The team, which has had some of the best runs in football history, specially in the 1980s and 90s , has been going through a bad patch in its history since the year 2002, losing against weaker teams, having poor playing spells and being dogged by controversies both within and outside the club. However, the team still has a major fan following, owing to its past successes which include five Super Bowl victories, five NFC championships and seventeen Division championships wins. The San Francisco 49ers are the only NFL team, apart from the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers to have won the Super Bowl a record five times. On top of this, the Niners have also been responsible for giving American football some of its greatest heroes like Steve Young, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott.

Ever since their inception in 1946, the San Francisco 49ers have been based in San Francisco, playing all their home matches in San Francisco while having their club and practice sessions in Santa Clara. Unlike most football teams, the team has retained its first and only name, which is reminiscent of the California gold rush of 1849.

The 49ers had always been a mediocre team from the 40s till the end of the 70s, winning some matches while losing even more and their exploits were nothing much to either inspire a great fan following or to write home about. However, all this changed in the 1980s, when the team managed to win four Super Balls in one decade. Not only this, they missed the playoffs only twice during these ten years. It was during these golden years that the team also threw up a number of superbly talented players like receiver and quarterback Joe Montana, receiver Dwight Clark and running back Earl Cooper.

As of late, apart from being mired in a number of controversies ranging from long drawn out battles over ownership to leaking out of non public training videos, the team also has not been making any great waves in the championships arena. The last and most recent brick in the wall has been the team’s proposed move to Santa Clara for playing their games also. Around the end of the year 2006, negotiations that were on between the 49ers SF and the city of San Francisco regarding the building of a privately funded stadium came to an end with the 49ers management pulling out of the deal due to undisclosed reasons and deciding to move to Santa Clara for good. Last heard, plans were afoot to build a state of the art playing facility in Santa Clara, to be completed by the year 2012. This decision of the team management has delivered a further blow to 49ers SF fans in San Francisco. ]]> http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/11/11/an-introduction-to-the-49ers-sf/feed/ http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/10/28/college-footballs-heart-stoppers/ http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/10/28/college-footballs-heart-stoppers/#comments Sun, 28 Oct 2007 03:54:36 +0000 Sebastian Articles News http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/10/28/college-footballs-heart-stoppers/ When it’s bad, college football can really suck. But when it’s good…oh boy.Last weekend, it was very, very good. I have two TVs in my living room, side-by-side, and in the span of about 15 minutes, Wisconsin won their ridiculous game over Minnesota thanks primarily to a blocked punt, Michigan topped Penn State’s gutsy drive with one of their own (aided by two phantom seconds added to the Big House clock) and Matt Leinart somehow got the clock stopped when he fumbled out of bounds (it’s not supposed to do that) and made his QB sneak into history, helping Southern Cal overcome a nation’s worth of Irish rooters in the best football game I remember seeing this century.

Wow.

Add to that Alabama’s clutch drive against Ole Miss leading to a game-winning field goal with no time left, West Virginia’s tackling of Louisville QB Brian Brohm just outside the goal line, stopping what would’ve been a tying two-point conversion in that game’s third overtime, and UCLA’s outrageous comeback on Washington State, including a third-and-three from the Wazzou nine with precious little time on the clock, whereupon the Bruins scored the tying TD and sent the game into OT. No, my crummy cable company didn’t let me see all those games (though I did get the Tide and some of the Mountaineers), but all I can tell you is this: whenever your know-it-all brainiac friend with the pocket protector and mounds of statistics about how big-time intercollegiate athletics are leeches on the forehead of American universities, think back to last Saturday, remember play after play of pulse-pounding excitement that only sports can consistently give, and offer your friend a winsome smile.

He just wouldn’t understand.

The White Sox are in their first World Series in 46 years. How does that play in the handicapping world? Are a lot of bettors (including you) on that bandwagon? What were the odds on them winning the AL before the season started? Do you find them to be an appealing team to root for?

