Though, a budding TV journalist, football is Brandon’s dream job. He doesn’t think he can make it to the NFL. He knows he can make it. He already witnessed a blueprint on how to make the pros when his brother, former IU wideout Courtney Roby, experienced success on the college level before making it big. “Looking at his success lets me know that I can do it,” said Brandon as he reflected. “It shows that guys in the NFL are regular people just like him. I see what he’s had to go through to get there it’s the same thing I’m going through.”

Brandon now has the determination and the motivation. He has the God-given ability to do great things both on and off the field. He has great inspiration from both his brother and his mother, who often times doubles as his motivator in life. Brandon has put in the work in this offseason. He has grown up in his four years and wants to lead. He wants to do things his way to breed success. He’s not afraid to dream big and will not give up on his dreams for anybody. This is the new and improved Brandon Walker-Roby. The young man who’s more than prepared to rewrite his own history.

CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER

2008-05-19T11:09:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am closing the blog for the summer. I have started work for the Indiana Daily Student newspaper and I want to concentrate on writing for them and doing my best in that area at this time. I will also being concentrating on my schoolwork and getting ready for the season. I'm setting things up to where I will b posting on my blog more consistently, giving you five or six posts a week. The blog will return on August 1, beginning with my Training Camp Preview so come back then. Until then, have a great summer. God bless.

GET OUT AND VOTE!

2008-05-05T11:44:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is a day where Hoosiers all over the state have a great chance to make a difference. Tuesday is a day for us to go and potentially choose America's next President by voting for a democratic representative in the primaries. My teammate and friend, Jammie Kirlew, is not your ordinary football player. Yes, he sacks quarterbacks and causes all kinds of ruckus in backfields all across the Big Ten, but Jammie is a smart young man with a great mind for today's issues. The big time defensive end has been urging for many people to get out and vote for quite some time now. I enjoy and support his views so I've decided to help him get the word out. Therefore, I present to you...

WALK THE TALK!
By: Jammie Kirlew

In the past eight years our economy has deteriorated, the war in Iraq has put our country in debt and health care has been very inefficient. These three problems are the top issues for voters in the 2008 election, according to CNN. Although these issues pose grave importance to all Americans, the major issues that hit home to college students are fairly different. As college students we face the dilemma of the increases in college cost, the reduction of funds to pay for college, and the decrease in the job market once we graduate.

Now we have a chance as college students to make certain that our voices are heard and make a difference in this upcoming election. New voters are registering in large amounts all around the country and the majority of these numbers are attributed to college students. We cannot fall back into the norms and the stereotypes of college students who are always talking about voting, but fail to make it out to the polls. Now is the time for us to Walk the Talk!

I am a strong supporter of Sen. Barack Obama as are many other students at Indiana University. Many students feel that Sen. Obama is a man of integrity, intellect, and that his strong leadership is both appealing and refreshing to many voters. Sen. Obama is also a very eloquent speaker who realizes the power of WORDS and how they can be used to inspire a country or to get past the bickering of differences in Washington and get things done. A recent example of Obama’s integrity was made clear by the opposing view to McCain’s proposed gas tax suspension for the summer, an idea that Sen. Hillary Clinton supports. He realizes that this three-month suspension will only save citizens a total of $28 and will drive up cost and reduce jobs in the future. Many economists back Obama’s decision to disagree with the proposed gas tax suspension because of its negatives, according to CNN. This is an example of the tough decisions and good judgment the next leader of our country is going to have to make. Obama also displayed good judgment when he did not support the Iraq war in 2002, when McCain and Clinton supported it.

Ultimately, Democrat or Republican, we have to take action to choose the next leader of the United States of America to get our country back in the right direction. We have to make better choices than have been made in the past, and we have to Walk the Talk! So let’s show up to the primary this Tuesday before 6 pm or vote early Monday at the Monroe County Clerks office and ensure our voices are heard.

MTV Motivation?

2008-05-01T14:46:00.001-04:00

As an avid television fan, I've been watching lots of it lately. My favorite channel, MTV, has gotten the bulk of my attention. The "music" channel's latest concoction is an interesting show about experienced high school journalists, called "The Paper". As an aspiring journalist myself, I have an inclination for the wonderful world of journalists.

The show follows the student staff of "The Circuit", the award-winning school newspaper of Cypress Bay High in Weston, Florida. The show began by showing the students bid and submit essays to compete for positions within the staff of the paper, the most coveted position being the all mighty Editor-in-Chief.

I was really hoping that the "The Paper" would do something to explain all of the
different staff positions each person earned within "The Circuit", but they did not.
Instead of helping viewers learn, MTV is doing what it usually does in displaying these kids as whiny and confrontational. Maybe that's who they really are, but I'm still watching to see if they do, in fact, show what story ideas they come up with as well what each job entails.

The most intriguing character is Amanda, a self-absorbed, but hard-working young
journalist who has earned the Editor-in-chief title. He personality is quirky and
sometimes weird, but what makes her different makes her great. She keeps me watching.

All in all "The Paper" still is inspiration for me simply because MTV has decided to air a show about what I want to do. I've just "signed on" to write for the Indiana Daily Student, IU's own student newspaper, and I'm very excited about it. I begin working this summer and I will do everything I can to continue to improve as a young journalist. As for MTV's "The Paper", I'm hoping to catch on to anything I can by watching. If nothing else, all of the whining and arguing can be entertaining.

NFL Bound

2008-04-30T17:23:00.004-04:00

Congrats to James Hardy and Tracy Porter! I am very proud and thankful to them for all of their inspiration, hard work, and great achievements, leading to them getting drafted this past weekend.

With Tracy getting drafted first by the New Orleans Saints and James drafted by the
Buffalo Bills right after, they became the first two players to get drafted in the first two rounds from IU in 70 years. That's quite an achievement.

As soon as I find out what jersey number both guys will be wearing you can bet I'll be ordering those jerseys ASAP. I also can't wait to see both of them starring and making big plays on Sundays.

This years draft gives me five teams to watch closely this year. Of course I'm going to be right with my Colts (I'm so happy we drafted Mike Hart), but I will be following the Falcons (for Coach Brown), the Dolphins (for my former prep school teammate, defensive end Phillip Merling) in addition to the Saints and Bills. I can't wait for the fall!

4 Down,11 to Go

2008-03-31T18:52:00.002-04:00

The first week of spring ball is in the books. Our new fast-paced,
no-huddle offense has been quite an experience. Learning all of the
signals is something I've never had to do in my football career.
Therefore, going into last week I was a little nervous, but everything
is turning out great. The entire offense is in great shape and we're
learning everything at a great pace.

We've had many players stepping up and making plays in practice on both
sides of the ball. On the defensive side of the ball, I'm VERY excited
about our linebackers. They're very fast, strong and athletic. I
witnessed Darius Johnson use that athleticism Saturday in practice as
he dove down near the sideline to make an impressive interception. He
should've had another pick that practice, but he dropped it. During
Friday's practice Ian Reeves picked off a pass after batting it into
the air.

The linebacker core is led by true senior Geno Johnson. Geno has been
making great plays for us for the past three years and this spring and
season will be no different. Will Patterson is a beast and is probably
the most physically impressive linebacker we have. He is a true
intimidator with great quickness and power. Matt Mayberry is going to
be a star. His work ethic is amazing and he's a weight room junkie. He
might be our fastest linebacker. In a lot of ways he reminds me of
Brian Cushing from Southern Cal. I enjoy watching Mayberry play. Tyler
Replogle is one tough son-of-a-gun. He's always around the ball and is
a selfless athlete who will do anything to help the team. He quickly
earned the respect and confidence of the team in last season's training
camp and this spring he's building off of that.

On the offensive side of the ball, Brandon Walker-Roby and Ray Fisher
have demonstrated great leadership at the receiver position. Roby has
displayed a new sense of urgency and dedication to improve upon his six
receptions last season. Fisher has been very vocal and encouraging
to all of us. He's one of the most confident players I've ever been
around and is a joy to have as a teammate.

Ben Chappell has stepped up and looked very impressive. He's caught
on to the new system very well and is turning into a fine field
general. I feel very comfortable next to him on the field.

The next 11 practices should be fun, challenging and effective.
I'm looking forward to each and every one of them.

Time For Spring Ball

2008-03-25T12:25:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year! Time for spring football! I think I speak for
all of my teammates when I say that it's going to feel great to finally
get back to playing football rather than just conditioning. Players are
excited and ready to go. Many of us (including me) are sporting new
tattoos, new goals, new outlooks and a renewed enthusiasm. I can't
wait to hit the field and help build off of what we accomplished last
season and begin to help correct what we didn't do well this offseason. I want to be a leader on this team and I will do my very best to lead by example.

"WE'VE GOTTA RUN HOW MANY HUNDREDS!?"
Sixteen. That's how many hundreds we had to run on both Tuesday and
Thursday. I know you may not think that sounds very tough; that's what
I was thinking as well. But it turned out to be one of the hardest
workouts we've had since I've been here at IU.

On Tuesday, head strength coach, Mark Wateska, and his assistant, Andy
Campbell, broke us in after returning from spring break. We
received short rest times after every four sprints. That took a small
amount of heat off of us, but the workout was still difficult. The times
for each group were fast. I had no problems making the times, but
everyone was sprinting all out for each one, making us that much more
tired. I'd say 99% of the time I have a quick recovery from our
workouts, but after this one...I was DONE! When Coach Lynch was
speaking to us after the workout I was so tired I had trouble keeping
my head up to see him. After we broke it down, I went over to the
sidelines to lie down for a few minutes to get my wits about me.

On Thursday we ran the same workout, only with faster times and no
rest. I actually felt much better on Thursday than I did on Tuesday. We were able to run outside due to the good weather, which
was nice. I noticed some of my teammates throwing up after the workout,
which was all the more reason for me to consider last week’s workouts
one of the hardest weeks we've had.

Mark Wateska and his staff have done an excellent job getting us all
ready to go this spring. They worked our core (abs and back muscles)
exceptionally hard this winter.

Later today my teammates and I will let it loose at practice for the first time since the Insight Bowl. It's going to be great!

My Spring Break at Home

2008-03-17T21:14:00.000-04:00

First of all, allow me to apologize for not getting my player
interviews posted on here by Monday. I simply just did not have time
to do them. Therefore, please forgive me.

All last week was spring break for us IU students and boy was it great!
To be honest with you, I didn't go anywhere but home to good 'ol Fort
Wayne,IN. There's no place I'd rather be. I've never been anywhere for
spring break simply because I'm such a mama's boy (I love my father,
too). I love spending time with my parents and I've realized that in a
couple of years I probably won't be able to get back home and see them
as much as I'd want to. So, all I'm doing is taking advantage of the
time I'm able to spend with them now while I can.

My parents crack me up each and every day. I don't know if they're
going through a midlife crisis or what, but they're starting to get into
some of the same things I'm into. For example, one of the first
conversations I had with my mother when I arrived last weekend was
about MTV's latest top show, Amercia's Best Dance Crew. The show
happened to be on the TV, so of course she was watching it and she
looked at me and said, "I don't know about you but I like the
Jabbawockeez..." I was shocked! Had she lost her mind, gone back to the
ice age, and thought she was in college once again? I just looked at
her and laughed. What was even funnier was that she was actually
critiquing each crew as they danced!

