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lizadoesrph · 5 years ago

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how to: sports guide -- FOOTBALL edition.

Sports and lack of knowledge when it comes to sports is literally my biggest pet peeve in the RPC, so here is a little guide especially for those muses who play football! Please like or reblog if you’ve found this in anyway helpful! Please feel free to refer to this guide whilst making muses or college rps! Part one here.

disclaimer: I have not, nor ever played football. everything I know is from personal knowledge with people who have as well as being a huge fanatic of the sport myself. As well as personal experience of a college athlete.

Overall.

Football is America’s sport. let’s be real, y’all can say its baseball but you would be wrong. Okay maybe not, but football is my LOVE when it comes to sports so I am so bias.

For my babies from the South -- they will follow college football to a T! They will probably have parents who are legacies and they follow their teams. The power house conference for college football is the SEC (south eastern conference), and overall the most dominant team in recent history has been Alabama followed by Clemson, and Ohio State. Saturdays are THE game days.

For my children from the North -- this is much more about the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys are known as America’s team, however... nobody really likes them unless you’re a cowboys fan. The most dominant team in recent history are the New England Patriots. Game days range from Thursday night to all day Sunday to Monday night! Thursday, Sunday Night, and Monday Night are known as “prime time games”

Myself, personally, I follow both college & NFL pretty closely since my family is from the North but moved to the South when I was young.

For those in the west, football isn’t as big of a thing as it is on the east coast -- but seattle LOVES their team. Take a quick research on the NFL team near your muse’s hometown if they are from the states! Maybe they have family from somewhere. And.. Green Bay is more or less America’s Team (Go pack go babbbyyyy)

Positions.

Special Teams.

This is usually reserved for second strings to get reps in. I could go into gunners, and all that but... not a star position.

Place Kicker - Usually an ex-soccer player who chose football over soccer. A very valuable asset to a team, but underrated. Can always get crowd hypes up when they make a tackle. usually the position who gets the most death threats (sorry) example. mason crosby Punter - Same with Place Kicker, can sometimes be the same person. see pat mcafee who did both in college. Usually ex-soccer player and VERY overlooked. They are usually the holders for place kickers during field goals. example. JK Scott. Returner - can make or break a team. bringing back a punt or kickoff for a touchdown will literally create the hypest environment. example. Tyler Ervin.

Offense.

Quarterback - 1 // yeah, yeah, yeah. there’s more positions than this, I promise. example. the goat. aka aaron rodgers. Running Back - 2 // Smaller boys, fast, and shifty. They usually do some dirty work, but a good one is a jack of all trades -- blocking, route running/catching, and carrying. example. aaron jones. Full Back - 1 // Bigger boys than running back and these are the unknown angels on the field. They are usually used to clear ways for running backs and help with down the field blocks, but also used for pass protection blocks. example. danny vitale. Tackle - 2 // Have you seen the movie “The Blind Side”. this is it. They are on the outermost boys of the offensive line. ( Kinda skipping over the offensive line since.. I doubt people are gonna play as them. ) example. david bakhtiari Guard - 2 // This is the boys on the inside, on either side of the Center. example. elgton jenkins Center - 1 // Very important role, in charge of getting the ball cleanly to the Quarterback whilst also getting up as fast as possible to start blocking against lineman and linebackers. example. corey linsley Wide Receiver - 2-4 // Probably the second most glorified role depending on the team. Tall, fast, shifty, with strong knowledge to run different routes, look and track the football to catch it. Whilst also knowing where they are on the field at all times. example. davante adams, allen lazard. Tight End - 1-2 // Very important but scarcely utilized. There are either receiving tight ends or blocking tight ends. The best will do both and do it effectively. As much as I hate to say it, Gronkowski is probably the best example you will find. These are big, strong players who probably have some of the biggest loads dumped on them when it comes to expectations. example. Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle.

Defense. (the best)

Lineman - 2-4 // usually in charge of stopping the run / pushing the lineman in to put pressure on the quarterback (nose tackle) these are the big boy 300 pounders example. kenny clark. Linebacker - 2-4 // split up into outer / middle/ inside. They are in charge of either coverage or rushing the quarterback depending on the playcall. The biggest jobs of most in containing either the quarterback or running back from breaking out into a big run. These are probably some of the most popular defensive roles since they can do so much to receive recognition (interceptions, great coverage, sacks, forced fumbles, ect.) example. Preston Smith, Blake Martinez Cornerback - 2-3 // These can probably be the smallest people on the team, but they also need to be the fastest with a really solid vertical. There is a lot of studying that goes into this role when it comes to knowing who you are playing against. Needs to interrupt the pass, and cover your receiver well. example. Jaire Alexander Safety - 1-2 // my personal fav. position in the game. This used to be split in strong/free, but it really isn’t used much anymore. A smaller linebacker -- either assist in the run defense, assist cornerbacks, or provide a safety blitz (rushing the quarterback) example. adrian amos.

( yes I listed all packers as examples except at TE bc Jimmy Graham doesn’t deserve that recognition )

Recruiting.

Recruiting in Football is WACK. You get ranked from zero to five stars depending on how good you are in high school. Zero stars being not so great and five stars being the best of the best. Five star recruits are the most likely to go to those SEC schools. You get unofficial offers from colleges, and you will “sign” to a school on National Signing Day when it usually in February! This year, they have an Early Signing Day which is happening mid-December!

As a senior in high school, an athlete is allowed FIVE “official” visits. This is where the school will pay for everything the athlete does, and is the last attempt a college gets to convince that player to come to their school. An official visit is usually for a recruits top five schools.

Once you sign a letter of intent ( an official, legally binding document that says you will go to the college of your choice to play the sport (football in this case) with the amount of scholarship money the school promised to give you.

College.

If your muse makes it this far, there is a 99.9% chance football is literally their heart and soul. Those who are at big schools probably have dreams of going to the NFL. If this is true..... there is a 99.9% chance they don’t go to classes lmao.

In season, they spend around 30-50 hours working out, practicing, studying film, in meetings with coaches. you will be busy. you will hate your life. everytime you don’t have class, you will likely be in the field house or hosting parties somewhere. nobody drinks like college athletes drink, trust me, I was one.

Most college football players have mandatory study hall, around 2-8 hours a week they have to check into a room, the library, or their academic advisor to make sure they are on track and eligible for the following semester.

IMPORTANT:

College athletes have a clock of 5 years once they step on a D1 field. You are no longer eligible to play D1 football after these 5 years. ONCE you commit to go to the NFL draft, you are no longer eligible to play NCAA football. You have FOUR years of eligibility, after these four years you are no longer able to play NCAA football. This clock resets for every sport. You can play in the NFL and return to college to play college basketball.

You can receive a medical or academic redshirt. these rules are complicated, but mostly won’t matter in RP unless you want?? your character to tear their ACL. It will take a small google search, but if that is too much, feel free to message me.

#rph #rpc #rpt #this is an absolute RAMBLE and slight disaster but slightly helpful!#PLEASE ask me questions if you have any!!!!

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linemenacademy · 1 year ago

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pbwsports · 4 years ago

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Driveways, canyons, pools: NFL players create clever workouts

A farm. A field. A canyon. A pool. Even a driveway. As NFL players wait for a return to normalcy before the 2020 regular season begins, they have had to get creative with how and where they train.

The ripple effects of these unprecedented times -- nationwide social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic and an unknown timetable for a vaccine --have altered the professional sports landscape, and the NFL is no exception.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell authorized the reopening of all team facilities this week, in accordance with state and local regulations, although coaches and players who are not undergoing rehabilitation are prohibited from entering team buildings. While a handful of clubs took advantage of this allowance, states such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Washington and California are still imposing heavier restrictions that affect a dozen team facilities.

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These inconsistent regulations have also changed the responsibilities of NFL strength trainers, who have spent time remotely assessing the workout needs of players, including their access to resources, as well as acting as liaisons for online equipment purchases. NFL teams were permitted to provide each player with up to $1,500 worth of workout equipment. Nevertheless, players have had to find inventive ways to stay in shape.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins uses his parents' driveway as his outdoor gym. New York Giants wide receiver Golden Tate mowed a track into a steep canyon near his home. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington designed a training regimen on his Texas farm. New Orleans Saintslinebacker Demario Davis has his personal trainers living with him. Giants linebacker Blake Martinez became the beneficiary of a state-of-the-art gym. And Cleveland Browns punter Jamie Gillan grabbed some beers and built a "grubby" garage gym.

Even though players' locations, living situations and resources differ, there's a lesson shared by all: There are no excuses.

Big-money quarterback staying with parents

The playful jab is uttered without warning, hurled from the driver's side of a passing vehicle.

"Go Pack, go!"

And in that moment of lighthearted jest, Kirk Cousins can only ignore it. He knows the stop sign in front of the house makes him a sitting duck every morning.

Four times a week, starting promptly at 9 a.m., the Vikings quarterback gathers equipment from the garage and arranges it neatly on the long, curved pavement leading from his parents' house to the sidewalk. Resting on a wooden chair is his laptop, connected by videoconference to his longtime personal trainer, Chad Cook, who is 450 miles away in Atlanta. This is a glimpse into what constitutes the 2020 NFL offseason.

2020 NFL offseason

"I like my privacy, so being out in the driveway, on display for the whole neighborhood to see is probably less than ideal. But desperate times call for desperate measures," Cousins said with a smile during a recent ESPN interview. "If it means a guy drives by in a truck and yells, 'Go Pack, go!' at me while we're working out, then so be it."

The manicured lawns of this Orlando, Florida, suburb serve as a backdrop to Cousins' regimen and his attempt at normalcy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

It's not a "home gym" by any means, Cousins concedes, but he insists he has everything he needs: a medicine ball, jump-rope, foam rollers, free weights and a football. And, the most essential tool of all: the laptop he uses to connect with Cook.

"[Every car will] see me doing my shuffles across the driveway, or my cariocas, or doing the jump-rope or different plank exercises, core work, medicine ball, lunges -- whatever it may be. And different people honk or wave, so it's kind of fun," said Cousins, who signed a two-year, $66 million extension with the Vikings in March.

Spotty Wi-Fi is a challenge when working out outdoors, but sheltering in place with his parents was by design: The nine-year veteran and his wife, Julie, now have plenty of reinforcements when it comes to taking care of their sons, Cooper, 2½, and Turner, 1.

"I kind of laugh when I talk about having two like I have 10," Cousins joked, "because compared to other guys in the league who have three, four, five, six kids, having two is not a big deal."

Dealing with this adversity has reaffirmed his commitment to his craft. It also taught him that the Public Broadcasting Service can be a football player's, as well as a father's, best friend: "'Daniel Tiger['s Neighborhood]' on PBS can be a lifesaver."

'Strict training mode' means living with trainers

The plan was to be in Nashville, Tennessee, for a month, but Demario Davis' offseason residence has become his permanent dwelling during the pandemic. His 7,500-square-foot house, purchased last offseason, is a saving grace of sorts, equipped with enough room for his wife, Tamela, and their four children under the age of 6.