Rob Gillespie, BoDog.ws: Not really. I think bettors were shocked to see the Yankees and Red Sox out so fast and were playing wait and see. On the year, the White Sox got no love from bettors. They opened at 35/1 last fall and moved as high as 50/1 in the offseason. Their fast start drew a couple of large bets but bettors never really showed support in any numbers. I don’t find the team itself particularly appealing, but its tough not to like Ozzie Guillen and the way he has his team play.

Assuming the Astros win one of the next three NLCS games, who do you like between them and the White Sox in the World Series? Do you expect the world to care, or will this be one of those Series that no one watches?

RG, BoDog.ws: Pujols hits a clutch monster Home Run Monday night, the Colts come back from 17 down early to destroy the hapless looking Rams and all anyone is talking about at the water cooler today is USC/Notre Dame. I think this will be the World Series time forgot if you live outside of Texas or Illinois. I’ll take the White Sox starters and rested bullpen and say Chicago in 5. Just guessing here of course!

How about that USC/Notre Dame game? Boy, was that an Instant Classic, or what? How did Vegas do on that one, and what were your impressions of the Trojans. Are they going to win the national championship?

RG, BoDog.ws: Action was so balanced on that one that we got to be true fans for a game, and what a game. I stood in front of my TV and applauded at the end. I wonder how the Houston Texans would fare against either team right now? That was an instant classic for sure. I would worry about a letdown next week if wasn’t Washington up next on their sched. USC has not played championship caliber ball in the first half of their last three games and they will give Cal and UCLA shots to beat them if they don’t get that sorted out quickly.

In the NFL, is New England in serious, serious trouble, or do you expect them to get healthy and make another run?

RG, BoDog.ws: I put my back out once. The most surprising thing was how much other muscles hurt from having to compensate. I think the same is true of the Pats right now. The more that bench gets stretched, the more guys are going to get banged up. They have the mental make-up to recover quickly but there may not be enough time left in the season to physically recover given how good the AFC looks this year. Bruschi’s return is likely to give a small emotional lift, but I don’t think he will make enough physical difference to stop the bleeding. The bye week will help as well. Buff/Ind/@Mia the next three games: winning two is a must if they want to get back to the Super Bowl; winning all three would show they are still the team to beat; losing two or more of those and it’s time to build for next year. ]]> http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/10/28/college-footballs-heart-stoppers/feed/ http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/09/25/teach-your-football-wide-receivers-to-get-open-and-score-points-in-bunches/ http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/09/25/teach-your-football-wide-receivers-to-get-open-and-score-points-in-bunches/#comments Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:54:05 +0000 Sebastian Articles http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/09/25/teach-your-football-wide-receivers-to-get-open-and-score-points-in-bunches/ Your passing game starts with the ability of your football wide receivers to get separation from their defenders. It doesn’t matter if you have the greatest quarterback in the world if his receivers can’t give him a window to throw to.

The first step is to teach your wide receivers how to get off the line. If the defenders are pressing and bumping at the line, the receiver must know how to beat the pressure. Begin by teaching fakes. The most basic is the “head bob”. This is where the football wide receiver moves his head to one side while getting his body moving straight or to the other side. A good shoulder fake can spice this move up.

Since defensive backs will eventually pick up on a repeated fake, teach your receivers to mix things up with double-fakes (fake one way, then the other, then move beyond the defensive back).

Football wide receivers must also be taught how to use their hands to gain separation. Teach the “rip” and “swim” techniques. If cutting left, teach them to use the right arm to “rip” up through the cornerback’s arms. For the “swim” technique, teach your wide receivers to bring the inside arm up and over the corner’s arms to knock the arms downward.

Once off the line, good route running is obviously an important skill to develop. One way to help your football wide receivers get open is to have them run hard to a specific spot, get control (possibly use a fake here) and make the cut. Plant the foot away from the direction of the cut, make the cut and then accelerate into the cut. Teach your players the importance of getting the defensive back moving backwards and then cutting away from them.

Besides the straight line charge, you can also have your football receivers use an S-shape weave to get open. Have them run quickly at the defensive back to get close, then “curve” around him to gain separation.