Now, my mom does have rhythm, but what does she know about being in a
dance crew? Beats me. Nevertheless, I did agree with her because the
Jabbawockeez are most definitely my favorite group. If they don't win,
I'll assume the majority of the voters were drunk dialing as they
texted in their votes.

When my dad came home from work that day, he not only commented on
America's Best Dance Crew, but he wanted to get my take on who I thought
was the best singer in Diddy's new Making the Band group, Day 26! Wow!
Once again, I was sent into laughter. I then answered his question,
saying that I always enjoy hearing Robert sing the most. I also
expressed to him that I'm in love with Aundrea of Danity Kane.

All week, I laughed and talked with my parents. As you probably guessed
I watched a lot of TV, too. Not because I was bored, but just because
I LOVE me some TV! In the fall I didn't get to see many shows, so I've made an honest commitment to watch more TV this winter and spring! Sounds like something a couch potato would do, right? Nah, I see it as a hobby.

Besides watching TV I did some shopping, working out, hanging with
friends, and oh yeah, networking. I attended the Big Ten Career Expo in
Indianapolis on Friday morning and afternoon. With my finely pressed
gray slacks, white and gray pin-striped shirt, impressive gray
designer tie, glasses and shiny black shoes, I confidently stepped to
each booth and presented my resume. I explained what it is I want to
do and absorbed everything each person had to say like a sponge. I
learned a lot by going there and I think I made a lot of helpful
contacts. In case you were wondering, I'm looking for an internship that
would allow me to write and/or do something involving media relations.
Oh, and an internship that pays would be nice, but beggars can't be
choosers.

The only down side to my spring break was that I didn't get to watch
the fight on HBO between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny
Pacquiao(PACK-Yow) because it was on Pay-Per-View. I didn't get the
chance to go to a bar and see it like I did for the Jermaine Taylor vs.
Kelly Pavlik fight (Pavlik won). This was the second fight between
Marquez and Pacquiao. The first came back in 2004, where both
fighters brawled their way to a draw. It was an amazing fight as
Marquez fought back after being knocked to the canvas three times in
the first round! I guess I'll just have to catch the rerun on HBO
later this week.

Oh, in case there are any fight fans out there, Floyd Mayweather is
set to face off in rematch against Oscar De La Hoya on September 13, a week
before my birthday! I can't wait, and I'm counting down the days.

Lions,Bengals,and Bears. Oh My!

2008-03-08T20:25:00.002-05:00

Wednesday was an exciting day for our outgoing seniors and one junior. Our annual NFL Pro Day was held over in our Mellencamp indoor facility. Needless to say, my teammates and I were very excited as well. A healthy number of NFL coaches and scouts were in attendance to get a good look and evaluate all of the participants. Out all of the NFL personnel in attendance, one man stood out to me - Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach, Marvin Lewis. I was kind of awestruck at the sight of him. I'm not even a Bengals fan but I really do respect Coach Lewis, especially considering he is one of the few African-American head coaches in football. As I was observing from the sidelines, it was a big deal to catch a glimpse of him.

I rushed over to the The Rock immediately after my 1 p.m. class ended.
The workouts began in the weight room, where the scouts recorded each
of the 13 players (including Indiana State running back Tony West)
heights and weights, except for James Hardy, who stood by his combine
numbers. Josiah Sears really looked to be in great shape.

While in the weight room, the players' repped out their 225-pound bench
press tests. John Sandberg's 31 reps led everyone and would have tied him with three other offensive linemen for fourth at the NFL Combine (Michigan's Jake Long led all linemen with 37). Sears turned in another impressive performance with performed 28 reps. His effort would have tied Oregon's Jonathan Stewart for third among running backs (Furman’s fullback Jerome Felton led all backs with 30 reps).

From there the evaluations continued to Mellencamp, where the players participated in running and agility tests. I clocked Leslie Majors in the 4.5s for both runs, Sears in the low 4.8 range and Blake Powers also running in the low 4.8s. The only reliable time I was able to get was a great time of 4.16 in the 20-yard shuttle by Leslie Majors.

Once the tests were finished, the scouts wanted to workout a few of our stars individually. Hardy ran a wide array of routs given to him by the scouts. He displayed great hands, catching every past thrown his way. He looked fast and in amazing shape. He displayed his great leaping ability while rising way up in the air to catch a bad ball as well.

I was also very impressed with Sears. Working out as a fullback, he was told to run many routs. He caught every ball with his hands and got up field quickly. He definitely helped his stock.

In my opinion, by far, the most impressive performance in position drills came from Porter. He displayed very fluid hips, great hands, quick feet and exceptional ball skills. He was also in amazing shape. He appeared to be very flexible as he was forced to twist and turn for many of the balls thrown to him.

As a whole, I felt like Pro Day went pretty well. It was exciting
to see our players work out and do their best. I couldn't help but
think about when my day would come...only two years away.

I'm Back!

2008-03-05T19:02:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am back! Many things have happened since the last time I've written. National Signing Day has come and gone, Valentine’s Day, the NFL Combine, the NBA All-Star Game, both the Grammy's and the Oscar's, and we have a new running backs coach, Dennis Springer.

I will get to all of these things in due time. I'm about to begin writing much more often. Most of my midterms are out of the way and I have many things on my mind that I'd like to talk about.

Coach Springer is in and has already made his presence known during winter workouts. He's very enthusiastic and upbeat. He's been all over us early in the morning while we sweat it out over inside Mellencamp Pavilion. He's very encouraging and demands nothing less than our best effort. He's a Fort Wayne, Ind., native, which I like. Additionally, he and I were coached by the same person while in high school. In the late '80's, Coach Springer attended Northrop High School, where his head coach was Dean Doerffler. I of course attended Concordia Lutheran High School from 2000-2004, where my head coach was Mr. Doerffler. What a coincidence! Knowing this actually gives me somewhat of an idea as to what he'll be like as a coach once we hit the field. Only time will tell if my assumptions are correct. Needless to say, I hope to make a great impression on him through my work ethic.

SOMETHING NEW
I will be starting something on my blogwhere I will welcome some open rants and raves from my teammates, giving them a chance to say what's on their minds. I figure it's a great way for everyone to see what's on their minds and further get to know the players’ personalities and interests. After all, we're more than just football players, and we're actually regular people like you.

I will also be writing random thoughts of my own as things pop into my head because, to be honest, sometimes I'd rather talk about something other than football.

AISLE III INTERVIEWS COMING SOON!
Today was moving day in our locker room, which means we will have different locker spaces for the next year. I'm really going to miss my locker mates. Me, along with my teammates who had lockers near me called ourselves Aisle III. What's Aisle III you ask? Well it's the middle locker room aisle at The Rock. As I mentioned, I happened to be one of the players in this aisle and in my opinion, I had some of the most interesting characters surrounding me. I've decided to sit down with each member of Aisle III and get some interesting facts and insight on their personalities, aspirations, motivations, funny facts, etc. I'm trying to get the first interviews up by next Monday. Stay posted.

Coach Brown

2008-02-01T13:12:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was a weekend I won't long forget. I'll never forget
getting a phone call from my running backs coach, Gerald Brown, at
around 3 p.m. asking me to call the rest of my running back teammates
for a 4:30 p.m. meeting at The Rock. He sounded like he was in a good
mood, so I knew no one was in trouble. But as he spoke I had a weird
feeling in my gut. It was almost like a nervous feeling. I was well
aware that Coach Brown had been getting noticed for a long time, which
he deserved, but I was never in fear that he would take another job while I was in school here.

As you probably know by now, Coach Brown had accepted an amazing offer to coach running backs for the Atlanta Falcons. When he sat us down and told us, my heart sank a bit. But I still cracked a smile because I know that this has always been his
dream.

I can honestly say that Coach Brown is one of the best coaches I've
ever had. To some he may come across as too tough or too disciplinary,
but for me, he was just right. I can still remember how he coach me when I came to a summer camp between my junior and senior years in high school. I told my parents on the ride back to Fort Wayne that Coach Brown is definitely someone I could play for.

I will always love and appreciate Coach Brown for the way he taught us
players how to handle ourselves, how to be men of character and to take
the "harder right." I will miss his many powerpoints, where he had not
only the many aspects of the game of football diagramed, but messages
for life. He always said that when we leave IU we may not have liked
him but he will have taught us how to carry ourselves, how to get a
job, how to survive in the world, especially as black men. He also taught us to truly work hard and that we must earn everything we achieve. He used to always tell us that when you give something to someone you cheapen them. He must earn it. I think about that everyday.

Coach Brown always said things would be fair but not equal. He stuck
by that quote and never broke his word. Sure, there may have been
times when we didn't see eye to eye, but everything was squashed quickly
as he'd always teach me a lesson out of whatever the problem was. He
coached us hard, not for us to be good, but for us to be great. He
would say "Don't be afraid to be great!" Each day I say that too
myself.

For the rest of my career, every time I get the ball and burst through a
hole I will hear his deep, booming voice in my head yelling, "Rip it!"
or "Hit it!" I will always miss how he used to get so excited when any
of us made a great play. He would appear to make moves as if he had
the ball when he watched us and as we broke into the open he'd often
times laugh with happiness or sometimes, even do a little dance.
Practice, let alone games, will never be the same without him.

A huge reason Coach Brown means so much to me is because he truly
believed in me. No, I never started while he was here, no I never ran
faster than a 4.5 40, I was never the
strongest running back (Josiah Sears), but coach saw something in me,
especially this year, that he and I knew I had. He would always tell
me that my major strength was my work ethic and to never lose it. When
he put me in the game he expected no drop off. He trusted me, treated
me like a man, got on me when I messed up and celebrated with me when
I did well. I will miss him yelling at us from the sidelines during
games. I almost always heard him, and if I didn't, his voice was in my
head.

I will always love Coach Brown and I will miss him. I'm so happy for
him to be coaching with the Atlanta Falcons. I know he'll do great
things there. Needless to say, I just became a Falcons fan!

And last, but certainly not least, I will miss his family always being
there to care for and support us all. His wife and daughter have been
so sweet to us all and I love them too.

Winter Conditioning Begins

2008-01-30T17:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday marked the official beginning to the Hoosier Football offseason! I arose from my slumber at 5 a.m. to see dark skies outside and surprisingly warm weather. The air sort of contained the smell of spring as I walked to my SUV to drive to The Rock. On the way there I popped some Lil' Wayne in my CD player in an effort to get myself pumped up, though I had already gotten my mind right the night before.

I'd say we got off to a good start. Every current member of the team had their toes on the goal line of Mellencamp indoor field at 6 a.m. and was dressed and ready to go. Head strength coach Mark Wateska was more than ready to go. As he barked out orders my teammates and I listened, starting out with warm-up drills to get our blood flowing before proceeding to our stretch lines.