And his two personal trainers.

Davis' trainers, Jose Tienda and Piankhi Gibson, typically work with him in two-to-three-week "strict training mode" spurts before heading back to their respective homes. They'll return to Nashville soon for another extended stay with Davis.

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As the 31-year-old enters his ninth NFL season -- and the final year of his contract -- he is determined not to lose ground to a youngster who might be aiming for his spot.

Mid-morning acupuncture and soft tissue work with Tienda give way to afternoon aqua training in a neighbor's pool with Gibson. Davis pauses for dinner and to help put the kids to bed. But before long, he's headed back for more body work. He crawls into bed around 12:30 or 1 a.m. on those rigorous training days.

With Louisiana still reeling from 35,316 confirmed COVID-19 cases (and 2,485 reported deaths) as of Thursday, Davis wasn't surprised Saints coach Sean Payton -- who was the first known NFL figure to test positive for the coronavirus -- announced there would not be virtual workouts, meetings or workout sessions at the team facility.

"The virtual offseason really wouldn't have fit the flow of how we operate down there," the veteran linebacker said of the Saints, who have one of the oldest rosters in the NFL. "We don't have a young team. ... He knew with our experience level, the strong leaders we have at each position, that we'd get it done as far as training."

While Davis is eager to play, he said he won't waste time guessing when the season will start.

"The pandemic don't know nothing about football season. The virus ain't just like, 'Oh, football season's coming, let me chill out,'" he said with a laugh. "So I'm going to train and stay in shape because that's just a philosophy of mine -- you stay ready at all times. But I think it's a discredit to people who are on the front lines working, and the people who are being affected by it, when we're just thinking about how fast we can get back to sports."

'Grubby little gym' becomes labor of love

The police officers approached without warning.

Jamie Gillan had been punting on a turf field almost an hour away from his Tremont, Ohio, residence, completely unaware of the state's shelter-in-place orders. With nonessential businesses closed, the Browns punter -- nicknamed "The Scottish Hammer" -- had used local fields to practice his kicking drills. That is, until he was no longer allowed.

"[The officers] were like, 'Yeah man, we want to let you punt. We love the Browns and everything, but it's just the rules,'" the Scotland-born special-teamer explained in his thick brogue.

Faced with the prospect of quarantining alone, Gillan chose to go be with family.

He made trips to the liquor store and the supermarket -- packing his truck with several bottles of bourbon for his father, "120 eggs and 16 racks of bacon" -- and then he and his German shepherd named Bear traveled seven hours to southern Maryland to stay with his parents and 19-year-old sister.

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The rural area around his parents' house affords him space to practice his booming kicks, and there's a "massive" field, owned by a friend, which Gillan uses, too. But the self-described "workout junkie" had to get creative with strength training. Soon his parents' garage became his gym.

Unable to buy equipment online because of limited inventory and "skyrocketing" prices, Gillan purchased old equipment from a local high school: barbells, bumper plates, 40-, 80- and 100-pound dumbbells and bands. He purchased rubber matting from a local tractor store.

He searched Facebook Marketplace for a squat rack, but he and his father, Colin, who is a former rugby player and member of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, came up with a better solution -- they would construct their own.

"We came back [from Lowe's], cracked open some beers and just started building it," Gillan said with a chuckle. Even with old, rusty weights, his "grubby little gym" was everything he needed.

Gillan said his resourcefulness was forged during four years playing at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a historically black university. During offseasons when he and his teammates didn't have access to the gym, their surroundings became their workout room. They bench-pressed and squatted logs, they did dips and pullups on metal bars at local parks, and Gillan hopped fences to punt on neighboring fields when access to their football field was prohibited.

"One thing I notice about a lot of historically black colleges is they're very underfunded," Gillan said, stressing that he and other student-athletes had to be creative. "Maybe it got me prepared for this weird period."

State-of-the-art amenities ease the transition

Blake Martinez's father, Marc, had a master plan: purchase a plot of land 15 minutes from the family home in Tucson, Arizona, and build a facility for his son to train and live. It didn't take long for the idea to become Martinez's reality.

The linebacker thanks his father every day for his ingenuity, as well as his construction company.

The 18,000-square-foot facility -- conceptualized and built last year -- "has everything a football player would need," said Martinez, a 2016 fourth-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers who signed a three-year, $30 million free-agent contract with the Giants in March.

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The warehouse-looking steel structure contains "a miniature version of a college weight room," a full-length basketball court, a 30-by-15-yard turf field and an outdoor sand volleyball court. It also doubles as a residence, with three bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen on the second level for him, his wife, Kristy, and their young daughter.

"It kept getting better and better as it kept getting built," Martinez said. He works out for two hours in person with his longtime trainer, Glenn Howell, four times a week.

But familiarity with his new franchise is a luxury Martinez, 26, doesn't have.

With New York and New Jersey being one of the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, Martinez doesn't know when he'll be able to travel to the facility or even meet members of the Giants organization for the first time.

"It's not like I've been on the team for a while and I know the guys already. So, it's been tough in that aspect, connecting with guys," he said.

Martinez said the pandemic has taught him "I literally have zero excuses not to show up the first day and make sure I'm 100 percent ready to go and help push all of the younger guys to that level if they haven't gotten there yet."

Making use of California canyons

Golden Tate's stunning San Diego views come at a price.

"I've just got to watch out for rattlesnakes," the Giants wide receiver said with a laugh.

When stay-at-home orders were issued in California in mid-March, Tate took advantage of his surroundings -- namely, the canyon his house is built on.

"It's not the best condition to be running in," admitted the 11-year NFL player, who mowed a 7-by-40-yard patch of grass on a steep incline. "But it'll suffice right now. It's better than doing nothing."

Team work makes the dream work! Uncle @tatethagreat & LoLo helping me get my daily catches in. Hope everyone has a great Friday! #FamilyFriday

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Tate, a married father of two small kids, purchased PowerBlock dumbbells and a Jugs machine from which he catches about 100 balls a day. He bikes at home on his Peloton and uses mountain bike trails for his aerobic conditioning. But finding a flat surface for route running has been a challenge. So, too, is self-discipline.

"Over my career, I'm so used to having someone -- an instructor or the guys around me -- push me. And right now, I'm forced to push myself," said Tate, who turns 32 on Aug. 2.

The veteran receiver played through the 2011 NFL lockout, but he said the coronavirus pandemic is unlike anything he has experienced.

"I feel bad for the first-, second-, third- and fourth-round guys who are expected to come in and help the team right away, but they're not having the same opportunity to grow as a player, not getting those reps on the field," he said.

"The offseason is when you have the time to really focus on the fundamentals of the game, the bigger picture and the details of the game. And it looks like right now we're going to show up for camp -- if we show up for camp -- in the middle of the fire of trying to figure out who's going to make the team and trying to get ready for a season. That can be overwhelming."

Strengths trainers turned investigators

With their players scattered across the country, NFL strength and conditioning coaches feel more like part-time sleuths and office managers than in-person trainers.

"We kind of went more into equipment sales and trying to be a liaison to help guys get set up and make sure they're doing the right thing," said Justus Galac, now in his seventh year as the New York Jets' head strength and conditioning coach. "What we found was, guys in the Southern states and more into the Midwest had more access than our guys in the Northeast and West Coast."

Amendola shows off his backyard workout

Danny Amendola impresses with some nifty, one-handed catches while working out with a helmet on in his backyard.

Strength trainers have been tasked with identifying what their players need from a performance standpoint to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where they live and what resources they have access to. "Even though they might have access to a Steak 'n Shake parking lot or they might be in a third floor of an apartment," said Justin Lovett, the Los Angeles Rams' new head strength and conditioning coach.

Lovett was hired in the midst of California's coronavirus shutdown, but unlike during the 2011 lockout year, when he was on the Denver Broncos' staff, communication is permitted and has proved paramount. But there have been challenges.

"The biggest problem with the rookie class is they don't have the money that some of the older guys do," Galac said. "Not saying millions of dollars, but able to go buy equipment, pay for a trainer to take care of them, buying more food that you may normally not have to buy because the facility provides it. All those little things are adding up for these guys. And the rookies, they have no idea. And it's not their fault."

This time of year is crucial for strength staffs, not only for getting players in shape but also for getting new players up to speed with their programs. "And we've lost that," Galac said.

In fact, the Jets' weight room underwent a face-lift this offseason, complete with a new floor, turf accents and equipment. "And nobody's using it," Galac said. "It's sitting empty. The players haven't even seen it yet."

Finding space and serenity in the countryside

James Washington misses football. And, occasionally, his farm.

The 26-acre property the Steelers wide receiver purchased near his hometown of Abilene, Texas, made it easy for him to comply with social distancing rules. It also afforded him space to work out and keep in shape by way of chores. Washington, who was an agribusiness major with a concentration in farm and ranch management at Oklahoma State, finds the countryside calming. He enjoys the views of passing cars, wheat fields and cattle pastures during his eight- to 12-mile rides on his recently purchased bicycle.

His workout setup, which included an assortment of resistance bands sent by the Steelers and his high school dumbbells retrieved from his parents' house, was complete with the arrival of a Jugs machine, which he kept in the barn and carried to a flat area in one of the pastures.

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However, staving off boredom is a challenge whenever he's in Pittsburgh, a more crowded city with fewer options for keeping busy.

"When I was in Texas, I'd work out, do my virtual [team] meetings and then I'd have to find something to do cause I can't just sit in the house," Washington said last week, after he, JuJu Smith-Schuster and fellow receiver Ryan Switzer worked out in quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's home weight room. "Being on the farm really helped me a lot, because there was always something that could have been done."

Washington loves his farm so much his recent stay in Pittsburgh was short-lived. He returned to Texas on Wednesday to celebrate Memorial Day weekend with family and tend to his most recent purchase: cattle. The time away from the Steelers' facility has also given Washington time to think.

"It just doesn't feel right," he said. "Everybody feels like we should be at the facility, doing physical stuff, getting ready to go. ... Even if there's no fans, we still have to go out there and just go 110 percent, even if it would feel weird. Fans help make the game. It's really crazy to think about.

"Just being away from things, you really find out how much you miss the sport. It sucks. That's really what I figured out. That I love football." Source - ESPN

#nfl

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justanultrastressedwriter · 5 years ago

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Aw Hell No - Ch I

Next Masterlist

TW: Homophobia (slurs), Violence, Swearing. Let me know if I should tag anything else

“Uh, DJ! Can’t you believe it?” the bouncy redhead squealed to her tall, curly-haired best friend with excitement.

“Can’t believe what? That you could somehow reach super supersonic levels this early in the morning?” the guy standing next to her muttered, frowning down at his best friend.

“Don’t be a dick, Daniel. Can’t you at least pretend to be excited? It’s the first day of our senior year! This is the home stretch, baby!” the short imp said, with an excited grin on her face.