Against man-to-man coverage, learning the art of good cuts and making those cuts at the right time will be extremely important to the success of your wide receivers. Against zone coverage, it’s a bit different. Since the defensive backs are defending an area, the football receivers won’t need to use their fakes quite as much since they just need to find the holes in the zone.

One often over-looked area where you can give your players an advantage is in your scouting of the opposition. Don’t underestimate the importance of exploiting how your players match up to the other guys. Figure out how you can game-plan how to get your best or fastest receiver matched up against the opposition’s weakest or slowest defensive back.

Teach your football wide receivers the correct fundamentals for getting open, game-plan your match ups effectively, then sit back and feel the satisfaction of watching a beautifully executed big play win the game for your players.

Matt & Dave run http://www.football-plays-and-drills.com/get-open and enjoy teaching football players and coaches more about the football plays, drills, fundamentals and tips that result in individual and team success. For our free report, “5 Keys to Discovering the Successful Coach Inside You”, plus an additional free report, send a blank email to mailto:footballtips@aweber.com.

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Mike Tice Minnesota: Many wanted him gone each of the last two years, defeating the Packers in Green Bay may have saved him for a moment, but his ticket scalping scandal put him right back on the edge of the plank. Being the lowest paid coach in the NFL doesn’t help with his “lack of authority”, either. Getting run out of Minnesota may be the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Dom Capers Houston: While the talent simply isn’t there to win, quarterback David Carr and the rest of the younger players have regressed and management for this “expansion” team knows after you while you get labeled a laughing stock if you continue to lose for just so long. The team is awful on both sides of the football, and after firing the offensive coordinator early in the season, the writing was on the wall for Capers.

LIKELY GONE

Mike Sherman Green Bay: This is the same organization (different GM I know) that ran Ray Rhodes was run out of Green Bay in 1999 after one 8-8 season. Many have said If he survives, it may be because of Brett Favre, but I doubt if the QB decides to retire because if Sherman isn’t there. None of Favre’s recent setbacks have pulled the uniform off him. The best coach on the staff is actually DC Jim Bates, though they’ll probably go for a bigger name. In fairness, the team has been ravaged by injuries, but past failures bite Sherm you know where.

Jim Haslett New Orleans: This team has been fighting the odds all year and I give them credit for not going in the tank (yet), but Haslett should have been gone at least a year ago. That 4-0 finish at the end of 2004 saved him, even though the first 12 games were U-G-L-Y. Only way he survives is if Benson is too busy trying to move the team, that he doesn’t want to waste time with a coaching change.

Norv Turner Oakland: Suffers from Dave Wannstedt syndrome, great coordinator, bad coach. Wasn’t impressed with him in Washington, not impressed now in Oakland. Al Davis isn’t a patient man either, even though he’s off season moves are usually pitiful. He somehow thinks they make the Raiders Super Bowl contenders every year, too bad the fans can’t fire him.

50-50 CHANCE

Brian Billick Baltimore: Very likely this team gets dismantled and they take a different approach that Billick either isn’t, or doesn’t want to be part of. He still has plenty of respect because he brought a Super Bowl to Baltimore, but this offense has NEVER been good, because of both the personnel and lack of developing players. Offensive genius in Minnesota?? “Throw the ball deep to Randy!!” doesn’t make you a genius, sorry.

Herm Edwards NY Jets: Another coach, like Sherman, whose team has been ravaged by injuries, and one a bigger stage (NY). But he’s made quite a few blunders in games, from running backs “throwing” interceptions to clock management errors. Much better at press conferences that coaching football games. I’ll give him credit for being a good motivator, but so was Ditka and Glanville.

The Rest: Steve Mariucci: Not going anywhere this year, it’s all Joey’s fault remember. Won’t have him to blame if things don’t go well in 2006.

Jeff Fisher: Thought he was a horrible coach ten years ago when he was all about the D. Grab a 7-0 lead early, try to sit on the ball for 55 minutes. But he started to let the OC show some imagination, and feel he’s top notch at managing a game now. It’s his call if he wants to pursue other opportunities.