We did a workout know as a sprint ladder. It felt like a good workout to start us off. Things will only get harder from here on out, as they should. I did my very best to lead the pack and did just that for many of the sprints, although there was one pleasant surprise in my peripheral vision who kept inching ahead of me. It was the speedy redshirt freshman, Chris Adkins. Boy, can he run! He has amazing stamina as well. For much of the workout I was seriously trying to catch him, but I could not. I'm proud of him for his hard work and I know he'll keep it up.

Jammie Kirlew was another standout. He has long earned the reputation of having a great work ethic to this point and he did not disappoint yesterday. Jammie won his group's sprints every single time.

A person I was very excited to see running was Terrance Turner. If you don't remember, Terrance tore his ACL against Iowa during the regular season. I have seen him work so hard rehabbing that knee since then and he looked pretty good. He ran with the "B" group (the big skill group) and more than held his own. I'm very proud of him and there's no doubt in my mind that he will work his knee back to where it needs to be and come back even stronger.

I'm looking forward to our next running workout on Thursday morning. It should be fun and I'm sure many will pick up the pace since we've gotten that first run out of the way.

TOMORROW
I'll have some words about my now former coach and his great new opportunity!

WORD FOR THE ROAD
"Hard work provides us with today's needs, prepares us for future uncertainties, and supplies us with opportunities for life." -Tom Ellsworth, Senior Minister of Sherwood Oaks Christian Church

Back to Work

2008-01-28T21:02:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning at 6am marks the official beginning to our "offseason." My teammates and I are to be inside our Mellencamp indoor field, on the goalline ready to go at 6 in the morning. This is one thing that you DO NOT want to oversleep for and miss. I know I will be awaking at 5 am just in case I need to scrape off my truck windows in the morning, or in case of some freak accident I can still make it there on time.

Over the majority of the past we have all been lifting under the watchful eye of Mark Wateska three times each week. The lifts have been intense and have given us a good base to work off of for the rest of the offseason. The intensity of the offseason will be in full gear beginning tomorrow morning. I must say that I'm anxious to see how everyone will perform since it is the first team run since December. I know for a fact that some of my teammates,myself included, have been running on their own here and there. Regardless, the first run is always tough for everyone. I'm looking forward to pushing myself to the limit.

I've kept this post short because it's 9:15pm and I need to be getting to bed soon so I can be rested for tomorrow morning. In the next day or two look out for a great post regarding someone who has meant a lot to me over the past few years.

Bowl Trip

2008-01-05T22:37:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I apologize for not posting anything while in Tempe, but to be honest with you I wanted to spend all of my time enjoying the city and all it has to offer instead of being on the Internet. I'm sure you understand.

Tempe was awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better experience besides the game. I had such a great time. The weather was perfect every day and there was always something to do. My favorite attraction of the trip turned out to be Fashion Square Mall. I had never been in a place like that. all of the high priced stores like Gucci, Prada, Bureberry, LaCoste, etc. Even the Macy's had lots of clothing lines that I hadn't seen in Indiana or anywhere around the midwest for that matter.

Our bowl events included a trip to Don & Charlie's Steakhouse and boy was that great! The restaurant was pretty big and it contained more sports memorabilia than any other restaurant I'd ever seen. We were served steak, ribs, baked potato's, green beans, drinks, and ice cream. I was stuffed when we left.

We stayed at the Doubletree Hotel in Scottsdale,AZ. That is, by far, the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in. There were so many rooms it was ridiculous. Each room had it's own balcony and the sight of the hotel was just amazing.

The way all of the houses and buildings were built out there were much different than buildings here in the midwest due to the extreme heat they receive in the summer months out there. There were so many households without grass in their front yards. It appeared to be covered with dirt or gravel, or something like that. I saw cacti out in the open for the first time on this trip! It was amusing because I kept getting so excited about the simplest things. You can't blame me because I had never been west of Iowa before this trip.

In the hotel there was a hospitality room for all of the players to hang out and watch big screen TV's, play one of the many video games, arcades, ping pong, pool, chess, Connect 4. My favorite game turned out to be an arcade game, Golden Tee. I actually wasn't very good at it but it was still fun. I got whooped pretty bad by Nick Polk. Also, in the hospitality room were refreshments and limitless food for us to eat at our convenience.

I also had a good time going out with my teammates during our free time. We all took care of each other and had a safe, fun, good time. There were basically vans provided to take us pretty much wherever we wanted to go. I was very impressed with how the Insight Bowl representatives prepared every aspect of the trip to make us comfortable and help us have a great time. Our football staff also played a part in that as well and I thank them for that.

THE GAME
Well,obviously we didn't achieve our goal of winning the 13th game but I can tell you that we never laid down, we never quit. We fought down to the very last second, literally. With it being a bowl game things did seem to be moving a a bit faster, but to be honest with you it wasn't so much faster that we couldn't handle it. I don't think that we necessarily came out sluggish either. I simply think that they were the better team that night. If we played Oklahoma State on a different day the outcome could be different. But they got us on that night.

THE FANS
I was so impressed with our fan turnout! It created an amazing atmosphere and it made for an unforgettable moment. Especially THE WALK! I mean, WOW. That was amazing! I speak for my teammates when I say that we truly felt loved! I've appreciated the fans all season and I say lets make it an even better year for fan turnout next year. As a matter of fact I'm going to go down to the ticket office as soon as they start selling season tickets for next season and call some of you fans myself to make sure you renew them or buy them if you didn't this season! And I'm not accepting too many excuses either. Haha.

Well it's been a great, amazing season. I promise to write more often during the offseason and give you guys more of an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes. I'll talk to you soon.

Home For Christmas

2007-12-23T12:18:00.000-05:00

I'm chillin' at home right now with my family and friends and I'm having such a great time. Everyone has been making me feel so welcome and appreciated. I'm cherishing these moments because I feel so blessed and I know that things won't always be like this so I'm living it up. On Friday, my first night home, I attended the basketball game at my high school, Concordia Lutheran. In addition to many close friends, I saw so many people who I hadn't seen in a while, some I graduated with and some I didn't. After the game there was a small get together for us former students. We laughed and talked about the good 'ol days, what we're doing now, and what our plans were for the future. It all made for such a great time.

I'm so excited to leave for Tempe,AZ this week, though it's always nice to be home for Christmas. Our football staff has set up the perfect schedule for us players to put in hard work and have fun at the same time. I've never spent a Christmas away from home and I'm truly thankful that this won't be the first.

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that we will go to Tempe and have a great time and play to our best ability against Oklahoma State. They're a great team and will make a great challenge for us Hoosiers, but it's a game we know we can win. We are prepared.

I want to wish everyone a Merry and Blessed Christmas. May you all receive all of the love and joy that this time of year brings. I'll talk to you again in Tempe!

Bowl Practice

2007-12-19T19:58:00.001-05:00

Bowl Practice has begun! Actually, it started on Monday. Before this week I was curious to what bowl practice would be like. To be honest, sometimes it feels like training camp. But I'm not complaining. We've are in the midst of two-a-days with the morning practice consisting of us wearing only helmets. It is not a walk-through, though. We have all been playing very fast, flying around and making plays. The defense sprints to the ball, tagging off ball-carriers, while the quarterbacks have been on point, the running backs have been rotating and getting quality reps, the receivers are catching balls and making things happen, and the line continues to play physical.

The second practice has been in the afternoon. We strap up in full pads for that one. The enthusiasm is high among all of us players, so you can bet pads are poppin' and players are playing even faster during the afternoon practice. It just shows that we're determined to not only have a good time at the bowl game, but to go out and win.

The turnaround in between practices hasn't been very long. We've had meetings and weightlifting to go along with our daily meals. I haven't minded all that much because I realize the task at hand. It's also a benefit because our day is done around 6 p.m., giving us plenty of time to go home and chill. It's similar to an NFL day. We get up, go to work early in the morning and get home in the early evening.

We're basically the only students on campus. I must say it is different. Not that anyone ever really bothered me, but I haven't seen any neighbors walking around so I spend most of my time with my teammates after practice. I guess that really is nothing new.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the week's practices to get better and more prepared to beat Oklahoma State. I can't wait.

Bowls and Boxing

2007-12-10T16:07:00.000-05:00

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote. You all know that we are playing against Oklahoma State in the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., on New Year’s Eve. I cannot wait to get there! Throughout the week we've been participating in strength and conditioning workouts in addition to practices on the weekends. Coaches have been very good getting the older guys a little bit of rest, but also getting them some quality reps to shake off the rust.

OK STATE
I'm excited about playing Oklahoma State. It's nice to get the opportunity to play a quality team from a different conference. I'm so excited to play against players from the Big 12, whom I see playing somewhere across the country on TV almost every Saturday after our games. I always say to myself, "I'd love to play that team." Whether it is a team from the Big 12, Pac-10, Big East, etc. It's nice to watch film and break down an unfamiliar opponent.

THERE'S ONLY ONE...
I want to switch gears to something other than football. On Saturday night I went over to my teammate, Matt Kurz's apartment to watch the BIG fight; my favorite fighter of all-time and one of my role models, Floyd Mayweather Jr., faced Manchester, England's Ricky Hatton. Kurz ordered the fight and I went with a group of friends to watch the fight on his 52" HD TV with booming surround sound. I had an amazing time. To keep a long story short, Mayweather knocked Hatton out in the 10th round! I stood up and sang, "THERE'S ONLY ONE MAYWEATHER!" I was so hyped, as I was one of the only people in the house rooting for "Pretty Boy" Floyd.

I'm a very big boxing fan. In case you don't know, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is known for his flamboyant, arrogant, money-waving ways. He's also known for having the quickest hands in the world. I love his fighting style and his attitude. He's very outspoken, talking trash to every fighter he's ever faced. I don't call it bragging though because he backs it up.

You might be wondering why he's my favorite fighter and one of my role models. It's because I see him as my alter ego. Every athlete has a little edge to him, a little cockiness at times, a lot of confidence. In my opinion, you have to! Every athlete has those moments where they just know they're unstoppable. There will always be times when an athlete or anybody for that matter, must believe that. It's more about believing in yourself than anything else.

WORD FOR THE ROAD
"It's only arrogance if you're wrong." -Anonymous

So Thankful

2007-11-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

I just want to say I hope you had a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving. It was by far my laziest day of the year. I ate with my parents before watching three football games (not including the Colts). I also spent most of the day walking around with a headache, sore throat, burning eyes and snotty nose. Boy, was that great! Nevertheless, I was so happy to be with my parents and being sick didn't put a damper on my Thanksgiving. I took the time to thank the Lord for everything I have and to spend quality time with my family.

While on the subject of being thankful, I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout the regular season, both on and off the field. This blog of mine started as a simple idea. I had no idea so many people would appreciate it and be touched by it. So many doors have opened for me to this point simply because of the exposure this blog has given me. It's been a blessing to have this avenue to display an off the field talent of mine.

It's a great time to be a Hoosier! Coach Lynch received a four-year contract, which is a true blessing. He deserves this job, he wants this job, and I have full faith in him. I don't think he will lead us to greatness; I know he will lead us to greatness.