“Charlotte Elizabeth Thomas. It's barely even 8 am, I’ve only had one cup coffee because you, for some ungodly reason, wanted to get to school ridiculously early, you have been shrieking in my ear for the last half hour, and I have the first period with the teacher who hates me the most because he’s the most bigoted person on the face of the Earth. What the hell do I have to be excited about?” Daniel James frowned at her, glaring. He was nowhere near being a morning person like his best friend was. Daniel could barely function before 9 am without numerous cups of coffee.

“Well, Mr. Grumpy Gills, for starters you have little old me. I’m taking the time out of my busy life to grace you with my perfect existence. My mere presence should make you ecstatic, you utter peasant.” she said cheekily, tilting her head to the side and raising her chin arrogantly. Daniel couldn’t help but crack a smile at her.

“Charlie, I have no fucking idea how I have managed to be your best friend. Your massive ego should be your best friend instead of me, you annoying little twerp.” Daniel teased.

“But, I’m your annoying little twerp and you can’t help but love me,” Charlie said with a reckless grin and a quirked eyebrow.

Daniel was about to respond with one of his famous witty one-liners when his thoughts were interrupted by a strong force against his back, shoving his face into the cool metal of the lockers he had been leaning on. He knew that at least one bruise would appear there the next day.

“Happy first day of school, faggot.” a voice hissed from behind him. He could hear the sneer and disdain in the person’s voice, which helped him recognize the voice. It made his muscles tense as he turned to face the biggest prick in the entire school.

Connor Smith; the popular jock that had been tormenting Daniel since they were in preschool. It had started back then with small childish antics: the breaking of crayons and toys, blaming Daniel for everything - which made all of their teachers peg him as a troublemaker and hate him, despite being one of the quietest and most polite kids in school - and a long list of other things that didn’t really matter in the long run.

Ever since Daniel had been forced out of the closet in their freshman year, though, Connor Smith and the entire school had gotten worse. Connor had inspired the football team on numerous occasions to jump Daniel in the school parking lot after school or to tie him to the goalposts naked, they all constantly shoved Daniel in the halls and into lockers, made him spill his lunch all over himself, broke into his locker to ruin his textbooks or his schoolwork and notes, but those were just things the sport teams did. The entire school would simply trip him or call him cute pet names, ‘useless queer’, ‘faggot’, or Daniel’s favorite ‘dirty little cocksucker’.

Of course, no one ever did anything about Daniel’s predicament. The best people would turn the other cheek to everything going on. Daniel’s mom had gone to the school boards countless times, even a few teachers had gone to the administrations on his behalf, but nothing happened. Either it was because “they were just boys being boys”, “that there wasn’t enough evidence”, or that Daniel brought this upon himself either by not sticking up for himself but Daniel knew what they really meant.

“Hey, Meathead! Leave him alone! He’s done nothing to you!” Charlie yelled, getting as fiery as her red hair and glaring up at the jock. Standing at 5’3”, Charlie yelling at Connor, who stood at a whopping 6' 3”, looked like David challenging Goliath. It could have been considered comical by an outside party.

Connor smirked as if he were amused, but then his favorite lackey spoke up, with a lustrous look. “You wanna dance, Red? I can make sure you have a great time. I can think of so many ways to make you scream.”

Charlie’s cheeks turned red at the implications and she began to struggle for words. Daniel felt a fire of anger ignite up within his chest. He knew exactly how uncomfortable his best friend was about anything sexual. She hadn’t even kissed anyone for fucks’ sake. So Daniel came to her rescue, standing up to his full height to look the jerk in the eyes and shield his best friend from the pair of Neanderthals. “Leave her alone, Tyler. She has nothing to do with this, you know that. Your problem is with me.”

Tyler Roberts. Daniel’s second-biggest tormentor and Connor’s best friend/lackey. He was also known for being the biggest man-whore around having slept his way through at least half of the town.

“Or what, fag?” Tyler said, his voice filled with scorn and disgust, making Daniel flinch at the word.

“Or we’ll take our problem to the cops, jackass,” Daniel said, glaring at the other boy. “You are eighteen, right? How does jail sound to you? And if not, oh well. I’ll just settle for getting you kicked off the football team. That will lead you to have a problem with the rest of the football team and Coach Jamison- aren’t y’all expected to go to the playoffs this year? I don’t think the team will make it without their starting lineman, huh? Not to mention all of the colleges that are willing to offer you sports scholarships. The rest of the world is pretty damn liberal these days, I don’t think they’ll take too kindly to you being charged with a hate crime against a poor innocent gay kid, now would they? But by all means, if you want to risk it all by beating me to a pulp - then bring it on, asshole. I’ve been through worse and I’ve got nothing to lose.”

Daniel raised his arms out to his sides in a challenge. He’d rather get his ass kicked a dozen times over than watch those goons touch his best friend again. He watched as the larger Neanderthal’s brain worked through the concept that actions do have consequences.

Apparently, Connor’s brain worked a lot quicker than his counterpart, because he clasped a hand onto Tyler’s shoulder as if to calm him.

“Danny-boy’s right, man. There’s too much at stake for us.” Connor turned back to Daniel with a glare, “We’re not finished here, faggot.”

As the two jocks walked away, Daniel and Charlie shared a look and a sigh of relief, “You okay, Char?”

“I should be asking you the same thing, sweetie. They barely even looked at me.” Charlie said, looking at her best friend with concern.

Daniel shrugged, rubbing his forehead. “I’m just so tired of this shit, Charlie. These giant jackasses thinking that I’m dirt just because I’m gay. It’s so fucking stupid. But, I mean, are they right? Am I less than they are because I’m a faggot?”

Standing at 5 foot ten, with curly black hair that was constantly hanging in his light grey eyes framed by the pair of round glasses that rested on his freckle covered nose, Daniel James was gay.

After coming out to his two best friends at the time Charlie and one of their former friends Grace, he was forced out of the closet. Grace had panicked after hearing the news and she told her parents who then told the entire town and because they lived in a small-ass town in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere of the deep South. That made Daniel a social pariah.

Charlie pulled her best friend into a tight hug, “Oh, honey, no. You are not less than them. If anything, you’re so much more. You don’t have to put other people down to make yourself feel big. All of these ignorantly homophobic assholes are piles of shit compared to you.”

Daniel felt himself be slightly comforted by his friend’s words, but he couldn’t stop the negative thoughts and self-disgust running through his head. The bell for the first period rang, causing the two to pull apart. Daniel grimaced, knowing what that bell meant. For the next fifty minutes, he would be at the will and mercy of the most bigoted teacher on the small campus. “Wish me luck.”

“Oh, yeah. You’ve got P.E. with Coach Jamison, huh? Hell, yeah. I wish you all the luck in the world. You’re gonna need it.” Charlie said with a playful grin.

“Don’t remind me,” Daniel said, rolling his eyes and walking towards the boy’s locker room to change into the required gym uniform. Hopefully, if he got there early enough, Daniel could change in peace and hurry into the gym to get this torture over with.

Daniel found the locker to be empty and he quickly changed out of his flannel and T-shirt, then entered the gymnasium where Coach Jamison glared at him as if Daniel was a piece of dirt on his shoe. It made Daniel’s throat clench.

Daniel hung his head in shame and waited patiently for everyone else to show up in silence. Daniel only looked up after the door opened and he could feel someone’s eyes on him and what he saw made beads of sweat appear on his brow and his throat clench. It was Connor Smith, wearing a grin that sent chills down Daniel’s spine. He thought, ‘This class just somehow got even worse. Fuck me.’

#tw homophobia #my writing #soulmate au #aw hell no

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blackkudos · 6 years ago

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Ernie Barnes

Ernest Eugene Barnes, Jr. (July 15, 1938 – April 27, 2009) was an African-American painter, well known for his unique style of elongation and movement. He was also a professional football player, actor and author.

Early life

Childhood

Ernest Barnes, Jr. was born during Jim Crow in "the bottom" community of Durham, North Carolina, near the Hayti District of the city. His father, Ernest E. Barnes, Sr. (1899–1966) worked as a shipping clerk for Liggett Myers Tobacco Company in Durham. His mother, Fannie Mae Geer (1905–2004) oversaw the household staff for prominent Durham attorney and local Board of Education member Frank L. Fuller, Jr.

On days when Fannie allowed "June" (Barnes' nickname to family and childhood friends) to accompany her to the Fuller home, Barnes had the opportunity to peruse the art books and listen to classical music. The young Ernest was intrigued and captivated by the works of master artists. By the time Barnes entered the first grade, he was familiar with the works of such masters as Toulouse-Lautrec, Delacroix, Velasquez, Rubens, and Michelangelo. When he entered junior high, he could appreciate, as well as decode, many of the cherished masterpieces within the walls of mainstream museums – although it would be a half dozen more years before he was allowed entrance because of his race.

A self-described chubby and unathletic child, Barnes was taunted and bullied by classmates. He continually sought refuge in his sketchbooks, hiding in the less-traveled parts of campus away from other students. One day in a quiet area, Ernest was found drawing in a notebook by the masonry teacher, Tommy Tucker, who was also the weightlifting coach and a former athlete. Tucker was intrigued with Barnes' drawings so he asked the aspiring artist about his grades and goals. Tucker shared his own experience of how bodybuilding improved his strength and outlook on life. That one encounter would begin Barnes' discipline and dedication that would permeate his life. In his senior year at Hillside High School, Barnes became the captain of the football team and state champion in the shot put.

Education

In 1956 Barnes graduated from Hillside High School with 26 athletic scholarship offers. Segregation prevented him from attending nearby Duke or the University of North Carolina. His mother promised him a car if he lived at home, so he chose North Carolina College at Durham (formerly North Carolina College for Negroes, now North Carolina Central University). He majored in art on a full athletic scholarship. His college track coach was the famed Dr. Leroy T. Walker. Barnes played the football positions of tackle and center at NCC at Durham.

At age 18, on a college art class field trip to the newly desegregated North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, Barnes inquired where he could find "paintings by Negro artists." The docent responded, "Your people don't express themselves that way." Poetic justice prevailed 23 years later in 1979 when Barnes returned to the museum for a solo exhibition, hosted by North Carolina Governor James Hunt.

In 1990 Barnes was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by North Carolina Central University.

In 1993 Barnes was selected to the "Black College Football 100th Year All-Time Team" by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network.

In 1999 Barnes was bestowed "The University Award", the highest honor by The University of North Carolina Board of Governors.

Professional football

Baltimore Colts (1959-60)

In December 1959 Barnes was drafted in the 10th round by the then-World Champion Baltimore Colts. He was originally selected in the 8th-round by the Washington Redskins, who renounced the pick minutes after discovering he was a Negro.

Shortly after his 22nd birthday, while at the Colts training camp, Barnes was interviewed by N.P. Clark, sportswriter for the Baltimore News-Post newspaper. Until then Barnes was always known by his birth name, Ernest Barnes. But when Clark's article appeared on July 20, 1960, it referred to him as "Ernie Barnes," which changed his name and life forever.

Titans of New York (1960)

Barnes was the last cut of the Colts' training camp. After Baltimore released Barnes, the newly formed Titans of New York immediately signed him because the team had first option on any player released within the league.