Dick Vermeil: Classiest coach in the NFL, probably any sport. Probably ready to retire, but would love to see him make a strong playoff run before he hangs it up.

John Onan is sports moderator/writer at the online players union http://www.onlineplayersunion.com/forum/index.php

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1. Quarterback must be respected

The first consideration must be that the quarterback be respected by his teammates. The quarterback need not be “popular” or well liked by his team, but it is essential that he have their respect if the offense is to be successful. If a quarterback has the respect of his teammates, his judgment will not likely be questioned in a clutch situation. Every individual will give his absolute maximum effort instead of “second guessing” in a crucial series on the goal line. With this respect the squad will develop a feeling of confidence and assurance in the quarterback to get the job done. Respect and confidence carry the ball together.

2. Playing ability

When selecting a quarterback, the requisite of ability is almost a carbon copy of respect; you can’t have one without the other. Yes, it is possible, but not likely. At one time, we made the error of selecting a signal caller who was proficient on offense, but weak on defense. As a result, the team did not completely respect this quarterback, so that they did not go all out for him.

In order for the quarterback to gain absolute respect he must be fairly proficient in other phases of team play. It would be ridiculous for a single-wing quarterback to attempt to lead his teammates on offense, if he were deficient in blocking himself. Yet, he might be a fine defensive man. The quarterback should be able to more than hold his own on both offense and defense. If he fails to have confidence in himself he cannot expect his teammates to respect his judgment. This has been one major area where T-formation quarterbacks could stand improvement. The best way to be a leader is through performance.

3. Football sense

The third quality we look for when selecting the quarterbacks is “football sense.” This is not necessarily found in the player who leads his classmates in scholastic standing. The “A” student many times does not have “football sense,” especially during the stress and pressure of a crucial situation. Normally, the quarterback is academically ranked in the upper one-third of his class and possibly in the top ten per cent of the squad.

It is mandatory that the quarterback know the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates, not just the backfield men, but the line as well. Some players are better in clutch situations than others; they are most reliable when the pressure is on. By way of illustration, some kickers are poised when kicking from their own end zones; certain centers are less excitable when snapping the ball into their own end zone than others.

4. Leadership

Actually, leadership may be the wrong term for this fourth qualification in selecting the quarterback. Perhaps a better definition would be “personality.” The quarterback must have a personality to lead his teammates and at the same time keep harmony. Usually a personality that is willing to “sacrifice everything for the benefit of the team” is one that will bring the desired type of harmony and leadership.

An ideal type of disposition is one that is cheerful. After all, football is a game and by having a cheerful leader there is a tendency for other men to be alert and happy. He must be above discouragement at all times. If he becomes discouraged all this is lost. Of course, there will be times when he will feel this way, but he must not reveal his feeling to the players around him.

5. Voice

It is our feeling that here is one quality that has not been drilled on enough.

By way of illustration, let’s pretend we have two men battling for the top quarterback position. Their names are Black and White. Black has leadership, confidence, football sense, and a good voice. White has intelligence and all the qualities that go with an alert mind. However, he is lacking somewhat in the other qualities, especially in voice. Which would you select?

The coach must choose Black because the team will follow him. White may select the correct play on every occasion, but because of a deficiency in other qualities and a poor voice they may not believe he is correct. As a result, they will not go all out for him. His personality will not lead them.

Actually, Black may have much less to offer mentally, but with his personality, confidence, and voice, will be a better general. He will drive the team and his voice will help give the team the precision necessary. His voice will be like a command to the team. It will be clear, snappy, and forceful. He will make tactical errors, but his team will go all out on every play, and to some extent overcome these mistakes. White may make no tactical mistakes and yet his team will lack the drive necessary on offense. It may not even score against a strong defense.

The finest axiom for any quarterback to remember regarding voice is … the wrong play called properly has more chance of success than the right play called improperly. Without question a team can be unconsciously stimulated to greater efforts by the quarterback’s voice. A good voice is a necessity.