Also, the biggest subject of conversation among football fans and players alike is which bowl we will go to and who we will play. I've been reading all different types of crazy scenarios, but the bottom line is I'm not really worried about what team we will play or when we will play them. I'm happy and so thankful to have the opportunity to go WIN a bowl game. We just need to continue to work hard and prepare to WIN the bowl game.

WORD FOR THE ROAD
"All things come round to him who will but wait." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We're Playing 13!

2007-11-21T15:20:00.000-05:00

Being bowl eligible is an amazing accomplishment for this football team. After everything that we've been through together it would've been easy to lose games and make excuses about how emotionally exhausted or distracted we were. The thing is, we knew that's not what Coach Hep would've done. That's not what we want. Hep was the ultimate role model in showing us how to handle adversity. That is part of what defines us as people. Becoming bowl eligible is dedicated to him. We're finishing what he started; we're playing 13!

The regualr season has gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday we were working through team drills in 100-degree heat. One of the things my teammate and friend Terrance Turner said after the win against Purdue was, "Camp was hot!" I laughed, but what he said has stuck in my mind. When things get hard it's good to remember how hot camp was or how we felt after our eighth gasser, or how cold and dark it was when we awoke at 5:30 a.m. for winter conditioning. All of that was intended to make us successful and to ultimately earn and win a bowl game.

In a regualr season full of big plays, record-breaking feats and clutch plays, I've had the most fun I've ever had playing football. I also think most of my teammates would tell you the same thing. My favorite play of the season was, ofcourse, Austin Starr's game-winning kick in the Bucket Game. But a close second was Kellen Lewis' "pass to himself" and flip into the end zone at Iowa...Priceless.

From opening night against Indiana State to the amazing sellout against Purdue, there was no doubt in our minds that we would achieve our goal of "Playing 13." I may never experience a moment like what went down against Purdue. The atmosphere was amazing, "The Rock" was packed and the weather was perfect. We were more ready than ever before because the stakes were high, but not as high as our confidence level.

I guess it was fitting for the game to come down to a game-winning kick. The crowd rushed the field and we were so happy that many of us cried. The scene in the locker room was one of jubilation and immense happiness. We couldn't contain ourselves from dancing, singing, crying, hugging each other and praying. There were so many people in the locker room, everyone wanted to be a part of the celebration, and I don't blame them. It's been a long time coming.

Fittingly, Jane Hoeppner was the person who placed the block "I" on the Bucket. It was a Kodak moment. She deserved to be involved in our celebration. She is our heart. She is everything that Coach Hep embodied. The win was dedicated to her and her family.

I will never forget that game for as long as I live. I will never forget all who played a part in this season, whether the person is a player or not. Saturday, November 17, was the day we solidified the goal Coach Hep set out for us. We now wait to figure out where we are going and heck, we might as well win the bowl game!

It's all for you Coach Hep. We love you and miss you. You're in our hearts forever.

Coach Hep Remembered

2007-11-01T22:49:00.000-04:00

With three games left in the regular season, us Hoosiers are on the brink of earning our sixth win and becoming bowl eligible. We are prepared to win all of our final games. In honor of our being able to become eligible this weekend I want to take a step back and let everyone re-focus on who this season is dedicated to, Coach Hep. We wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for his vision and dedication to us, Hoosiers.

I recently wrote an essay for "The Quad," a New York Times Blog. It explains what we've been through and where we are now. I'm now posting it on my site just incase you didn't catch it or were unable to comment. Enjoy.

This summer we, the Indiana University football team, faced a tragedy that few of us were ready for. On June 19th, immediately after our morning workouts, Coach Bill Lynch called an urgent team meeting. That’s when the entire I.U. football family received the news. Terry Hoeppner had passed away at the age of 59. I know that many of us were in shock and spent the whole day making and receiving phone calls about the heart-breaking news. We were also wondering, What do we do now? Adversity had hit us directly in the face.

Since Coach Hep’s passing the players have felt a new sense of pride from knowing that he was our coach. His life was an inspiration to us all. We have been striving each day to honor Hep by practicing and playing hard, doing our jobs and never quitting.

We know that we are striving to achieve Hep’s goal for us - to play in a bowl game - but we know that success will not come all at once. The team has been focused on taking things one day at a time, one practice at a time, one game at a time and one play at a time. A fire burns within each player to finish what Hep started.
When I think of Terry Hoeppner I will not only remember him as a football coach. I will remember him for the strength that he displayed throughout his illness and for his integrity. He always set the perfect example for us. In times of adversity, whether it was his own or someone else’s, he always seemed to know what to say and do. He continually stressed to his players the need to do the right thing and to be in the right place at the right time. I will remember him for his faith. Hep was a true Christian and he lived his faith every day. He would often remind us that there is more to life than just football. Also, that our performance on the field is not what defines us as people. It is your faith and how you live your life off of the field that counts more than anything. He encouraged us to pray, for he believed in the power of prayer. Hep told us to live every day to the fullest and to take nothing for granted. This whole experience has taught us that.

Hep always told the team that there was no place he’d rather be than right there with us. We knew it was the truth because it showed every day. He really loved all of us and we loved him back. He was the strongest person I’ve ever known. To be afflicted with such an illness and to not have it affect his mood, attitude or faith in any negative way was, and still is, amazing to me. He always said that he had no problems, just opportunities. With the spirit Hep showed each day, you would never have known he was sick.

Hep provided me with many memories that stand out in my mind. There’s one from my freshman year that most of my teammates and I will never forget. During my first training camp I hurt one of my fingers on the final play of a practice. Immediately after the play we began something we called The Fourth Quarter, where the whole team got into their stretching lines and performed push-ups, sit-ups and up-downs on Coach’s command. They had to be done quickly and only when Coach called for your side of the ball (offense or defense) to perform the exercise.

Coach Hep began the drill by yelling, “Push-up position!” Still worried about my finger, I was very slow to get down. Taking notice, Coach Hep called me out by saying, “Everybody up! Bryan Payton can’t do the drill because his finger hurts!”
He then kicked me out of the drill. I was shocked! I kept wondering if he was mad at me. After practice I was afraid of running into him, thinking that he would scold me for slowing up the drill. I actually ended up running into him near the football offices later that day. I tensed up nervously as he walked toward me. To my surprise, he actually had a huge smile on his face. He stopped in front of me and before I could apologize, he patted me on the back and asked me how my finger was. I told him I had strained some ligaments, but I’d be O.K. His response was that he was glad because I would be needed. That made my day.

That’s how Hep was with all of us players. He truly cared about us. He loved us. He loved I.U. He loved his job. He was always so happy to be the head football coach at Indiana. This was his dream job. He cherished it every day and showed love to everyone he came across. He made an impression on everybody he met.

Before our first home game, versus Indiana State, there was a special tribute for Coach Hep. It was such a heartwarming scene when Mrs. Hoeppner walked out to midfield, was introduced and received a rousing standing ovation. As she lifted her hands to the sky I couldn’t help but get choked up. She is truly a mirror image of Terry Hoeppner. She is such a strong woman. I cannot find the words to describe her great faith and the love she has for the Indiana University football family. Words just wouldn’t do her justice. She is truly a woman of God and I speak for the whole team when I say we love her back.

As Mrs. Hoeppner and the rest of the Hoeppner family stood at midfield, a video was shown of Coach Hep and his moments as I.U. football coach. So many other memories ran through my mind while watching the video. It felt like he was there. Sometimes I still can’t believe he’s gone.

God works in mysterious ways. I’m not sure why God took Coach Hep from us but I do know that there was a purpose for it. Hep feels no more pain, no more suffering; he has no worries, no sickness. Knowing that was, and still is, very comforting. I believe that God placed Coach Lynch as Hep’s assistant head coach for a reason. Coach Hep had full faith in him and so do the players.

Terry Hoeppner was an extraordinary man. He had such a positive impact on so many people’s lives and he will never be forgotten. We miss him dearly and this season is dedicated to him.

Football,Shopping,and Good Friends

2007-10-23T12:37:00.000-04:00

Needless to say this weekend was a rough one. I was shocked that we lost against Penn State and it's unfortunate the way we lost. We fought hard. It was a team effort, but we just made some mistakes at the wrong times. Coach Paterno even said it himself. We will work hard to correct things and get ready for the Badgers in Madison.

"PEOPLE LET ME TELL YOU 'BOUT (ONE OF MY) BEST FRIENDS"
One of my best friends, Josh Gaines (#47), is one of the starting defensive ends for Penn State. This was our first time playing against each other since our senior years in high school. He attended Northrop High School in Fort Wayne, while I attended Concordia. His team was pretty good and they beat us two out of three times. He was, and still is, a beast.

After the game I made the walk across the field to meet my mother and friends. Unfortunately, my father couldn't make it to the game this week. My mother gave me a big hug and kiss, like she always does. We walked through the gates into a small sea of Nittany Lion fans dressed in blue and white. There were 78 of them, to be exact. One might think that I looked at them as if they were foreigners, but that was not the case. The fans were all from Josh's family, which is basically my second family. Josh had used so many tickets that he was given his own gate at Memorial Stadium. They held a small sign to prove it. Growing up, the Gaines' house was a kind of second home to me. I spent so many nights over at their place, went to church went them, ate meals with them and went on trips with them. Josh and I went on recruiting workouts/visits together as well. Those are great memories. Josh's mother gave me a huge hug when she saw me. I thought she was going to cry for a moment.

The entire family told me how proud they were of me. I, in turn, explained to them how proud I was of "Big" Josh. Seeing them kind of took some of the sting away from such a hurtful loss. It helps you move on and remember how friendships are stronger than any one game. Too often we forget about things like that. I would've rather won on Saturday and still realized the same lessons, but it takes hard times to realize how meaningful the good times are.

MY DAY OFF
Monday is the team's day off. It was greatly appreciated by me because I really felt the need to go off and do something that had nothing to do with football. I watched some film on Wisconsin, but other than that I didn't even want to think about football. I'll have the rest of the week for that.

Once I was finished my morning classes and academic meetings, I made it a point to treat myself with some shopping. In case you didn't know, shopping is one of my favorite things to do. I think I spent three hours shopping around Bloomington. I cruised around town in my SUV listening to some John Mayer and browsing store after store. My favorite stop of the day was at Goody's over on 3rd Street. Great clothes and great prices. I bought some button ups, T-shirts, jeans, khakis and some church shoes. I also threw in some DVDs along with a couple other items.

After my Monday night class, I went to hear ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson speak. She was very informative and had many great things to say. She answered many questions and I took great notes. She has a job I just might want someday.

It is Tuesday and it's time to get on the field and get ourselves ready for the Badgers. It should be fun.

WORD FOR THE ROAD
"You can learn a line from a win and a book from a defeat." -Paul Brown, Former Cincinnati Bengals Coach

Busy For Homecoming

2007-10-19T10:13:00.000-04:00

I want to apologize for the lack of posts this week. My teammates and I have been hard at work preparing for Penn State. It's also been a big week with midterms. I'm keeping this short today. I have some business to take care of. Thank you for all of the support so far. I hope to see all of you at the game on Saturday. Let's Rock the Rock on Homecoming!