Barnes loathed being on the Titans. He said, "(New York) was a circus of ineptitude. The equipment was poor, the coaches not as knowledgeable as the ones in Baltimore. We were like a group of guys in the neighborhood who said let's pretend we're pros."

After a 27-21 loss to the Oilers on October 9, 1960 at Jeppesen Stadium, his teammate Howard Glenn died. Barnes asked for his release two days later. Glenn had sustained a broken neck in the first half of the game and it was reported that injury caused his death. However, Barnes and other teammates have long attributed it to heatstroke. In a later interview, Barnes said, "They never really said what he died of. (Coach) Sammy Baugh said he'd broken his neck in a game the Sunday before. But how could that be? How could he have hit in practice all week with a broken neck? What he died of, I think, was more like heat exhaustion. I told them I didn't want to play on a team like this."

San Diego Chargers (1960-62)

Barnes then accepted a previous offer from Coach Al Davis at the Los Angeles Chargers. Barnes joined their team at mid-season as a member of their taxi squad. The following season in 1961 the team moved to San Diego. It was there Barnes met their quarterback and future congressman Jack Kemp. The two men would share a lifelong close friendship.

During the off-seasons with the Chargers, Barnes was program director at San Diego's Southeast YMCA working with parolees from the California Youth Authority. He also worked as the Sports Editor for The Voice, a local San Diego newspaper, writing a weekly column called "A Matter of Sports."

Barnes also illustrated several articles for San Diego Magazine during the off-seasons in 1962 and 1963.

Barnes' first television interview as a professional football player and artist was in 1962 on The Regis Philbin Show on KGTV in San Diego. It was Philbin's first talk show.

Denver Broncos (1963-64)

After a series of injuries, Barnes was cut midway through his second season with the Chargers. He then signed with the Denver Broncos.

Barnes was called "Big Rembrandt" by his Denver teammates. Coincidentally, Barnes and Rembrandt share the same birthday.

Barnes was often fined by Denver Coach Jack Faulkner when caught sketching during team meetings. One of the sketches that he was fined $100 for sold years later for $1000.

During the Broncos games, Barnes would run off the field and onto the sideline to give his offensive line coach Red Miller the scraps of paper of his sketches and notes.

"During a timeout you've got nothing to do – you're not talking – you're just trying to breathe, mostly. Nothing to take out that little pencil and write down what you saw. The shape of the linemen. The body language a defensive lineman would occupy... his posture... What I see when you pull. The reaction of the defense to your movement. The awareness of the lines within the movement, the pattern within the lines, the rhythm of movement. A couple of notes to me would denote an action... an image that I could instantly recreate in my mind. Some of those notes have been made into paintings. Quite a few, really."

On Barnes' 1964 Denver Broncos Topps football card he is shown wearing jersey #55 although he never played in that number. His jersey was #62.

Canadian Football League

In 1965, after his second season with the Broncos, Barnes signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Canada. In the final quarter of their last exhibition game, Barnes fractured his right foot, effectively ending his professional football career.

Retirement

Shortly after his final football game, Barnes went to the 1965 NFL owners meeting in Houston in hopes of becoming the league's official artist. There he was introduced to New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin, who was intrigued by Barnes and his art. He paid for Barnes to bring his paintings to New York City. Later they met at a gallery and unbeknownst to Barnes, three art critics were there to evaluate his paintings. They told Werblin that Barnes was "the most expressive painter of sports since George Bellows."

In what was undoubtedly one of the most unusual personnel transactions in the history of the NFL, Werblin retained Barnes as a salaried player, but positioned him in front of the canvas, rather than on the football field. Werblin told Barnes "You have more value to the country as an artist than as a football player"

Barnes' November 1966 debut solo exhibition, hosted by Werblin at the Grand Central Art Galleries in New York City was critically acclaimed and all the paintings sold.

In 1971 Barnes wrote a series of essays (illustrated with his own drawings) in the Gridiron newspaper titled "I Hate the Game I Love" (with Neil Amdur). These articles became the beginning manuscript of his autobiography, later-published in 1995 titled From Pads to Palette which chronicles his transition from professional football to his art career.

In October 2007, the National Football League and Time Warner hosted a tribute to Ernie Barnes in New York City.

Work

Barnes credits his college art instructor Ed Wilson for laying the foundation for his development as an artist. Wilson was a sculptor who instructed Barnes to paint from his own life experiences. "He made me conscious of the fact that the artist who is useful to America is one who studies his own life and records it through the medium of art, manners and customs of his own experiences."

All his life, Barnes was ambivalent about his football experience. In interviews and in personal appearances, Barnes said he hated the violence and the physical torment of the sport. However, his years as an athlete gave him unique, in-depth observations. "(Wilson) told me to pay attention to what my body felt like in movement. Within that elongation, there's a feeling. And attitude and expression. I hate to think had I not played sports what my work would look like."

Barnes' first painting sale was in 1959 for $90 to Boston Celtic Sam Jones for a painting called Slow Dance. It was subsequently lost in a fire at Jones' home.

Critics have defined Barnes' work as neo-mannerist. Based on his signature use of serpentine lines, elongation of the human figure, clarity of line, unusual spatial relationships, painted frames, and distinctive color palettes, art critic Frank Getlein credited Barnes as the founder of the neo-Mannerism movement - because of the similarity of technique and composition prevalent during the 16th century, as practiced by such masters as Michelangelo and Raphael.

Numerous artists have been influenced by Barnes' art and unique style. Accordingly, several copyright infringement lawsuits have been settled and are currently pending.

Framing

Ernie Barnes framed his paintings with distressed wood in homage to his father. In his 1995 autobiography, artist Ernie Barnes wrote of his father: “... with so little education, he had worked so hard for us. His legacy to me was his effort, and that was plenty. He knew absolutely nothing about art.”

Weeks before Ernie Barnes’ first solo art exhibition in 1966, he was at the family home in Durham, North Carolina as his father lay in the hospital after suffering a stroke. He noticed the usually well-maintained white picketed fence had gone untended since his father’s illness. Days later, Ernest E. Barnes, Sr. died. “I placed a painting against the fence and stood away and had a look. I was startled at the marriage between the old wood fence and the painting. It was perfect. In tribute, Daddy’s fence would hug all my paintings in a prestigious New York gallery. That would have made him smile.”

Eyes closed

A consistent and distinct feature in Barnes' work is the closed eyes of his subjects. "It was in 1971 when I conceived the idea of The Beauty of the Ghetto as an exhibition. And I exposed it to some people who were black to get a reaction. And from one (person) it was very negative. And when I began to express my points of view (to this) professional man, he resisted the notion. And as a result of his comments and his attitude I began to see, observe, how blind we are to one another's humanity. Blinded by a lot of things that have, perhaps, initiated feelings in that light. We don't see into the depths of our interconnection. The gifts, the strength and potential within other human beings. We stop at color quite often. So one of the things we have to be aware of is who we are in order to have the capacity to like others. But when you cannot visualize the offerings of another human being you're obviously not looking at the human being with open eyes." "We look upon each other and decide immediately: This person is black, so he must be... This person lives in poverty, so he must be..."

Sports art

The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee named Barnes "Sports Artist of the 1984 Olympic Games". LAOOC President Peter V. Ueberroth said Barnes and his art "captured the essence of the Olympics" and "portray the city's ethnic diversity, the power and emotion of sports competition, the singleness of purpose and hopes that go into the making of athletes the world over." Barnes was commissioned to create five Olympic-themed paintings and serve as an official Olympic spokesman to encourage inner city youth.

In 1985 Barnes was named the first "Sports Artist of the Year" by the United States Sports Academy.

In 1987 Barnes created Fastbreak, a commissioned painting of the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers basketball team that included Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis and Michael Cooper.

Carolina Panthers football team owners Rosalind and Jerry Richardson (Barnes' former Colts teammate) commissioned Barnes to create the large painting Victory in Overtime (approximately 7 ft. x 14 ft.). It was unveiled before the team's 1996 inaugural season and hangs permanently in the owner's suite at the stadium.

To commemorate their 50th anniversary in 1996, the National Basketball Association commissioned Barnes to create a painting with the theme, "Where we were, where we are, and where we are going." The painting, The Dream Unfolds hangs in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. A limited edition of lithographs were made, with the first 50 prints going to each of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

In 2004 Barnes was named "America's Best Painter of Sports" by the American Sport Art Museum & Archives.

Other notable sports commissions include paintings for the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and Boston Patriots football team owners.

"The Bench" painting

Shortly after Barnes was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1959, Barnes was invited to see their Colts' NFL Championship Game vs. the New York Giants at Memorial Stadium in Maryland. The Colts won 31-16 and Barnes was filled with layers of emotion after watching the game from behind the Colts' bench. He had just signed his football contract and met his new teammates Johnny Unitas, Jim Parker, Lenny Moore, Art Donovan, Gino Marchetti, Alan Ameche and "Big Daddy" Lipscomb.

Barnes later wrote that after he returned home, he "placed a stretched canvas on the easel. Without making any preliminary sketches, I started painting in quick, direct movements hoping to capture the vision in my mind before it evaporated." He created The Bench in less than an hour. Throughout his life, The Bench remained in Barnes' possession, even taking it with him to all his football training camps and hiding it under his bed. It would be the only painting Barnes would never sell, despite many substantial offers, including a $25,000 bid at his first show in 1966.

On June 18, 2014 The Bench was formally presented to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio for their permanent collection by his wife Bernie Barnes.

"The Sugar Shack" painting

Barnes created the painting The Sugar Shack in the 1970s. It gained international exposure when it was used on the Good Times television series and on the 1976 Marvin Gaye album I Want You.

According to Barnes, he created the original version of The Sugar Shack after reflecting upon his childhood, during which he was not "able to go to a dance." In a 2008 interview, Barnes said, "The Sugar Shack is a recall of a childhood experience. It was the first time my innocence met with the sins of dance. The painting transmits rhythm so the experience is re-created in the person viewing it. To show that African-Americans utilize rhythm as a way of resolving physical tension." The Sugar Shack has been known to art critics for embodying the style of art composition known as "Black Romantic," which, according to Natalie Hopkinson of The Washington Post, is the "visual-art equivalent of the Chitlin' circuit." When Barnes first created The Sugar Shack, he included his hometown radio station WSRC (Durham, NC) on a banner. He incorrectly listed the frequency at 620. It was actually 1410. Barnes confused what he used to hear WSRC's on-air personality Norfley Whitted saying "620 on your dial" when Whitted was at his former station WDNC in the early 1950s.

After Marvin Gaye asked him for permission to use the painting as an album cover, Barnes then augmented the painting by adding references that allude to Gaye's album, including banners hanging from the ceiling to promote the album's singles.

During the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever anniversary television special on March 25, 1983, tribute was paid to The Sugar Shack with a dance interpretation of the painting.

The original piece is currently owned by actor Eddie Murphy.