6. Alligator skin

A quarterback must be alligator-skinned to criticism from fans, alumni, and press. A field general must expect to receive a high percentage of unjust comments from unqualified sources. He must not let this affect his thinking or worry him at any time. He will make mistakes, but he should try to profit from them and not make the same mistake twice. He must not worry or brood over past mistakes, but look forward to the next contest with optimism. Always preach to the quarterback that mistakes are a thing of the past. If a quarterback learns to become thick skinned he can take considerable criticism and still do a good job of directing the team.

7. Loyal representative

The final quality and one of the most important is that of loyalty to the coach. The quarterback is responsible only to the head coach. He is a personal representative of his coach on the field. The quarterback should be clearly informed of this so that there is no doubt. ]]> http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/07/03/the-7-pillars-of-choosing-a-football-teams-quarterback/feed/ http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/05/21/john-beck-on-deck/ http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/05/21/john-beck-on-deck/#comments Mon, 21 May 2007 12:36:31 +0000 Sebastian Articles http://www.footballnewsblog.com/2007/05/21/john-beck-on-deck/ There are fewer teams in the NFL with a more uncertain future than the Miami Dolphins. Miami, a team that has been neither horrible or wonderful over the past few seasons, has struggled at the quarterback position. After trading for Dante Culpepper - a former Minnesota Vikings star - the Dolphins seemed to have found the answer. Until, that is, this answer returned to a question when the season began. Not only did Culpepper start out with mediocre performances, but he finished on the injured reserve list.

The occurrences of last season left the Dolphins without a quarterback of the future, forcing them to draft a person to fill the role. After receiving criticism for passing on Brady Quinn, the Dolphins took John Beck. Beck, the former Brigham Young quarterback, was taken by the Miami Dolphins in the 2007 draft. Chosen with their second pick, Beck was 40th overall.

Born was born in Hayward, California, Beck attended high school in Mesa Arizona where he was a football star. During his junior and senior years, he quarterbacked his team to a 25-2 record, including a state championship. This led to a large amount of honors including first team all-state, USA Today All American honorable mention, Offensive Player of the Year, Outstanding Male Scholar Athlete honors and the Arizona High School Football Player of the Year.

Beck was recruited by BYU and began his career as a true freshman. During his sophomore year, he earned second team All-Mountain West honors and broke both the BYU single game sophomore record and the Mountain West Conference record with 67 pass attempts against UNLV. This season he also averaged 233 yards a game, passing the three thousand yard make. In the game against San Diego, Beck received a quarterback rating of 204.8.

During his junior year, Beck saw his stock take off as he received All-Moutain West Conference first team honors, and team Most Valuable Player. Ranked fifth nationally, Beck averaged 309 yards per game. He was ranked as one of the top 30 players in the Mountain West Conference by College Football News and ranked in the top-40 quarterbacks in the US by College Football Preview.

In Beck’s senior year, ESPN ranked him as the second best quarterback in the nation for efficiency. After leading BYU to a 10-2 record, Beck was a finalist for the Unitas Golden Arm Award and was even mentioned in some Heisman conversations. Beck’s senior year, and his collegiate career, ended when BYU beat Oregon 38-8 in the Las Vegas Bowl. During this game, Beck threw for 375 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 26 yards and one touchdown.

As for this season, Beck will probably see little - if any - playing time. Once his Rookie season is under his belt, he might surprise some people, leaving Dolphin fans to ask “Brady who?”

I have to say that it is very difficult to go from being young and having no money to being young and a millionaire because you do not know how to be financially responsible. It’s just like winning the lottery, and as you know from reading about lottery winners, most lottery winners go broke within 10 years after winning the lottery. Well, it is not that much different with professional sports players. The reason for this is most professional athletes, and lottery winners, were never taught money management skills. Going from being broke one day to being a millionaire the next day is a huge change in your life, mostly because once you have money, everybody wants you to give it to them, and most of the time you do.

I came from a single family home without a father, which is something many professional NFL players have in common. I am also African American and my family did not have a lot of money, which is also very common among NFL players. Because of this, I was never taught how to manage money responsibly and plan for my future. I went from being broke one day to being drafted into the NFL and becoming a millionaire.