WORD FOR THE ROAD
"Good luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." -Darrell Royal, Former University of Texas head Coach

Halfway Mark

2007-10-09T12:25:00.000-04:00

We are now halfway through the regular season and it has flown by. It's great that we're 5-1 and playing very well. I was so proud of all of my teammates Saturday as I truly felt it was a team win. All the way from Kellen Lewis to the entire scout team.

Once again, I felt that the entire team was really loose and relaxed going into the game. I wondered if we needed a big pre-game pep talk to get us fired up so I went to one of our captains, Josiah Sears, and told him that I felt we were kind of flat. He disagreed with me, saying that we were fine. He was right.

It was ridiculously hot for October. I was sweating like crazy and my legs felt heavy. I worried about my legs feeling heavy the entire game. Luckily, I felt fine for most of the game. My stomach did hurt, though. Not so much from getting the wind knocked out of me, but from drinking so much Gatorade and water to stay hydrated. I could hear the liquid moving in my stomach when I moved. But I can't really complain because I didn't cramp up at all.

In the first half I thought the game might turn into a shootout. I was glad that it didn't. Our defense played so well. We knew that Minnesota had a great offense that was fully capable of putting up points. After the first quarter the defense clamped down and didn't give up any points until the fourth quarter.

The day before the game the team has a relaxation and concentration activity that we do to help get ourselves ready. After Friday's session left tackle Roger Saffold told me that he envisioned a play where he had a successful block. He explained that once he had finished off his man he looked downfield and saw me running for the end zone! I thought this was amazing and I told him, "Well, I guess we better go ahead and make that happen." I hope what went down the next day did his vision justice.

As you probably know, I scored three touchdowns. It was truly a blessing to have the opportunity to get in there and make plays for our team. But at the same time I'm not going to sit here and dwell on it. I was very happy to have my parents there to see everything. They were so proud. It felt like high school again.

The offensive line played a stellar game on and I know they will continue to do so. I don't like seeing any of my teammates hurt and I wish everyone can return this wish weekend. Every man counts and means so much to this team. We need everyone because we are all in this together.

I was so happy to see Trea Burgess get some reps in the backfield on Saturday. He works hard in practice when given the chance and I know he will continue to do great things whenever his number is called. I was also proud of our back-up center, Matt Moses, for coming in and doing a good job filling in for Ben Wyss. I had confidence in him from the moment he got in the game.

Up next is Michigan State. The Spartans will be a tough and physical opponent and it will take a performance from us like the past couple weeks to beat them. We wouldn't want it any other way and welcome the challenge.

Besides, last time I checked I didn't see King Leonidas on their roster, so we should be all good.

WORD FOR THE ROAD
"Me,we." - Muhammad Ali

Player Profile: Tracy Porter

2007-10-02T20:13:00.000-04:00

Name: Tracy Porter

Number:9

Class:Sr.

Position:Cornerback/Punt Returner

Hometown:Port Allen, LA

High School:Port Allen High School

Siblings: One Sister and One Brother

Roommates: none

Girlfriend: no

Most attractive characteristic in a girl:Honesty

Least attractive characteristic in a girl:Snotty Attitudes

Non-football highlight: Graduating from high school

Best sport other than football:Basketball

Career other than football: I would play in the NBA

Scares you: poisonous snakes

Pet peeve: when people don't clean up after themselves and when
people do stupid things they know is wrong and can get them in trouble

Formerly slept with a stuffed animal: none

Specialty in the kitchen: Red Beans and Rice

Favorite professional football team: New Orleans Saints

Favorite professional football player: Champ Bailey because he's a lockdown
cornerback and I would like to get a few pointers from him

Opponent you dislike the most:Purdue

Funniest teammate: Christopher Phillips

Prettiest: I don't know.

Most athletic:Nick Polk

Most humble: Me

Funniest team moment: When the Offensive Linemen dressed up in spandex attire and
danced during a team talent show.

Personal goal for the season: To be the best player at my position
and help my team play 13.

Week 5 Recap

2007-10-01T12:37:00.000-04:00

We are now 4-1 and let me tell you, it feels awesome. I've been 4-1 in high school and in pee-wee football before, but it has never felt this good. It's all because of the love I have for this team. I've had a love like this for my high school team before, but with this, being a Hoosier, just takes the cake because of what and who we are playing for.

This trip to Iowa is not one that I will soon forget. It was my second trip to the state (I had been there once before at the age of 14 for an AAU baseball tournament where I hit over .500).

The whole trip had a great feeling of looseness to it. I don't know if it was the exceptional weather the lavish hotel, the wait for our plane or Coach Lynch's infectious attitude, but we were like a bunch of happy-go-lucky campers.

First off, on Friday we were scheduled to fly out of Bloomington at 5 p.m. but ended up boarding the plane around 7:30 p.m. and taking off a little past 8 p.m.

PICTURE THIS
We're all in line, getting our IDs checked and going through the metal detectors. Trea Burgess is attempting to be a rap star while listening to Lil' Boosie, Brandon Walker-Roby is walking around with a full lap-top because he has no iPod (LOL), and I turn around to see Kellen Lewis dancing (as he often does) and “Crankin' Dat Superman.” This was a very refreshing scene.

Once the plane landed in Iowa we boarded a bus to get to our hotel. I sat next to Nick Sexton. You may not know this, but he is one of the funniest guys on the team as well as one of the funniest people I've ever met. He told me some weird story about how his grandparents' cat went into their garage and licked up too much gasoline. The cat proceeded to spin around in circles for hours until it finally "ran out of gas" and died. I laughed so hard! But I actually thought this story was real! He told me it was made up, and I'm not sure what's worse, the story, or the fact that I believed it.

GAMEDAY
When Coach Lynch told us how the atmosphere would be one of the best in college football he wasn't lying. The crowd was rockin' at Kinnick Stadium. I wouldn't have had it any other way. The fans are right down on the sidelines and they taunt you throughout the game. It did get amazingly loud for a little bit, and most of the time when I was on the field I could not here Kellen's cadence at the line of scrimmage. I had to watch the ball at all times.

Iowa is a hard-nosed, well-coached team. They will be tough for other teams to beat from here on out.

GIVE ME PINK
I got to see the infamous pink visitor’s locker room for the first time and let me tell you, I have never seen a better visitor’s locker room! Iowa made a mistake in this area. Sure they painted everything pale pink, but who really cares about that? The lockers were huge, we had chairs to sit in instead of stools, carpeted floors, a lot of space and great showers. The Hawkeyes really know how to treat a guest!

PLAYER PROFILE TOMORROW!!!!
This player has represented his home state of Louisiana very well!

WORD FOR THE ROAD
"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today." -James Dean

Player Profile: Nick Polk

2007-09-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

Name: Nick Polk

Number: 8
Class: Redshirt Sophmore
Position: Safety/Wide Receiver

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
High School: Milwaukee Vincent

Siblings: 1 sister that I
love dearly, her name is Amber

Roommates: Justin Carrington
and Jammie Kirlew

Girlfriend: No, but I'm looking for one

Most attractive characteristic in a girl: Eyes

Least attractive characteristic in a girl: A girl that doesn't think
before she speaks

Non-football highlight: Definitely graduating from high school

Best sport other than football: Basketball

Career other than football: Probably something in the basketball field if I’m not playing

Scares you: I'm really not scared of much...Ray Fisher had a pet alligator and he was my roommate, and I
held the snake all the time

Pet peeve: When people tell you to do something and they are doing
the same thing

Formerly slept with a stuffed animal: No not at all.

Specialty in the kitchen: I would
have to say my Chicken Alfredo pasta is poppin!

Favorite professional football team: Green Bay Packers

Favorite professional football player: Steve Smith (of the Carolina Panthers)

Funniest teammate: It's a tie between James Bailey and Chris Phillips

Prettiest: I would have to say
Marcus Thigpen (he's my best friend so he'll understand, lol)

Most athletic: Tracy Porter

Most humble: Josiah Sears

Funniest team moment: In camp when we first got our radio system in the locker
room, and the guys were in the locker room having a competition of
different dances. Mainly James Bailey, Chris Phillips and others, it
was hilarious

Personal goal for the season: To be one of the better safeties in the
Big Ten/country

Week 3 Recap

2007-09-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

We are now 3-0 and boy does it feel great! Saturday was a great win for us
Hoosiers. Though we suffered some adversity in the first half,
we overcame it and played Hoosier football in the second half. Coach
Lynch really got on us at halftime. He challenged us to play harder, and
most of all, smarter. We all really took it to
heart and played that way in the second half.

I love our team. We have great chemistry and we know how to come
together. If we can keep up our togetherness we're bound for great
things. When you're in an atmosphere such as ours it allows
you to be comfortable because deep down inside you know that no matter
what happens, at the end of the day, you have each other. That's a
strong bond that no one can ever take from us.

Akron is a good football team that should be tough to beat in the MAC. The
Zips' wide out, Jabari Arthur, appears to be all of 6-4,
225 pounds. He is a very good player who made plays on Saturday.
Also, their quarterback who came off the bench, Carlton Jackson, made some
plays for
them.

KELLEN
On Saturday morning, while eating our pre-game meal, I read an
article about Kellen. It basically talked about how Kellen was so determined to be a quarterback
that he turned down all of the big in-state schools in his home state
of Florida to look for an opportunity to do just that. He was set and
ready to go to my prep rival school, Hargrave Military Academy (boo!),
before Coach Hep offered him an opportunity to throw the ball as a
Hoosier. We should now all be thankful for Coach Hep's great
judgment.

Now, with Kellen being my teammate and friend, I already knew the whole
story. But it was very refreshing to read this article. He obviously
had great determination to do something that he believed he could do,
but almost nobody else thought he could.

One of the things I really like about Kellen is how he plays as if
he's a kid playing a pick-up football game in the backyard. He plays
free, he plays loose, he plays without worries, and most importantly,
he plays with great confidence in his God-given abilities. I don't
think I've ever seen someone as loose as Kellen in practice and on
gamedays. It's awesome to see your quarterback do things
as if to say, "Relax, I got this."

Kellen rushed for a career-high 199 yards and two touchdowns on 18
carries. He also threw for 137 yards and three touchdowns. When I saw the yardage he garnered I was, at first, surprised. But then, as I thought about it, I was no longer surprised by his
performance. I thought about how he plays and the attitude he carries
about the game and it all made sense. I look for Kellen to have many
more sensational games like this one because, well, he can.

MESSAGE FOR THE ROAD
"I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength." Phil. 4:13

Can You Say "Busy"?

2007-09-12T20:32:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone. I'm very sorry for the sabbatical I've taken over the last two weeks. Needless to say I've been VERY busy with school and football. It's hard to get new posts up sometimes with all of the homework and long days I've been having.

The majority of my days begin at 7 a.m. Monday is our day off but on Tuesday-Thursday I'm up at that time to go to mandatory breakfast. I then have an 8 a.m. class on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Monday, I'm in class until 9 p.m. In between that time I have meetings, film study, homework, lunch and mandatory dinner.