Music album covers

Barnes' work appears on the following album covers:

The Sugar Shack on Marvin Gaye's 1976 I Want You

The Disco on self-titled 1978 Faith, Hope & Charity

Donald Byrd and 125th Street, NYC on self-titled 1979 album

Late Night DJ on Curtis Mayfield's 1980 Something to Believe In

The Maestro on The Crusaders' 1984 Ghetto Blaster

Head Over Heels on The Crusaders' 1986 The Good and Bad Times

In Rapture on B.B. King's 2000 Making Love is Good For You

Other notable art and exhibitions

In response to the 1960s "Black is beautiful" cultural movement and James Brown's 1968 Say it loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud song, Barnes created The Beauty of the Ghetto exhibition of 35 paintings that toured major American cities from 1972 to 1979 hosted by dignitaries, professional athletes and celebrities.

Of his The Beauty of the Ghetto exhibition, Barnes said, "I am providing a pictorial background for an understanding into the aesthetics of black America. It is not a plea to people to continue to live there (in the ghetto) but for those who feel trapped, it is...a challenge of how beautiful life can be." When The Beauty of the Ghetto was on view in 1974 at the Museum of African Art in Washington, DC, Rep. John Conyers stressed the important positive message of the exhibit in the Congressional Record.

In the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Mayor Tom Bradley used Barnes' painting Growth Through Limits as an inspirational billboard in the inner-city. Barnes contributed $1000 to the winner of a slogan contest among the city's junior high school students that best represented the painting.

Barnes' work was included in the 1995 traveling group exhibition 20th Century Masterworks of African-American Artists II.

Barnes' painting The Advocate was donated to the North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1998 by a private collector. Barnes felt compelled to create the painting from his "concern with the just application of the law... the integrity of the legal process for all people, but especially those without resource or influence."

While watching the tragic events of 9/11, Barnes created the painting In Remembrance. It was formally unveiled at the Seattle Art Museum. It was later acquired on behalf of the City of Philadelphia and donated to its African American Museum. A limited number of giclée prints were sold with 100% of the proceeds going to the Hero Scholarship Fund, which provides college tuition and expenses to children of Pennsylvania police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty.

Three of Barnes' original paintings were exhibited at the London, England Whitechapel Gallery in the 2005 Back to Black: Art, Cinema & Racial Imaginary art exhibition.

In 2005 rapper producer Kanye West commissioned Barnes to create a painting to depict his life-changing experience following his near-fatal car crash. A Life Restored measures 9 ft. x 10 ft. and hangs on West's dining room ceiling. In the center of the painting is a large angel reaching out to a much smaller figure of West. It was inaccurately reported in several media outlets that the image of the angel in the painting is of West.

Barnes' final public exhibition was in October 2007 when the NFL and Time Warner sponsored A Tribute to Artist and NFL Alumni Ernie Barnes in New York City. It was hosted by Donna Brazile, Susan L. Taylor, Brig Owens and his former teammate, the Hon. Jack Kemp (who died five days after Barnes in 2009).

At the time of his death, Barnes had been working on an exhibition titled Liberating Humanity From Within which featured a majority of paintings he created in the last few years of his life. Plans will continue. The exhibition will travel throughout the country and abroad.

Television and movies

Barnes appeared on a 1967 episode of the game show To Tell The Truth The panelists correctly guessed Barnes was the professional football player-turned-artist.

Barnes played Deke Coleman in the 1969 motion picture Number One with Charlton Heston and Jessica Walter.

In 1971 Barnes, along with Mike Henry, created the Super Comedy Bowl, a CBS television variety special which showcased pro athletes with celebrities such as John Wayne, Frank Gifford, Alex Karras, Joe Namath, Jack Lemmon, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Tony Curtis. A second special aired in 1972.

Barnes played Dr. Penfield in the 1971 movie Doctors' Wives, which starred Dyan Cannon, Richard Crenna, Gene Hackman and Carroll O'Connor.

Throughout the Good Times television series (1974–79) most of the paintings by the character J.J. are works by Ernie Barnes. However a few images, including "Black Jesus" in the first season (1974), were not painted by Barnes. The Sugar Shack made its debut on the show's fourth season (1976–77) during the opening and closing credits. In the fifth season (1977–78) The Sugar Shack was only used in the closing credits for five early episodes during that season. In the sixth season (1978–79), The Sugar Shack was only used in opening credits for the first eight episodes and in the closing credits for five early episodes during that season. In the fifth and sixth seasons (1977–79), The Sugar Shack appears in the background of the Evans family apartment.

Barnes had a bit part on two episodes of Good Times: The Houseguest (February 18, 1975) and Sweet Daddy Williams (January 20, 1976).

The artwork of Ernie Barnes was also used on television shows Columbo, The White Shadow, Dream On, The Hughleys, The Wayans Bros, Wife Swap, Soul Food and the movies Drumline and Boyz n The Hood.

In 1981 Barnes played the famed baseball catcher Josh Gibson of the Negro league in the television movie Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy ‘Satchel' Paige with Lou Gossett, Jr., who played Paige.

The 2016 film Southside With You about Barack and Michelle Obama's first date features the artwork of Ernie Barnes.

Personal

In addition to his parents, Barnes was preceded in death by his half-brother Benjamin B. Rogers, Jr. (1920–1970). His brother James (b. 1942) resides in Durham, North Carolina. Barnes has five children: Deidre (b. 1957) and Michael (b. 1961) with first wife Andrea Burnett (1957–1965); and Sean (b. 1965), Erin (b. 1969) and Paige (b. 1972) with second wife Janet Thaleen Norton (1965–1983). He was also married to Bernadine "Bernie" Gradney (1984 - to death).

Barnes died on April 27, 2009 at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California from blood cancer. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in Durham, North Carolina near the site of where his family home once stood, and at the beach in Carmel, California, one of his favorite cities.

Quotations

"An artist paints his own reality."

"The artist uses creative visualization and the athlete uses the same thing... It's the muscle of the mind, that's the main muscle."

"I am bound by the strongest ties with the organic life of all people. And being an artist has created in me the desire to continually affirm beauty."

"The five years I lived in (the Fairfax district) a Los Angeles Jewish community led me to learn of their unyielding spiritual strength and internal sense of grandeur. I met people who had survived a hard school of struggle."

"My early paintings have all the rawness and passion of the (football) game."

"I was angry. I wanted to show and tell people what I had seen and felt. I wanted to show the dehumanization that is professional football. My only expression is through art. I painted until I had exhausted the hate. I had so many ideas that I couldn't put a canvas up quick enough."

"One day on the playing field, I looked up and the sun was breaking through the clouds, hitting the unmuddied areas on the uniforms, and I said, ‘that's beautiful!' I knew then that it was all over being a player. I was more interested in art. So I traded my cleats for canvas, my bruises for brushes, and put all the violence and power I had felt on the field into my paintings."

"Throughout my five seasons in the NFL, I remained at the deepest level of my being...an artist."

Wikipedia

#Ernie Barnes #07-15 #04-27

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aliveprofessor · 7 years ago

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Rocket Man

the fic has nothing to do with the title lmao

description: Ned has a secret.

tw: rape/harassment implied, a Lot of transphobia (this is a total vent fic ok)

under the cut!

Ned woke up to his phone’s alarm. He hopped in the shower, the pervasive loneliness of his half-full bed leaving him in the steam-filled three quarters bathroom. His house was decorated like a married man’s, like in another universe he’d have a wife and a dog and a baby on the way.

As it stood, he’d completed one of those goals - his dog, Bean, was whining to go outside by now, and Ned tripped over his own feet with a towel wrapped around his waist to let him outside. Even as he looked in the mirror, he appreciated so very greatly the recovering scars under his pectorals, stretching from his nipple to the armpit. Top surgery had been a bitch to recover from, but Ned supposed it was healthier than wearing a binder to work every day.

He still had problems with his feminine face. His nose was too small, eyelashes and lips too full. Ned looked down at his hips, hidden by the towel that was still on his waist.

His alarm buzzed for the second time that day, the music Ned had put on pausing to let the alarm sing out.

T day!!

It was then that Ned realized that he’d have to go out later with the other Try Guys. It was a Friday, after all, and Fridays were reserved for going out and getting absolutely hammered. Even if Ned did act like a dad the whole time.

He quirked a smile at himself in the mirror. Even if he hated some of his features, he knew he could push through it. Even if he was lonely, even if he was insecure…

Ned shook off the negative emotions. He’d have to get his shot done before work, so he could go out with the guys later. Maybe it was foolish to be in the closet to your closest friends - especially when one was queer himself.

But there was a thought caught at the back of Ned’s brain, like a fly caught on a flycatcher. The fear of being ostracized, like he had been, caused him to shake as he gathered the supplies - a sharps container, a syringe, two needles, the vial.

He calmed down, unwrapped the bigger needle, and cleaned off the vial. Taking some testosterone out of the vial at the right dose, he looked into the mirror and caught sight of his own terrified eyes. The thought of being called Caelyn again, the thought of being screamed at - he should’ve known it was a gamble to come out to his Catholic parents - the thought of trying to pray his sickness away.

Of course, now that he didn’t necessarily have to be out, Ned absolutely refused to come out. He looked back down to his hand to see the smaller needle completely submerged in his stomach fat, his hands going through the motions without him really deciding to do so.

And Ned entertained the idea of telling the Guys. He really did. He even thought of a perfect, beautifully quippy one-liner; “I chose Ned because it rhymes with ‘red’.”

And then he was done with the shot. The feeling of his skin sliding off the needle - still the most jarring sensation of the whole process - brought him back to reality. He was Ned Fulmer, living his full-time lie. Bean was the only one who knew it.

Of course, Bean couldn’t beat him up. Bean couldn’t tell him he was going to Hell. Bean couldn’t find a new, hungry look in his eyes that left Ned feeling hollow inside. God, thinking back on his past made him shiver. He wasn’t even cold.

He pulled on his polo shirt and khakis. They hid his form, made him look like a box. He liked it - his clothes felt like a safety blanket.

Ned let Bean back in, gave him some food for the day, resolved to order junk food for breakfast, and hopped into his car.

He walked into the office not feeling up to conversation. That’s when he saw her.

An intern. One that had gone to Ned’s highschool. And, God, she looked like -

Tracy Lineman. With the blonde curls and everything.

Ned felt his earlier panic spiral out of control. Tracy had been one of the ones to take pity on Ned. She never did use his chosen name or pronouns, though.

It felt like a nightmare. She probably recognized his last name - probably recognized his green eyes. His hands shook.

“Tracy?” He asked. She looked up. He pulled her into a spare meeting room.

Ned took a deep, shaky breath. “It’s… it’s Caelyn. I still go by Ned, I still use he-him pronouns. I would appreciate it deeply if you didn’t out me to my coworkers. I knew you’d figure it out at some point or another -”

“Oh!” Tracy blinked, “Oh, I - of course!”

There was something about her that made her seem already guilty of something. Ned decided to let it go, nodding to her and leaving the meeting room.

He made it back to his desk, by the other three. They were already at work - McDonald’s had been a bit backed up, so it’d taken longer than normal - and they looked at Ned curiously.