A huge problem with being young and having a lot of money is the pressure by just about everybody including fellow players to spend a lot of money very quickly. When you are rich, everybody wants your money, especially your family and friends. My mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, etc. all wanted to borrow money from me. And of course I gave it to them. Then, you have girlfriends and wives who want you to buy them lots of expensive presents like cars, jewelry and clothes because you are rich and they want to show off to their friends. You also have charities, investors, and businesspeople all asking for your money—and you end up giving it to them.

But possibly the worst of all is the other players because when it comes to money it is the blind leading the blind. We all spend our money as if it will never run out because we are uneducated in financial responsibility. For example, for you to be cool and respected by the other players, you have to keep up with them. So, if one player buys a new SUV, you want to buy one too. I mean, you can’t be an NFL player and drive a normal car like a Honda Civic. You have to drive an expensive Hummer, Cadillac Escapade, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, etc.

You also have to have a huge expensive house. All the other players do and if you just live in an average house, they look down at you. So, we spend a fortune buying huge houses for ourselves and for our parents that we do not need. And of course there is the jewelry. We spend so much money on jewelry it is insane. It is nothing for a player to spend $100,000 a year or more buying jewelry, and that is just for us. That does not include all the jewelry we buy for our family, wives, and girlfriends. It is all extremely irresponsible. But, when you have so many people putting pressure on you every day to buy things and keep up with the other NFL players, it becomes much easier to say yes than to say no, even as you are watching all of your money disappear.

Another problem is as a wealthy NFL player, you are expected to flip the bill for everything. Whenever you go out to restaurant, you are the person who pays for everybody. And, when you go out with other players or your buddies, it is always to a fancy club where we go to the VIP section and spend thousands of dollars on fancy champagne and drinks—for everybody. I have known players who have spent over $25,000 in one night at a club. And then they go and do it over and over so they can be the “big man.”

Another problem NFL players have is women who are after us for our money and our status. And many of these women are gold diggers. If we were not rich athletes these beautiful women would probably not look twice at us. But now that we are rich and well known, women chase us constantly. This almost always leads to us marrying a woman we shouldn’t marry and then getting divorced after a couple of years and losing a large percentage of our money in the divorce. I made this mistake myself and it cost me dearly and still costs me.

In close, being a wealthy athlete is much more difficult than people think because there is so much pressure on us to spend our money as quickly as possible. Money magnifies problems, it does not eliminate them as most people think it does.

Prior to training camp, you may have been on vacation or spending time with friends and family. But the fun is over the moment you are given your training camp room key. This is where the sweat and tears start. This is where nervous butterflies give you a constant uneasy feeling in your gut.

You start training camp by meeting with other players and coaches. There is a nervous excitement in the air and it seems that all the players have some jitters. Your mind plays games against your confidence and you find yourself asking questions like, “Am I really good enough to play in the pros?” “What will I do if I don’t make the team?” “What if I can’t remember the plays we are taught?” “What happens if I get sick or injured?”

Then you get your schedule and it tells you where to go and meet. The schedule tells you that your first meeting is a team meeting with the head coach, staff, trainers, and the team owner. This is it. Training camp has officially started. It’s time to get to work and prove yourself. Psych yourself up. You are the best. You are going to do great and impress everybody. You are going to make the team and become a starter. You are a professional football player!

The schedule says that practice starts tomorrow. Morning practice is at 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Lunch is noon to 2:00 PM. At 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM we watch film. Our second practice is from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

For the first three days of camp, practice is a light practice with shorts and a helmet. This is to get your legs under you. On the fourth day of camp you get to put on pads. This is when the excitement begins and the butterflies go wild. You are so anxious to hit somebody. It feels like it has been forever since you were last on the field and ready to play. This is the toughest day for you. Your body has to get accustomed to the pads that weigh 70 lbs. Your body suffers as you go through practice drills while wearing these heavy pads in 100 plus degree heat. This is when you find out if you are in shape or not. Can you survive it? Are you going to get sick? Are you going to look weak in front of the other players? Be a man! You can handle it. If others can do it you can too. It’s mind over matter. Do it!