Tuesdays aren't quite as hectic as far as classes go, but I have meetings and practice to make up for all that. I get up for breakfast, go lift, go to class, get lunch, then head back to the stadium for meetings and practice. I'm out of practice around 6:30 p.m. and get some dinner. I have study tables until 9:30 or 10 p.m. before heading home to watch some film of the week's opponent.

Wednesday and Thursdays are basically the same as Tuesday. Friday is our travel day and Saturday is when the fun begins. On Sunday, I'm resting in the morning before going to church. Then I'm at the stadium from 2-10 p.m. This is the life of a college football player. Want to try it? I wouldn't do without it though.

NEXT TIME
I will get on a routine of giving you more interesting info and insight on the life of an IU football player. There will be a player profile up this week as well so be sure to check back.

WORD FOR THE ROAD
"Know that it's your decision, and not your conditions, that determine your destiny." -Samuel L. Jackson

Ready For Some Football

2007-08-31T13:57:00.000-04:00

It's Friday, the day before our first game against Indiana State. We've been waiting for this game since the end of the Purdue game last season! This is OUR YEAR. All I want to do right now is go out and chop down some Sycamores.

I spent last night watching the LSU Tigers beat up on Mississippi State. I watched the entire game. I didn't care that it was a blow out. I'm just happy to see some college football and I can't wait to play.

I also checked out some of the Rutgers game. I really just wanted to see Ray Rice. Most of my teammates have told me that he is my twin because we're the same size, we look alike in pads, and we wear the same number. Even I can't deny it. We do look similar. I only hope to achieve what he has so far. I enjoy watching him play.

Today I really don't feel like talking to too many people because I'm kind of on edge for this game. Though I might take some time out to talk to some of my former teammates from high school and prep school briefly to wish them the best of luck in their games.

Lastly, you can bet I'll be watching the movie, 300, today before our meetings. That's my pre-game movie right there! I will keep that mindset until the scoreboard reads zeros Saturday night.

I hope to see you all at the game. It should be something special. I love and have full faith in all of my teammates and I can't wait to go to battle with them tomorrow. GO HOOSIERS!

MESSAGE FOR THE ROAD
In honor of our beloved Coach Hep, "Have a plan, work the plan, and plan for the unexpected."

Goodbye Training Camp, Hello Game Week

2007-08-28T13:03:00.000-04:00

Training camp is finally officially over and it is now game week.
Training camp went very well for us as a team. We made great strides
in the span of three weeks and are now ready to play our hearts out.
I think I speak for all of my teammates when I say that we are so ready
to play against someone other than ourselves. I swear if I have
to see Adam McClurg in the hole one more time I'm going to go crazy!

I feel that I, personally, had a good training camp. My goal for
myself this camp was the same that I had for myself in the spring. I
wanted to make it VERY hard for the coaches not to play me. I want to
be a guy that changes the game in one way or another. I want to be an
impact player. I've worked at doing just that by paying attention to details
and focusing on the little things such as tracks (the RBs course to
get the football), my form in pass protection, reading the defense,
getting more out of film study, route running, catching the football,
etc. Coach Lynch has stressed focusing on the little things and
attention to detail. Though I can't say that I've been perfect, I've
taken his words to heart and have done my best to transfer them to the
field.

Training camp was no walk in the park, nor was it the toughest thing
I've been through. I went through daily three-a-days in prep school at
Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. While this was definitely not
three-a-days, I did have some bumps and bruises this camp. It was
sometimes frustrating but I just prayed about things and I knew that
whatever went wrong, it would pass. For example, I was unable to
participate in the first scrimmage because of a minor injury that
occurred the day before. I was very upset. I didn't show it when
people saw me, but behind closed doors anger burned inside me. I was
mad at God for Him allowing the injury to happen. But I know that it
will heal and God knows what He's doing.

B-E AGGRESSIVE
One thing that I really enjoyed seeing was the over-aggression of the
freshmen. All of them are so eager to make a name for themselves and
earn the respect of the rest of players and coaches. They try so hard
to not only do things correctly, but also to the do them fast. The game
is so much faster for them at this level. Some adjust faster than
others, but they all will get it soon.

Us older players have a saying for the over-aggression of the freshmen. One player that has really stood out to me is linebacker Tyler Replogle. He runs around the field like a madman.

I think he's in on about every tackle, he plays hard all the time, is a
hard hitter and sometimes forgets what "thud up" means. But I love
it. I don't always like to get tackled in a "thud" drill but I try not
to get too upset because I know the motor of this guy and the other
freshmen will do nothing but help our football team.

GAME WEEK
Yes, it is now game week. Thank goodness. I cannot wait until
Saturday. I know that my teammates and I are going to be hype beyond
belief. Though, we must keep our composure through everything because
anyone who has ever played knows that that huge rush you get on gameday
only lasts for about 10 minutes, or until you get hit in the mouth. I
have full confidence in my teammates and coaches. The coaching staff
has gotten and is continuing to get us ready to play and win on
Saturday.

MESSAGE FOR THE ROAD
"Great things in life are hard to get but easy to lose. So when you
find something great hold on to it." -Maria Sharapova

Note to Readers

2007-08-10T22:41:00.000-04:00

DEAR READERS,
I will not be posting daily throughout training camp! I don't really have the time to post that often and when I do get a chance to rest. I do just that, I rest. I may have a post here and there during camp but it won't be very long. But I will pick things back up immediately after training camp. I will answer your questions if you have any and I will plenty of new material for you all to read. Much love and take care.

Training Camp: Day 1

2007-08-07T02:13:00.001-04:00

Comments about Ray Fisher

2007-08-04T21:19:00.000-04:00

Due to the ridiculous malfunctioning of this sight I could not get my comments about Ray Fisher up. Therefore, I will put my comments about him here.

Probably the most electrifying offensive player is Ray Fisher. The 5'9" 170lb. speedster was amazing in 7-on-7 drills all summer, displaying tremendous quickness and great ball skills. He has been timed in the 4.2 second range in the 40 yard dash. Coming from well known Glenville High School in Cleveland,OH, Fisher is the quickest player on the IU team. He is in amazing shape and will be very difficult for opposing defenses to catch and get a hold of.

Training Camp Preview Part 1: Offense

2007-08-04T21:06:00.000-04:00

Quarterback
With Kellen Lewis returning as the starting signal caller the quarterback position will be a force once again. The redshirt sophomore Jacksonville, FL native was a headache for opposing teams last season as he displayed his versatility both as a passer and as a dangerous run threat. Timed as fast as 4.42 seconds in the 40 yard dash, Lewis is one of the fastest players on the Indiana team, and in the Big Ten. After adding around ten pounds of muscle to his frame this offseason he is now stronger and poised to have a big season.

Ready behind Lewis is a trio of pocket passers. Hometown boy, Ben Chappell is coming off of his redshirt season and has looked very impressive in passing drills all summer, displaying a big arm and exceptional accuracy. He will have the confidence of the team when called upon.

True freshman, Teddy Schell, arrives from Barrington, IL, adding quality depth to the quarterback position. The 6'5" left hander has participated in passing drills the majority of the summer, showing why he garnered Pac-10 and Big 12 offers as a high school senior.

Junior quarterback Dustin Hass hails from Oconto, WI. He has headed the scout for the past two seasons, providing good lucks for the starting defense each week.

Running Back
The running back unit is one that has plenty of depth and is no longer considered inexperienced. Returning starter, Marcus Thigpen, is in his second year as a running back since moving from wide receiver. Coming off of an All-American season as a kick returner, he has bulked up to 193 lbs. and is looking forward to making a name for himself at running back.

Two other "cookie-cutter" backs in terms of size, are Demetrius McCray and Bryan Payton. McCray has added weight and is now around 195 lbs. While Payton has dropped nearly 15 lbs. and is down to 195 lbs. McCray was second in rushing among IU running backs with 321 yards and two touchdowns. Payton was used sparingly but should see more of the field this fall.

The two big backs are Josiah Sears (6'0" 252lbs.) and Trea Burgess (6'1" 219 lbs.). As a 5th year senior, and one of the leaders on the team, Sears is a punishing runner and blocker. He's also like another coach because he's so versed in the game of football. Burgess came on as a preferred walk-on last fall. He greatly impressed on the scout team last season and showed off his great effort and relentless running style all spring.

Lastly, is 5'8" incoming freshman, Zach Davis-Walker. Straight out of Plantation, FL, Walker rushed for 1,427 yards and 16 touchdowns as junior and senior.

Tight End
At the tight end position there is plenty of depth but not a lot of experience. The only player to see the field as a tight end is 5th year senior, Nick Sexton. Though, last year the Bloomington,IN native mostly saw special teams action. He has worked very hard over the offseason, making great strength gains under the watchful eye of the strength and conditioning staff. He will likely step into the starting position early on this fall.

Then there is converted quarterback, Blake Powers. He displayed great athleticism for the position in the spring, making several great grabs. The blocking aspect of the game is coming along for him as he as added the needed weight to be successful. He should make his name known this season at his new position.

The only other tight end that saw game action last season is Taylor Donnell. He played on special teams, starting on kick-off return for the Illinois game, aiding Marcus Thigpen in returning one for a score.

Three tight ends who have potential but have yet to see game action are the 6'5" 250lb. Troy Wagner, Marion, Ohio product, Brad Martin, and incoming freshman, Max Dedmond. Wagner has worked very hard during the offseason, adding size. He is also in fine shape and will contribute on offense this season. Martin is coming along and Max Dedmond, who could be a defensive end, will add size and speed to the position. Dedmond was an All-State performer as a high school senior, catching 41 balls for 510 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Wide Receiver
Led by All-American and All-Big Ten performer, James Hardy, this core of wide receivers will be one of the best in the Big Ten this season. Hardy returns for his junior season after catching 51 passes for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall. He needs 11 more touchdowns to surpass Jade Butcher as the Hoosier's all-time leader in touchdown receptions. Due to a great attitude and amazing work ethic over the offseason, the 6'7" 220lb receiver has added speed and strength. His leadership during conditioning and 7-on-7 drills was imperative to us getting better as a team this offseason.

The second leading receiver from last year was James Bailey. The Detroit Denby High School product hauled in 40 passes for 401 yards last fall. He is always in shape and will be a player that opposing defenses will have to pay attention to this season.

Two-sport star (baseball), Andrew Means, has a great reputation for making clutch catches and going over the middle to make the tough catch. He is very tough and very fast (4.3-40 speed). Last season he caught 20 balls for 263 yards. Built like a linebacker (6'0" 215lbs.), Means is great after he catch. He has the strength to break tackles and the speed to outrun people.

Probably the most electrifying offensive player is Ray Fisher. The 5'9" 170lb. speedster has been timed in the 4.2 range in the 40 yard dash. Coming from the well known Glenville High School in Cleveland, OH, Fisher is the quickest of all the Indiana players. He is in amazing shape and will be very difficult for opposing defenses to catch and get a hold of.

Brandon Walker-Roby is entering training camp with a rededicated work ethic to improve on his 5 catches for 40 yards last season. He has worked very hard this summer, doing extra drills and conditioning, to enable himself to compete to his full potential this fall. Another player who has displayed top-notch work ethic is redshirt freshman, Terrance Turner. I've said before that his work ethic has been second to none. Coming off a very impressive spring, he has put himself in a position to move up the depth chart and be of impact on the field this fall.