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” Zach said flippantly. Ned blanched.

“Oh - oh, yeah,” He stumbled over his words, “Caelyn.”

Eugene spoke up, seeming almost annoyed. “You never told us about her. What did you think would happen?”

“She died,” Ned blurted, “She died four years ago, right before I went to college. I don’t like talking about it.”

Now Eugene blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry for pressing, dude.”

“It’s okay,” Ned sighed, “I knew I’d have to tell you guys at some point or another.”

Ned felt those words bitter in his mouth, rotting through his tongue. He was weaving himself deeper and deeper into this lie.

Panic rose in his chest again, choking out his voice, when Tracy came back. She looked far more antagonistic now - Ned hoped she’d gotten less mean. When one is all alone, they’ll take the company they can manage to scrounge for. And Tracy… Tracy was pretty bad.

And now, there was that look in her eyes. That power-hungry look that Ned knew meant she knew she had some serious blackmail on him.

“Hey, Ned,” She said, “Can you do me a favor and grab me a cup of coffee?”

Ned declined. “Sorry, I’m busy right now.”

“A favor for the old friend of a sibling?” She mirrored his exact body language and tone. The other Guys watched the exchange with interest. There was a fire behind Tracy’s eyes, and Ned found himself getting up and carrying her mug to the kitchen.

Ned realized the best case scenario was that the guys thought he had the hots for Tracy. Ned just knew that Tracy wasn’t the worst evil he could face - but she could still put him in an unbelievable amount of danger. It was so much harder to meet people now that he was out of school. He couldn’t lose the Guys.

Ned resolved to come out to them that night. It was the hardest decision he’d ever made - but he couldn’t bear to be Tracy’s blackmailee forever.

God, Ned didn’t even want to be a blackmailee at all. Yet, here he was.

He gave Tracy her coffee, sitting back at his desk. He pulled up his project and started to work on it. He did have to suffer near-constant interruptions via Tracy, which was… painful.

Ned was ready to rip out his own eyeballs by the end of the day, but then - then, he was going out with the Guys. Unfortunately, either Tracy had decided to stay late, or one of the Guys had invited her along.

“You don’t mind if Tracy tags along, do you?” Eugene asked, but not in a way that was asking permission. When Eugene asked something, there was a good chance he was already planning on doing it. Or already doing it.

Ned smiled thinly and said, “Of course not!”

“Hey, Ned,” Tracy started, “Could you carry my things for me?”

Ned was absolutely exhausted. He just simply could not carry anything for Tracy, even if he wanted to. “No.”

“But… Ned.” There was that old, dangerous undertone to her voice that Ned was far too familiar with was back. None of the other guys seemed to notice.

“I said ‘No.’” Ned flatly declined the offer, consequences be damned. He could not physically muster the ability to care. After doing several coffee and copier runs, a lunch run, and giving Tracy lots of completely unnecessary advice, Ned had felt like the intern all day. And now - he was done.

“Caelyn,” Tracy said, and Ned realized just what he’d done, “Have you told your friends how you’ve been lying to them?”

The other three stopped dead in their tracks, confusion written over their faces. Ned flinched a bit.

“Tracy -” Ned felt like a mask had been ripped off his face, and he was standing there in a bra and panties, like he had been during that first year of college.

“Ned - what’s going on?” Keith glanced between the two of them, feeling the tension fly off Ned’s body like static. Tracy remained cool, a skill Ned had seen too often.

“Caelyn has been lying to you about herself,” Tracy smirked, Ned looking and feeling like he was about to cry.

And then he was. Tears leaked down his face, and he was glad they were in the parking lot so he could turn and walk away as fast as possible, breaking into a run when Eugene tried to follow him.

That’s where his temper always landed him - deep in trouble. Ned hated his short fuse as much as he could between spikes of panic and trying to remember how to breathe, taking refuge behind a dumpster and crying out to nobody in particular.

His phone vibrated endlessly in his pocket. Ned prayed for God to send a lightning bolt down and kill him right then.

To his absolute despair, he heard quick footsteps echo on the brick. Eugene was scarily good at finding things - finding people. He knocked on the side of the dumpster.

“Is it okay if I come around the corner, Ned?”

Ned let out a strangled noise he hoped sounded like assent, and Eugene crouched down in front of him. Eugene brushed a lock of hair out of Ned’s face, a strangely tender gesture for what Ned was about to tell him.

“I’m trans,” He whispered, marvelling at the ease with which the words flew from his mouth. Eugene crossed his legs on the ground, peering into Ned’s soul through his eyes.

“Pronouns?”

That was the last thing Ned had expected out of Eugene’s mouth - well, he supposed growing up in rural Florida had left him with some low standards, but still.

“He - he/him,” Ned breathed, still trying to catch his breath. Eugene nodded, taking Ned’s hand in his.

Here it comes, Ned thought. The ‘we can fix this’, the ‘I’m so sorry you’re like this’.

But Eugene said neither of those. “Breathe with me.” He placed Ned’s hand on his chest, taking a deep breath. Ned took deep breaths with Eugene, feeling himself come down from the tallest mountain of panic he’d ever encountered.

“I’m sorry -” Ned started, interrupted by Eugene.

“Don’t apologize,” He smiled softly, “You’re still Ned. You’re still our best friend, you’re still a man.”

Ned absolutely beamed through his tears. Eugene pulled him closer, giving him the most comforting hug he’d ever received. And from Eugene.

“You’re not mad?”

Eugene paused. “Oh, Ned.” His voice was dripping with pity. But not the kind Ned was used to. “How could I be mad? You did something really brave today.”

“No I didn’t,” Ned sniffled, “I ran away.”

“You stood up to Tracy,” Eugene grinned. “How about tonight, instead of going out, I’ll convince the Guys to join us for pizza at my place, and you can explain everything? I’m here to help you through anything, y’know.”

Ned nodded. “Thank you. That sounds nice.”

And Ned wished he had the strength left to tell Eugene just how much he meant to him. He’d tell him on the way back.

He felt as though a new world had been opened up to him, like shackles had been taken off of his ankles. He felt truly free for the first time since he was a little kid, running free in the creek with his best friend, pretending to be spies.

#mod #txt #fic #tg #i'm afraid to put it in any tags bc buzz//feed is a bunch of bitchass people who are hip with the kids and read fics #rip me #please reblog

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auburnfamilynews · 4 years ago

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Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

How low can you go?

Oh boy, this ought to be a hoot. Auburn got trucked in Athens, with very few players bringing the effort necessary to win a game against the most talented team per capita in the country.

Some position groups might not have even been there with the way we played, while others showed that they indeed wanted to play Auburn football. How did we grade? Read along:

QUARTERBACK - R (for RUN FOR YOUR LIFE)

Bo Nix was not great this past Saturday. Now, a lot of that had to do with a game plan asking him to be a hero against the best defense in the country behind what might be the worst offensive line in the conference. He was not put in a position to succeed and it resulted in catastrophe for the Tigers offense.

But that doesn’t mean he was a passive participant in that, uh how can I put this nicely, “poopshow” of a performance. Elite quarterbacks raise the play of their teammates. Elite quarterbacks make big time plays even in less than ideal circumstances. Elite quarterbacks still lose but they elevate their offense anyway.

Bo Nix is not yet an elite quarterback. He might still become one but he’s not there yet. There were chances for Auburn to land some haymakers. It’s unlikely any would have left UGA on the mat for long given the Dawgs dominance along the line of scrimmage but there were some chances where Nix could have given his team some confidence. Two deep shots to Anthony Schwartz jump out, especially that 2nd quarter miss where Schwartz had a step on his defender and a touchdown would have made this a 17-7 game.

If you are going to be a championship calibre quarterback you have to hit those shots when you get a chance. Nix is still not doing it. He has to get better and do a better job capitalizing on big play opportunities especially against elite teams. We saw these same misses last year in College Station, Gainesville and Baton Rouge. Until that changes, there’s a firm ceiling on this offense that will prevent this team from winning anything meaningful in the next 2-3 years.

RUNNING BACKS - A-minus

DISCLAIMER: This ranking is solely predicated on measuring the effectiveness of those who played, which was few

Auburn probably found the back of the future on Saturday night in Tank Bigsby, who got his first real extended action with Shaun Shivers’ injury and D.J. Williams’ apparent lack of speed. What we saw in Athens was the only player who 110% wanted to be there, win, and wasn’t afraid of Georgia. Everyone else played scared or tight. He finished with 8 carries for 31 yards and 7 catches for 68 yards, a couple touches consisting of heroic efforts to negate plays that would’ve otherwise been huge losses. He honestly showed the kind of wiggle and strength that we saw out of his position coach in Sanford Stadium in 2001, but we had less help on Saturday. Georgia was also better than they were eighteen years ago.

The position group is given an A- because of D.J. Williams’ ineffectiveness (no carries, 1 catch for -4 yards), and because there’s still room for improvement from Tank in spite of his great night. Tank can become the absolute start back at Auburn, but we have to figure out how to use him and reward him for being the only guy leaving everything out there on Saturday. An offensive line wouldn’t hurt either.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS - D (for Drops)

I will say, there weren’t a ton of opportunities for the receivers to show out in this one. With a lethal pass rush from Georgia, and Bo being lucky to just get the ball in the air near the intended receivers, any production from them would have been a gift. That being said, this group gets heavily penalized by a severe case of the drops. Sure, Seth Williams’s drop would have been a highlight real touchdown if he had reeled it in, but we also saw Shedrick Jackson drop two balls as well (one of them ended up being called for targeting, but my point stands).

The highlight of the night certainly goes to J.J. Pegues, who only recorded three touches for eight yards, but the big man converted third downs on both of his carries out of the Wildcat. Props for that I guess.

OFFENSIVE LINE - L (for Lost.)

The next time you hear someone defend Herb Hand and JB Grimes, show them this:

This is one of the most pitiful efforts in the history of Auburn football. No I’m not talking about the game. I’m talking about how vastly under-prepared this position group is from a personnel/roster management standpoint. After having 2 transfers start in 2017, the regression of offensive line play at Auburn from 2018 - present has been the root problem of this football program. We have not been able to run the football since Kerryon Johnson got hurt against Alabama and now in 2020 we cannot protect the quarterback. What’s so damning about this is that SO MANY PEOPLE SAW THIS COMING.

I can’t even blame Jack Bicknell for this because I think he’s the first offensive line coach Auburn has had since Jeff Grimes (should’ve been retained after 2012 by Gus) who understands how to recruit offensive linemen at Auburn. But he’s probably unable to fully fix it until 2022 at the earliest! And yet, none of these issues are new! None of this is a surprise!