Coaches make day four with full pads a very physical day. This is to break players in on wearing pads in heat. This is where there coaches see which players have the strength and stamina to compete in the NFL. This is also where coaches see which players take being an athlete seriously and keep their bodies in top physical condition and which players are lazy and don’t work out.

After afternoon practice players hit the showers and the cold tubs. Cold tubs are filled with ice water. They feel like hell but they help an aching swollen body recover like nothing else.

After you clean up, it’s time to have dinner from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. But the day is not over yet. You have film to watch from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM. Snacks are at 10.00 PM and curfew is at 11:00 PM. At 11:00 PM you better be in your room and ready for bed. If not, you face the wrath of the coaches, and the last thing you want to do is make your coaches mad. Coaches do not like problem players, especially rookies and walk-ons. There’s too much talent out there to put up with trouble makers. Get your butt to bed.

This is your life every day for the next 6 weeks. Do you think you can handle it?

During his high school career Bush was a do it all type player. Throughout his four years he played positions including quarterback, running back, defensive back, defensive end, safety, linebacker, and wide receiver. As a senior at Male High School Bush held down the quarterback position and led his team to the state title. One game in particular stands out in Bush’s high school career. As a senior he matched up against the team of his future teammate at the University of Louisville, Brian Brohm. During this game Bush ran for 116 yards, threw for 468 yards, and accounted for seven touchdowns. In a game that many think is the best ever in the state of Kentucky, Bush’s team came out on top 59-56.

After high school Bush took his game to the University of Louisville where he began to play running back once again. The 2005 season was a breakout year for Bush when he ran for 1,143 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. His 23 scores were enough to lead the entire NCAA Division I in scoring. Unfortunately, during the first game of the 2006 season Bush broke his right tibia, and never returned to the field. Before this injury he had scored three touchdowns and tallied 128 yards on the ground.

Although Bush only had the chance to showcase his talent for one full season, he definitely left his mark on the program and is looking forward to doing so with future teams as well.

After the conclusion of the 2006 season Bush declared himself eligible for the 2007 NFL Draft. He is looking to pick up where he left off before being injured.

Football Square Off
This fun football game is sure to keep everyone mindful of the score no matter which teams are playing. Before your guests’ arrival, draw a ten by ten grid on a large piece of pasteboard or paper. As your guests arrive, have them select one of the one hundred squares and write their name or initials in that square. If necessary to fill the one hundred squares, each guest may fill in more than one square. When the grid is full, randomly assign numbers zero through nine at the top of the columns and to the left of the rows. At the top, write “Home.” Write “Away” to the left of the rows. At the end of each quarter, a winner will be determined. To do this, take the last digit of the home team’s score. This is the winning column. The last digit of the visiting team’s score is the winning row. Where the winning row and column meet is the winner for that quarter! Have some football themed party favors or gifts on hand to give to your winner. For more fun, consider a silly team hat or shirt to wear until the next winner is selected. To spice things up, consider setting a timer to determine winners rather than at the end of quarters so that guests are not aware of when the next selection will be!

Find a Seat!
This fun, football inspired game can be played even while the big football game is still on! Seat your guests in straight rows in front of the television to watch the game. Now have your guests stand up. As long as the ball is not in play, they should move to their right towards the end of their row. When they reach the end of their row, they must run around to the left end of the row behind them. The person exiting the right end of the last row must then move to the left end of the front row. However, as good fans, they must be in their seats when the ball is snapped. When the ball is down again, they must get up and continue moving. This time, remove one of the seats. When the ball is snapped, one fan is left without a seat and “thrown out of the stadium.” The game continues until only one fan is seated in front of the big game.

With games on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays; football is fast becoming America’s favorite sport. This game is best watched with other fans, though. So, call your friends, stock up on snacks and make your party a real touchdown with these NFL themed party games.