Adding depth is Chris Banks, walk-on Collin Taylor, and incoming freshman, Matt Ernest. Banks has been a consistent player in all of the receiver and 7-on-7 drills this summer. He has showed the ability to make very difficult catches and will compete for time this camp. Taylor is a redshirt sophomore walk-on out of Carmel High School near Indianapolis, IN. He has lots of potential and though, he did not travel last fall, he has the ability to do just that this season and could become a great story down the road. Matt Ernest comes to us out of Crown Point High School. He caught 56 passes for 960 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior in high school.

Mainstays on the scout team have been Jordan Canada, Jake Kocal, and Joe Kruse.

Offensive Line
The offensive line will be much improved this season as we return four starters, tackles Charlie Emerson and Roger Saffold, and guards Pete Saxon and Jon Sandberg. Emerson played in all 12 games last fall, making 11 starts. The Connecticut native made the switch from defensive end before last season. He has added weight to his frame and is one of the most athletic offensive tackles I have seen. Saffold became a dependable player last season, earning the starting job as a true freshman. He opened eyes when he shut out Iowa All-American defensive end Kenny Iwebema. Saxon demonstrated an amazing nasty streak during the eight games he played in, making five starts. He displayed that same nastiness all spring. Jon Sandberg is the strongest player on the team (benching well over 500 lbs.) and will be a true force on the line. Look for him to have a great season.

The center position will be a one to watch this spring. The frontrunner is 5th year senior, Ben Wyss. He is a veteran who knows the playbook inside and out. Also competing will be the 6'7" 285 lb. Alex Perry and likely Jarrod Smith. Both are coming off redshirt seasons where they were contributors to the scout team.

Providing depth at guard will be Cody Faulkner, Kenny Love, and Matt Moses. Faulkner is a redshirt freshman and was highly recruited out of high school. He will fiercely compete for playing time this training camp. Kenny Love is a former defensive tackle who might be the most athletic offensive guard we have. Matt Moses will also put in work this camp.

At tackle there is still Mike Stark, James Brewer, and Kyle Thomas to go along with incoming freshmen Dennis Ziegler, Josh Hager, and Andrew McDonald. Sean Edmundson is another player who could contribute here or at guard. Both Stark and Brewer and big bodies at 6'7" and 6'8". The same goes for Hager, who needs to fill out his frame some more, and Ziegler who is massive. Kyle Thomas played in nine games last season with seven starts. He will be one to watch this training camp as he could earn his starting spot back. Andrew McDonald hails from Indianapolis,IN power house, Warren Central High School. He will provide quality depth at the position, and will be a competitor in training camp.

COMING TOMORROW- TRAINING CAMP PREVIEW PART 2: DEFENSE

Prepare For Glory

2007-08-03T13:29:00.000-04:00

The week has flown by and training camp is upon us Hoosiers. I am ready to go and I can't wait to hit the field and fly around. I'm going to keep today's post short, since it is our time off and all there is left to do is get our minds right for training camp. It's the official beginning to our journey to play 13. It's going to be a wild and fun ride.

In these days leading up to camp I have watched the movie, 300, once everyday since it came out on DVD to get myself pumped and ready. I will continue to do so today and tomorrow. Sure, Michigan State may get inspiration from that movie, with them being Spartans and all, but I hope they know that the movie fires up pretty much everybody, not just them. Training camp will be our time to "Prepare for Glory!"

TRAINING CAMP PREVIEW COMING SUNDAY!
I will be doing a training camp preview on your Indiana Hoosiers! Read and get the scoop on what's to come this season.

STARTING MONDAY...
You will be able to read this blog on IU's Official Athletic Website (http://www.iuhoosiers.com/) in addition to reading it at its original sight (http://www.insideiufootball.blogspot.com/)

MESSAGE FOR THE ROAD
"God doesn't require that you succeed. He only requires that you try." - Mother Teresa

Football Heating Up

2007-08-02T08:38:00.000-04:00

Over the past couple days I have noticed that football is beginning to come to the forefront of the media. More people are talking about it more often, articles upon articles are starting to heat up, getting fans ready for the upcoming season.

I'm beginning to enter football heaven. I wake up every morning to NFL Network. I watch and listen for my daily update on NFL training camps, contract negotiations, player holdouts, injury reports, etc. I also make sure I get my daily dose of SportsCenter for the same reason (in addition to hearing about other sports). I swear I'm in love with ESPN's time slot from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on weekdays, when they show College Football Live, followed by NFL Live. I've also just found that the NFL Network is airing a new show called College Football Now, beginning on Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. It doesn't get much better than that in late July and early August.

I'm just as much of a fan of the game as I am a player. I make it a point to know what's going on in the football world, especially college football. I spend lots of time on Rivals.com. As a matter of fact, I often times listen to Rivals Radio while reading the website. It's by far my most visited website. I read message boards, articles on many many teams each day, read about recruits, watch film, lots of film. I watch it to see if I see what the Rivals scouts see. Would I rate this guy as high? What system would he fit in? What do I like/dislike about him? I love this stuff.

With all of the media days this past week (Big East, ACC, Big 12, SEC, Pac-10, and Big Ten) there have been so many questions and articles. Some questions answered, some not. I think I've read almost every article there is to read about almost every conference. Yeah, I'm that serious about this.

I have to say one of the most entertaining things I've seen was South Carolina Head Coach, Steve Spurrier's press conference. ESPN ran a clip of him talking about so many different subjects. Everything from his team's depth at running back to whether or not an incoming freshman would still have his girlfriend after his first year. I laughed when I saw this.

Honoring Coach Hep
People also want to know how we're going to honor Coach Hep. As you may have read in a few articles, it's being left up to the seniors. So, to tell you the truth, I don't even know what we're doing. As soon as they announce it to the public I'll post it up on this blog.

"Quiet Strength" #1!
Tony Dungy's book, Quiet Strength, just hit #1 on the New York Times' Best Seller list.

I'm currently reading Quiet Strength, and let me tell you it is one of the greatest books I've ever read, and I'm only about on chapter three! (And I do read lots of books). It's so inspirational and I love how he wears his faith on his sleeve. Seeing a Christian man demonstrate and show his faith on he world's biggest stage is something to be admired. Everyone should read this book. Not only football fans, but EVERYONE!

Message For The Road
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."

Test Time

2007-07-31T20:47:00.000-04:00

I don't have much time today due to homework and, well, rest time. You didn't think that I only wrote on the Internet and played football did you? But yes, homework is starting to heat up. There are only two weeks of summer school left so the big time tests are beginning to roll in. Study time is becoming very important and, dare I say, incredibly boring. But I do what I have to do.

Not only is it test time in the classroom but this is the week for our conditioning test. My teammates and I were given the option to run our test this morning or tomorrow morning any time from 7-9 a.m. Most of my teammates ran the test today to get it over with. I will run mine tomorrow. I will pass it fairly easily. Not to say the test is a piece of cake or anything. You must be in shape to pass it.

I'm not going to tell you exactly what the conditioning test entails but here is a broad description: It's a series of 80, 60, 50, and 40 yard sprints with very little time to rest in between. If you miss any of your times in the 80's through the 50's you fail. You are allowed to miss two 40 yard dashes (and you run lots of them). Often times the freshmen struggle, along with some big men.

For the most part, everyone should past the test. Though, it will be fun to watch the incoming freshman run it when they all arrive. There's always a good number who struggle mightily. I guess you could say it's their first "Welcome to College Football" moment.

We have the rest of the week off once done with the conditioning test to get ready for camp. We will report this upcoming weekend. The rest time during the time off will be difficult for me because I have a rough time doing nothing. I always want to run or do something. If I go a day without exercise I feel sloppy. So you can bet I'll be doing some light jogging at least.

GOT QUESTIONS?
Each week I will have a question and answer post. So feel free to post some questions anytime and I will do my best to answer them.

MESSAGE FOR THE ROAD
"Take care of the little things and you'll never have a big thing to worry about." - Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer, Cal Ripken Jr.

Player Profile: Marcus Thigpen

2007-07-30T09:24:00.000-04:00

Number:2

Class:RS Junior

Position:Running back

Hometown:Detroit,MI

High School:Mumford Mustangs

Siblings: Three younger brothers and one sister. All the boys are 5 years apart, that's crazy right? They're 21,16,11,6 and my sister is 17.

Roommates: My cousin Anteney Plair, my Best friend/Teammate Nick Polk and Cortez Hollis, my long distance brother.

Girlfriend: Yes. My high school sweetheart

Most attractive characteristic in a girl:I love smiles. A pretty smile with dimples gets me every time.

Least attractive characteristic in a girl: A girl with hair shorter than mine. Its cute on some girls but the other ones just need to stop.

Non-football highlight:Graduating from high school being the class Vice President.

Best sport other than football: Track. I was blessed with speed I have to use it.

Career other than football: Personal trainer/Physical Therapist. Anything dealing with football and/or coaching. I can't get enough of it.

Scares you: My teammate's Alligator. I know his profile will be up soon so i don't want to spoil the surprise so guess who has that??

Pet peeve: When people try to challenge me in a foot race knowing that they can't beat me or even come close to beating me.

Formerly slept with a stuffed animal: Yes. I have this Football teddy bear that I sleep with every night and it has a pin on it that's says "When I die bury me with my football." Its cute LOL. My sister bought it for me.

Specialty in the kitchen: My best dish in the kitchen is by far Fried Chicken and Kool- Aid. I think I make the best in both. Any Challengers?

Favorite professional football team: Carolina Panthers. The colors are nice and they have Steve Smith, an awesome receiver, and rising star, Jahkeem Gilmore, a great friend.

Favorite professional football player: I Just recently changed to Devin Hester he is an exciting player to watch and I want him to know that I will be coming for his records!!!!!

Opponent you dislike the most: I actually don't dislike any opponents because when it comes down to it they are all cool people. If i had to choose it would be Ohio State.

Funniest teammate: I would have to say James Bailey. He could make anybody laugh.

Prettiest: Besides myself I would have to say Nick Polk, he has the baby face on the team.

Most athletic: Again myself and Ryan Marando. He is very athletic.

Most humble: I am very humble but another humble person would be Nick Polk he is a very good player and never says anything to anyone about his talents.

Funniest team moment: When we have our talent show at the end of every training camp. Last year when we had James Bailey, Jerry Williams, Brandon Mosely, and Brandon Walker-Roby do a skit together about having fresh legs for the season after a long and stressful camp has to be the funniest thing I have ever seen. I will see if i can get a copy of the video posted so you guys can see what i mean.

Personal goal for the season: "Play 13". As an individual, return 5 or more kick returns for touchdowns and gain over 1,000 yards rushing. Impossible? Never!! "The sky is the limit!!!!" Hope you guys enjoyed it.

SPEED KILLS!
Marcus Thigpen has been timed in the 4.2 second range in the 40 yard dash. He also ran 10.67 in the 100 meter dash while running track. Last season, Marcus received All-American honors as a kick returner. He led the nation, averaging 30.1 yards per return to go along with three touchdowns. As a running back, Marcus rushed for 387 yards on 98 carries, two of them for touchdowns.