The identity of any offense is based around its offensive line, which explains at least in part why we looked so completely lost as a unit Saturday night. But as bad as the line looked, the real shame is on whoever it is on that sideline who insists upon rotating offensive linemen 2 games into a season. Sure, this group didn’t have this summer to build cohesion thanks to COVID. That’s tough for any group. But you are extending this problem out by continuing to rotate guys. And I don’t think it requires a lot of thinking to see that the most ideal starting group right now probably looks like this:

Left Tackle - Austin Troxell

Left Guard - Brandon Council

Center - Nick Brahams

Right Guard - Keiondre Jones

Right Tackle - Brodarious Hamm

Even with that group, the grades looked abysmal Saturday night based on what was said by the PFF folks. But this position group cannot get better without playing together. Run with these 5, and let them take their lumps and grow. In the meantime, the unit looks lost. I will say that it sure doesn’t help that it was abundantly clear that we were tighter than the Fat Man Squeeze at Rock City thanks to a group of coaches who don’t appear to trust their players and go into a turtleshell each time we play a competent football team away from Jordan-Hare Stadium. You could see that in the opening drive with penalties.

So yeah, the offensive line, and whoever is on that sideline refusing to trust his players and doing this rotation BS deserve a grade worse than F. They deserve to be called out for being LOST.

DEFENSIVE LINE - H (for How?)

I think we all expected this defensive front to regress significantly from last year. Nothing about that is a surprise when you lose a generational talent like Derrick Brown, who friend of the program Justin Ferguson swears is the greatest defensive player in Auburn history. Certainly an argument can be made. That being said, how in the hell do you get blown off the ball this poorly? How in the hell have several of these guys, who have played a significant number of snaps in this defense, not improved since the first year they stepped on campus?

This is the first year that we haven’t had a sure-fire NFL defensive lineman on this team since Gus got to Auburn. And that would be enough of a reason to be upset but also understand why our backs broke in the 2nd half...if that had happened. Instead, this group was dominated from the start, letting a walk on quarterback keep his jersey clean for the majority of the game, and let Georgia bully you in the run game all night. This score could have been 21 points worse, but Georgia was having too much fun pushing our defensive line into the belly of our linebackers.

I expected a regression, and I have confidence in Rodney Garner. Really I’m more angry at the offense since 2016 for wasting 4 years of championship-level defense than I am a bad night at the office without the NFL talent of a year ago. But none of that should make you, me, Gus, Rodney, or anyone associated with this program any less embarrassed by the utter domination by the Georgia offensive line.

LINEBACKERS - D (for Dreadful)

I understand that it’s difficult to make plays when offensive linemen are hitting you, but when you engage a running back (even a five-star one) you don’t need to be getting pushed back every single time. K.J. Britt, Owen Pappoe, and Zakoby McClain again combined for a ton of tackles (28 total), but they came several yards downfield almost every play. McClain had the lone tackle for loss of the group (a sack), but the group lost contain when blitzing, couldn’t hang with the backs out the backfield on short passes, and gave ground on run plays up the middle.

Refer to the guide below, from Harry Potter. These guys were still in the right place a lot of the time, but they didn’t make the plays necessary, and the middle of the field was a place where Georgia got a bookoodle of their yardage. 28 total tackles is nice, but we’re throwing them a D for Dreadful anyway. Be thankful it’s not T for Troll.

DEFENSIVE BACKS - C (for Coverage Optional)

This secondary had a range of performance on Saturday. Roger McCreary for the most part shut down George Pickens, allowing the star receiver just 26 yards on two catches from five targets. One of those catches (and 21 of the yards) were from a touchdown, but the coverage wasn’t necessarily bad there. It was just a perfect pass and catch from the offense. Jordyn Peters and Jamien Sherwood proved to be just fine at safety, with the pair combining for 27 tackles. Generally you want your front seven picking up most of the tackles when the opponent is running the ball down your throat, but nevertheless, that isn’t the safeties’ fault.

Now comes the part that was... not good. At all. Georgia was able to pull a page out of Alabama’s playbook and just abuse Christian Tutt, with Kearis Jackson picking up nine catches for 147 yards. Nehimiah Pritchett struggled mightily as well, although it’s hard to blame him as he was filling in for an injured Jaylin Simpson.

SPECIAL TEAMS - B (for not Bad)

Congratulations, boys. You’re not the reason Auburn lost. There’s probably only one other position group that can say that. Carlson hit both of his field goals. Punt coverage was good. Kickoff coverage wasn’t great on the first one to ding it back to a B. That’s about it.

COACHING - D+

Auburn’s coaching was suspect Saturday. Down 3 scores late in the first half, Auburn elected to kick a field goal, to make it a...three score game. The decision to keep rotating the offensive line is not one I understand. And some of the offensive playcalls around the goal line were...well, they were blah. Auburn couldn’t out-talent Georgia Saturday. Ultimately, that’s on the coaches for recruiting. And if you can’t out-talent an opponent, you have to out-execute and out-scheme. Auburn did neither of those things. I won’t fault the coaches for in-game execution, but Georgia didn’t look surprised by anything Auburn threw at them.

Credit to Kevin Steele (I sound like a broken record) for impressive halftime adjustments. Holding Georgia to only 3 second half points is the only thing saving the coaches from a failing grade. This team didn’t totally quit.

FANS - F

They were Georgia fans, so they probably barked at strangers and were generally lacking in self awareness. Also, their student section didn’t seem to follow any COVID restrictions.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/10/7/21503374/position-grades-4-georgia-27-7-auburn-6

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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healthyworthyofficial · 5 years ago

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How an Attorney Shed 110 Pounds

The Guy: John Bauer Age: 50 Home: St. Charles, MO Occupation: Asst. Prosecuting Attorney Height: 6’ 4” Starting weight: 345 lbs. Current weight: 235 lbs. Total weight misplaced: 110 lbs. Outside of an unsuccessful stint on his tennis staff, in regards to the closest John Bauer received to being a high-school athlete at Mendota (Ill.) High School was being a mathlete. Throw in the truth that he was obese, was in French Club, sang within the choir, performed clarinet within the band—effectively, it doesn’t take a highschool diploma to determine that the jocks weren’t particularly variety to him again then. PE courses had been particularly unhealthy. “It was horrible,” Bauer says. “I hated gym class. The gym locker was the worst place in the building. I was teased more behind my back than to my face, but I know it went on.” Related: How a 330-pound Dad Overcame Obesity and Achieved an Ironman Dream Bauer continued to pack on the kilos in faculty and regulation college. He took some journeys to the pool and health middle, however not sufficient to come back near offsetting the unhealthy consuming habits. “My college diet was awful,” Bauer says. “I did exercise some, but never did anything high-energy or aerobic. It was never something that I made a focus, and that continued through law school. I started a habit of drinking insane amounts of Diet Coke, and I remember making bowls of cookie batter and eating that in law school. It was almost useless to work out.” After getting married and having a toddler, he had reached 345 lbs. When he noticed an image of himself together with his first daughter in 2002, he lastly woke as much as his weight drawback. How a Texas Businessman Dropped 250 Pounds and Conquered the Houston Marathon “I remember seeing pictures of me holding her and seeing how small she was and how huge I was,” Bauer says. “That was the impetus—seeing how out-of-shape I was.” For the following decade, although, his weight reduction got here in matches and begins—dropping 80 lbs. on Weight Watchers, after which bouncing round between about 250-290 lbs. But, in 2011, he tackled his first 5K run—“jog” is the extra correct time period. Then he received into weightlifting to repair a again drawback. In 2013, did his first 10Ok and received critical about diet. His first guidelines? “I cut back on Coke Zero to two per week, quit eating after 7 p.m., and tried to eat clean 90% of the time. I went super-high protein. The diet stuff just clicked.” He ended up ditching the weight-reduction plan soda and dropped 60 kilos, all the way down to 208 kilos. Then, he was launched to triathlons. And so, in his late 40s, the previous band geek began to really feel like an athlete for the primary time. Related: How a Former Michigan Lineman Tackled the Supreme Fitness Challenge “My trainer gave me a training plan, and all of a sudden, I had this challenge, and I loved it,” Bauer says. “It was something never in my wildest dreams did I think I could do. My first triathlon was a 500-meter swim, a 22-mile bike and a 5K run. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. I almost passed out. I was so proud.”

Bauer’s Triathlon Workout Plan

That dash triathlon was only the start. Bauer employed a triathlon coach and in 2015 completed two half-Ironman (70.Three complete miles) races, finishing his transformation from highschool nerd to a badass assistant prosecuting legal professional and jock. His exercises for the triathlon through the spring/summer time/fall are a mixture of the three disciplines, with three days every of swimming, biking and operating, together with a weekend-long day of “brick” work, following a motorcycle trip instantly with a run to imitate the triathlon race day. Monday: Swim Tuesday: Weights (morning) Ride (noon) Wednesday: Swim (morning) Run (noon) Thursday: Weights (morning) Ride (noon) Friday: Run (morning) Saturday: “Brick Work” Open-water Swim (if obtainable) Ride/Run (often 3-Four hours complete) Sunday: Rest day

Bauer’s Weight-room Workout Plan

When triathlon coaching goes on hiatus through the winter, Bauer returns to the health club to deal with lifting. Five to 6 days per week, Bauer will get up at 3:30 a.m. and heads to the health club by 4:30. He’s bulked again as much as about 235 kilos, however he thinks the burden exercises will assist his triathlon occasions. “I’d never done heavy weightlifting. Never done deadlifts. Never done a squat before,” Bauer says. “What has amazed me is my endurance has truly improved. I’ve gone swimming and operating and really feel like I've rather more endurance than earlier than. Related: How an Overweight Professor Transformed Himself Into an Ultramarathon-running Badass “Right now I’m focused on perfecting the form, not being focused on comparing myself with others. I can’t squat nearly as much as my friends. But I’ve found a real enjoyment in learning about it and how to do it right to avoid injury. A lot of people say triathletes shouldn’t lift heavy, and I will back down in the spring, but my running and cycling will really benefit from my work in the weight room.” Monday: Chest (bench and auxiliaries) Tuesday: Legs (hamstring-dominant)—again squats and auxiliaries Wednesday: Back and traps (deadlifts and auxiliaries) Thursday: Arms Friday: Legs (quad-dominant) together with entrance squats Saturday: Back/chest Sunday: Always off (household time)

Weight Loss: Beyond the Triathlon

In the spring, Bauer plans to return to triathlons. He’s additionally been stepping into mountain biking, path runs, impediment races, and rucking. He’s now working towards turning into an authorized private coach to tackle a couple of on-line purchasers. “I think my wife gets whiplash every time I come up with something new,” Bauer says. “She’ll look at me and say, ‘You’re not the man I married.’ She’s joking, but it’s true.” At some level, he wish to sort out the total Ironman, however proper now he’s selecting to spend extra time together with his household attending college athletic and fantastic arts occasions of his two daughters and son as a substitute of placing within the time and miles needed to complete an Ironman.