For Your Information

2007-07-28T18:22:00.000-04:00

First off, I want to take a moment to send my thoughts and prayers out to the family, friends, and team of former Wake Forest basketball coach, Skip Prosser. We Hoosiers know what it's like to lose a beloved coach and my heart goes out to those who were close to him.

Secondly, I want to thank everyone for their support, care, and interest in this blog, me, and everthing that is IU Football. Whether it be from all of you who have said such nice things on the Peegs Message Boards, those of you on facebook, or all of you who have demonstrated your support in person. I appreciate the love.

I've noticed from reading comments on this page and in message boards that some people have had some questions as a result of my blog entries. Today I'm focusing on answering a few of those questions.

Q: Is it difficult to balance academics and the workout schedule?

A: It hasn't been difficult to balance academics and the workout schedule this summer since I'm only taking two classes right now. Unfortunately, this fall things will heat up and the majority of my days will be spent at the stadium doing football work or homework. The schedule can become grueling but I do my best to manage my time wisely.

Q: How do you think the construction of the new stadium will effect the fans attending games this season?

A: I think that the construction of the new stadium will give fans more incentive to attend more home games. The excitement surrounding the anticipation to see what's going on and how much progress the workers are making should be something of interest. Also, the construction of the new addition to the stadium is, to me, a symbol, showing that we're an up and coming program ready to compete with the other Big Ten teams not only on the field, but in the area of facilities as well.

Q: How is Blake Powers looking at tight end?

A: There's no doubt in my mind that Blake Powers will be a good tight end for this football team. With his athleticism, he has plenty of potential to get on the field and be a factor. I've seen him this sumer in 7-on-7 drills, sprints, agility drills, and in the weight room. He is more than ready to be a great tight end.

Q: Who will be handling the starting running back duties this year?

A: Everybody always asks me this question. Sorry to let you down, but withme being a running back, I can't answer this one. All I can tell you is that each running back on this team has been, and will continue to work hard and compete for the starting job. You'll just have to wait and see who's starting on the field Sept. 1 and thereafter.

There wasn't a direct question about the speed of Andrew Means but I noticed that a few people were surprised by his 4.3 40 speed. In fact, Means has been timed at 4.38 in the 40 and he plays that fast on the field. So, don't doubt him as a deep threat.

Notes For Thought
There have been plenty of impressive performances in workouts this summer but today I want to spotlight just one. Josiah Sears is in the best shape of his life. He has been very impressive in every aspect of our workouts this summer. He is one of the strongest players on the team and is exceptionally quick and fast for his size (6'0" 252 lbs.) He has been timed in the 4.6 range in the 40 and should be considered as one of he top fullback prospects in the country. The more I watch him, the more he reminds me of West Virginia fullback, Owen Schmitt. When a fullback discussion comes up on TV or anywhere else, Josiah Sears is never involved in the conversation as being on of the best! Sure, I'm biased, but I've seen both guys play and I find them to be pretty similar. The difference is Schmitt plays for West Virginia, and they've been to the BCS, we havn't...yet.

Save this Date
Beginning on August 6 you will also be able to view and comment on this blog on Indiana's Official Athletic Website (www.iuhoosiers.com) Check it out!

Message For The Road
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Christmas In July

2007-07-25T19:42:00.000-04:00

Today was yet another great day to be a Hoosier.

When I woke up this morning I expected this day to be nothing special. I planned on strolling to the stadium after class to get my running workout in at 11 am, going to my second class, then coming back to the stadium to chill and get myself ready for 7-on-7. The same daily routine I pretty much had been doing the entire summer. But this day was a little different.

To begin, when I rolled out of bed this morning I fully expected to be sore, but surprisingly I wasn't at all. As a matter of fact I felt great.

I ate some tuna casserole for breakfast (yes tuna casserole) and drove to class expecting to sit through yet another lecture from the professor. But when I got there, once again to my surprise, I was the only student to show up! Therefore, the teacher gave me credit and said I could go.

So what do I do? I make my way to my second home, "The Rock", to get ready for the run. As I was walking into the hallway area of the stadium I passed one of our equipment managers who was pushing a huge cart of Adidas boxes. It made me wonder what that was all about.

Then once I entered the locker room/player's lounge area I saw three huge boxes setting on the floor. I stopped and looked to my right and there was a smooth, sleek 50" Samsung plasma TV set in the wall! I yelled out, "Yo, is this for us!" (who else would it be for?). Ofcourse it was. But as I looked at the boxes I noticed that we're getting not one, not two, but three new plasma TV's!

I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning when he runs into the family room to see that Santa brought him that brand new 10-speed bike that he had been asking his parents for for months! (10-speed bike's were the best thing ever back when I was little) I've never seen a picture so clear! Heck, it made me think about getting one for my place (knowing good and well that I can't afford it).

But Christams didn't stop there! I was told that we're getting a PlayStation 3, and new couches! And yes I'm excited about new couches! Incase you didn't know, they come in handy during training camp. Some of us players decided that we need a new rule of having no players sit or lay on the couch's until they dry off after a workout. Afterall, nobody likes a sweaty couch!

Finally, on top of all that we got brand new Adidas gear in stock today. We got new cleates, compression shorts and shirts, athletic shorts, sneakers, etc. I appreciated everything so much! I swear I was just waiting for Santa Clause to just jump out of someone's locker and shout "Surprise!" Now, that would have scared the heck out of me, but I would 've thanked him and asked him for a plasma TV for my apartment! Haha!

After everything calmed down my teammates and I went out and did our runing workout. Today was agility work. It wasn't a long workout but it still had our legs burning at the end. We really put emphasis on form today and doing the drills correctly. It almost doesn't matter how fast you're going with some of these drills if you can't get the form down correctly. Afterall, the correct form will enable you to be quicker and more efficient.

7-on-7 drills went well once again today. The quarterbacks were focused and there were once again some big time standouts on the day. Lots of guys made plays today but some notibles were many great plays made by cornerback, Leslie Majors. He had a good number of pass break-ups and looked great in coverage the whole time. Another standout today was wide reciever, Andrew Means. He took a short pass from Teddy Schell and turned it into about a 65-yard pass and catch. I thought someone might catch him at first, but he slashed through defenders, turning on his 4.3 speed, and took it to the house. After 7-on-7 we all came into the locker room to shower up and go home, but not many people made it past the player's lounge area. Most stopped to watch TV and play NCAA Football 2008 on PS3. I've never thought my teammates and I would be so eager to stay at the stadium so late. But I guess that's the power of technology. We had ourselves a good time though.

COMING MONDAY!
The first player profile! I'm not telling who it'll be but I'll give you a (big) hint: 4.2 SPEED. Think you've guessed it? Check back Monday to see who it is.

MESSAGE FOR THE ROAD
"Nothing in life is promised. So when you have something special, take full advantage of it." -Baltimore Ravens linebacker, Ray Lewis

The Summer So Far

2007-07-22T21:42:00.000-04:00

The summer is winding down and I, along with the rest of my teammates, can see training camp in the distance. We have gone through a roller-coaster of emotions this summer with the passing of our dear Head Coach, Terry Hoeppner, on June 19th. Ever since Hep's passing our team has held our heads up high with a new sense of pride in being an Indiana Hoosier football player. Hep was OUR Coach, we know he is watching and we will play 13. There's not one day that goes by where I don't think about our goal and what we need to do as a team. I, myself am in best shape I've been in since becoming a Hoosier in 2005. I've dropped around 15 pounds and am now faster, quicker, and actually stronger. I'm determined to give my all every snap, and I will.

Summer Workouts
Summer workouts began in mid-May and our head strength and conditioning coach, Mark Wateska, has noticeably stepped up the workouts in comparison to previous years. He knows what he is doing. He's getting us ready to be champions. We will be a bigger, faster, stronger, football team because of it. My teammates and I have been working so hard everyday this summer to get ourselves in the best shape possible for this upcoming season. Players who needed to gain weight did just that. Players who needed to drop weight achieved their goal. Here's what our workouts have been like: We have all morning and afternnoon to lift in the weight room, but there have been two running times, at 11 a.m. and at 4 p.m. In my typical daily routine I get out of bed at 8 a.m., eat breakfast and head to my 9:30 class. after that I run at 11. We're starting to taper down now that the summer is almost over but the time limits have been faster, and the workouts more intense. There's some days where we'll run around 20 sets of 40 yard dashes with agility work in between. You must be in shape to do these things. Though, if any of us is not in shape by now, there's a definate problem. Once done running I grab a bite to eat and make my way to my hour-long 12:30 psychology class. Once done with that torture I get my butt in the weight room. The toughest days are most definately Thursdays because it's a full body workout. If you're not ready for it, the workout will knock you off you're feet worse than any Big Ten linebacker. I get in there and pump out my bench presses, pulldowns, incline's, and kill the leg press. As I always say before I hit the weight room, "I don't have to deal with that lift. That lift has to deal with ME!" Once done with the workout I'm always drenched with sweat. I love it though. You have to to be in this business at this level. As All-Pro Baltimore Ravens' linebacker, Ray Lewis once said, "I train for failure." Think about that one for a second...I enjoy being dog-tired from a workout to the point where my body fails and can't go anymore. After all that I eat again, and finally, it's on to 7-on-7 workouts baby!

7-on-7 Drills have been going on throughout the summer. No coaches attend these workouts. They are conducted by just us players. Things have been going well in this department too. Our incoming freshman quarterback, Teddy Schell, has been in steady attendance along with returning starter, Kellen Lewis, and Ben Chappell. They have all looked impressive. Our recievers have been working hard as well. One that has really been standing out in my eyes is Terrance Turner. His work ethic is probably second to none and I'm confident that he will make his presence known this season. Our defense looks good too. Our superstars have been playing like superstars and that's what we need. It feels good to see my teammates dedicated to getting better. It brings a smile to my face and makes me eager to see and be around them.

We can taste the bowl game, we know we can achieve the previously unthinkable goal of being somewhere warm in December, or possibly even January. That is what drives us everyday as a team. We need not to lose sight of the vision that Coach Hep set out for us. He came so close to getting us to that glorious 13th game. We are determined not to let our boss down.

Renovating "The Rock"
It's been an exciting experience to watch the construction of the new addition to Memorial Stadium aka "The Rock". For a while, it seemed as if they would never begin and that it was going to be a very slow process. But, now that they've started things seem to be moving quickly. I was an eye witness to the scoreboard being knocked down. I was in the weight room when it happened and I ran out to see it. That was cool to see. I greatly appreciate what the construction workers are doing. I can't wait 'till they're finished. I will be posting pictures of the construction soon.

COMING SOON: Player Profiles
Each week I'll be posting an interesting profile of a player from the IU Football team. The questions will give you insight on what some of our players' interests are and what they are like!

Message For The Road
I will end all of my entries with a message I think is important. Today's quote is something I thought of and something I use for my life. It is this: "Let God be your inspiration, because with Him you can do all things." God bless.