Bauer hits the health club six days every week. Courtesy John Bauer Still, with a pair of half-Ironmans below his belt and a buff physique, Bauer confesses to feeling a little bit of schadenfreude in going again to Mendota for sophistication reunions and seeing a few of these jocks who teased him in highschool now obese and off form. “I admit I’ve had those moments, but you’re not going to stay motivated on revenge,” Bauer says. “And, I don’t consider in motivation—I consider in self-discipline. Motivation is fleeting. There are quite a lot of days I’m not motivated to go to the health club, to eat effectively. It takes self-discipline. “And, you don’t want to wish bad on other people who have let themselves go. Plus, nobody is themself when they’re in high school. A lot of people have changed, physically or personally, over 30 years. One of the things that motivates me is that I get messages on Facebook from people back in high school who tell me that I inspire them. I never dreamed that I could inspire anybody.” Related: How a 500-pound Man Lost Weight, Found Himself, and Finished an Ironman Read the full article

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makinjakenpancakes · 7 years ago

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Day 5: Jimberly Positivity Week: What If... (Reboot)

“Well class we have a new student, he had to miss the first week of school but welcome Jason Scott,” Ms. Applebee said.

The young blonde boy smiled, he was still a bit sickly. But he couldn’t miss more of second grade. He didn’t recognize anyone else in his class. He knew kids on the bus but all his old friends had gone to different teachers. He smiled shyly.

“Want to say something about yourself to the class?” she said.

“My dad plays catch with me and I hope to be a big brother someday,” he said. “I hope I have a little brother.”

“Find a seat Jason, you haven’t missed much,” Ms. Applebee said.

Jason walked around, most of the seats were taken except one. A girl was coloring, she had black hair and didn’t seem to pay him any attention. He sat next to her. She didn’t seem to notice or care that someone sat near her. Maybe it was good; maybe she was mean. She finally looked up and realized a strange blonde kid was looking at her.

“What are you looking at?” she said.

“Nothing, I, wait, you but not like that,” he said; stumbling over his words.

“I’m joking sick boy,” she said, always so quick with her wit. “I’m Kim. Don’t call me Kimberly.”

“I’m Jas-“ he said.

“I heard you already, you play catch and want to be a big brother,” she said. “So Jase, you want to be friends?”

“It’s… Yeah I’ll be friends,” he said and she handed him some crayons and paper.

***

Jason and Kim had always sat together for the first few months until the teacher had to do assigned seating. The kids would talk and not do their work so they had to be split up. He looked over to her when they finally had their seats. It was the first time he had felt longing pain. His new friend was now on the other part of the class room. They had become so close but they still had recess together.

The class bell rang for recess and the kids all left; they had to be told to not run. Most of the kids ignored those directions. Kim and Jason met under the slides. They felt like they were being punished. She took his hand and they both smiled.

“Let’s make a promise,” she said.

“What?” he asked.

“No matter what, we stay friends even when we get old,” she said and kissed his cheek.

“Yes,” he said and kissed her cheek.

[Seven Years Later]

Sam Scott had Jason work with him on the boat over the summer before high school and when Jason wasn’t working he was working on out. Sam had a plan for his son and it was to get into football after being good in the younger league. But high school was different and college would be as well. He saw Kim in the hallways and smiled.

“You didn’t call all summer,” she said.

“Sorry, dad wants me to be ready for football season,” he said.

“Does that mean I have to be a cheerleader to hang out with my best friend?” she asked.

“Why not? You’re a great dancer and you’re beautiful,” he said, Kim felt her face get hot but she brushed it off.

“Shut up,” she said and pushed him playfully.

Throughout middle school the two’s friendship had changed. But not for the worse. Both had become more flirty; they joked around more. But nothing ever came of it. But they always stayed friends, neither of them made the move.

“You should try it,” he said. “For me?”

“I hate you,” she said, her face felt hot again. “Fine.”

***

“Second String JV quarterback Jason Scott is taking place for head quarter back Kyle Westhause after he was just injured. The team is behind a touchdown,” the announcer said. “This will be Jason’s first game and it will help them get the lead they are at 2-2 and they need to keep winning if they want to go to Nationals.”

Jason’s heart was racing as he put his helmet on, he could hear the people start cheering. He was sure his dad was the loudest. But then he saw Kim, she was smiling as she cheered him on, her pom-poms shivered as she moved with the team cheers. He called out and the players shifted.

Jason faded back, he looked for his receivers and he saw Maynard was open. He saw someone in his peripheral vison and threw the ball. He felt the hit, as he hit the ground his air left his lungs. He didn’t hear the crowd go wild as they scored. Hawkeye and Damo picked him up. The team huddled together.

“Jay,” Damo said. “Fake a kick, run the ball and we win.”

“I just got hit by a train,” Jason said.

“If you do this, you’ll become a God among Angel Grove.”

Jason felt a few slaps on his helmet and soon he slapped his helmet. He yelled as they got into formation. He had the ball and set it down to be kicked. He looked to the kicker and then to the ball. He counted in his head, pulled the ball and jumped up. He held the ball and ran. The kicker was hit by one of the lineman and he had to be quick on his feet. Jason spun and ran to the red zone.

Everything was a blur as he felt a large body smack into his back and as he fell and hit the ref blew a whistle. He rolled over, sat up and realized he had got the extra points. He jumped up, his teammates lifted him on their shoulders and he took off his helmet. The bruises would appear later but right now he was riding a winner’s high.

“Jason!” Kim called out and he was put down.

She grabbed his jersey and pulled him in for a kiss. In that moment these two became the “It” couple of Angel Grove. They were featured in the paper, as they walked the halls people whispered about them. She held his hand and was always on his arm as they walked the halls. The Angel Grove Tigers continued to win as Jason became the head quarterback.

[Three Years Later]

Jason and Kimberly and their rise to fame hit its peak until the summer before their senior year. Kim had texted a picture Amanda had sent her and she shamed her. It was all fun and games until she was caught and was forced to leave the cheerleading squad. Jason, Damo and Hawkeye had all got drunk and stole a cow.

Three weeks after the two of them were in detention. Kim had wanted to run away and he was sick and tired of his father controlling his life. They would need to steal a car and somehow get rid of the leg brace or they would be arrested and found quickly. Some ginger walked over to a guy Jason thought he had classes with in elementary school.

Jason got up and was over to the guy before he stopped the bully. He hated guys like this, he dodged the punch and slapped the guy.

“Did you slap me?” he asked.

“Yeah, weird right,” Jason said. “I’m Jason and I’ll be spending what seems like to be the rest of my life. Don’t sit near me or him and we’ll be fine.”

***

As Jason peddled his bike, his knee was screaming in pain. But Billy Cranston had offered a car and a way out of the leg bracelet. Then he and Kim could run off. He skidded to a stop, jumped off the bike and ran to the door. Billy’s mother seemed fine letting him in and he ran to the basement. He followed Billy’s instructions and was soon free of house arrest. He just had to help him out.

***

“Are you ready?” he said as he pulled up to her house.

“Yeah, not like this town needs us anyway,” Kim said as she climbed in.

She buckled up and they drove off, they had no plan. They only had some money but they had each other. She took his hand and he looked over to her and smiled. She squeezed his hand before she leaned over to kiss his cheek.

#power rangers 2017 #jason x kimberly #kimberly x jason #jimberly #jimberlyedit #jimberlypositivityweek #hartscott #hartscottedit #what if fic

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markharmonparadise · 5 years ago

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Mark Harmon Dishes on NCIS, Football and Life as as a Family Man

Mark Harmon has scored on the football field and in life, playing QB at UCLA, hanging out with Ozzie and Harriet, starring in a record 17 seasons of NCIS and raising a family in Hollywood.

Football was a star in Mark Harmon’s life from the very beginning. One of his earliest memories is watching a film highlight reel of his dad, Heisman-winner Tom Harmon, scoring 33 touchdowns playing college football for the University of Michigan. “I was literally, like, 8 before I realized my dad ever got tackled, because on the reel, he scores every time he gets the ball!” Harmon says with a laugh. And when his father became a football broadcaster, “to watch from the press box or wherever he was working, and look at that field, that had a certain magic,” says Harmon, 67. That magic carried Harmon himself onto the field years later when he played quarterback for the Bruins at UCLA, leading the team to a 17-5 record over two seasons from 1972 to 1973. “Coming out of that tunnel, being in that locker room, in many ways, it was a dream come true,” he says.

He later found his way onto another, even bigger field, and another dream, as his fans know. As an actor, his path eventually led him to his current longtime role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the wildly successful CBS show NCIS, now headed into its record 17th season, securing its status it as one of the longest-running scripted prime-time shows in television history.

Today Harmon lives near the show’s Los Angeles set in California’s Santa Monica Mountains with his wife of 32 years, actress Pam Dawber, 67 (Mork & Mindy and My Sister Sam), and near their two sons, Sean, 31, and Ty, 27. And even with his success as one of TV’s most successful and recognizable stars, he’s doing what he can to foster a family life like the one in which he grew up. He was raised in Burbank by his father, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954 when Harmon was 3; and his mother, Elyse, who’d been an actress and a model before retiring to stay home with Harmon and his two older sisters, Kristin and Kelly. As the baby of the family, Harmon says, “I think I was more shy; more quiet, maybe.” And while his sisters were into ballet and horses, Harmon was “outside, preferably with a ball. I was always looking for someone to throw with…anybody. Little bit like a golden retriever.”

He remembers weekends in the garage with his fix-it-guy father. “I usually handled the broom and the sweep-up, but I watched him, and then once in a while, I got to do something,” he says. And of course, he played baseball, football and rugby in high school. He excelled at football, and he was recruited out of junior college to play for the Bruins. While at UCLA, he studied communications and graduated cum laude, and he still keeps in touch with some of his former teammates, “mostly offensive lineman, the big bodies up front,” he says. But when he thinks back on those days on the field, he doesn’t dwell on the glory. “I probably remember more about the losses than the victories. I don’t play it back easy.”

How Ozzie and Harriet Changed His Life

Harmon’s football future was forever changed when his sister married the iconic pop star Ricky Nelson and he began hanging out with her in-laws, TV stars Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. Ricky Nelson, who acted with his parents on the 1950s and ’60s sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, died in a plane crash in 1985. Being an in-law, says Harmon, “gives me a really nice relationship with [Ricky and Kristin’s] kids, and that’s a gift. Ricky was a really good guy.”

While working as a lifeguard, Harmon remembers how, after a swim, Ozzie Nelson would join Harmon on the beach. “We’d sit underneath my tower and we’d talk about big band music, as Ozzie started as a big band leader and Harriet was a vocalist.” One day, while Nelson was filming his early-’70s show Ozzie’s Girls, the spinoff of Ozzie and Harriet, he asked Harmon to fill in for an actor who couldn’t be there. Harmon jumped at the chance, shadowing Nelson around the set and into the editing room. After that, he was hooked, Harmon says. “That changed my course.”

After college, Harmon chose not to pursue the rigors—and the odds—of playing pro ball. Although some guys on his team did go to the pros—“and they all made more money one year than I made in the next 15 combined!” he says with a laugh—Harmon instead took acting classes and began getting work on TV shows and in films, where he recalls intersecting with mentors like Jason Robards, Karl Malden, Michael Caine and José Ferrer. “They were all humble; they all gave me valuable time and camaraderie and advice,” he says. In 1983, he landed the TV role that blew open the doors for him, as a series regular on the hospital drama St. Elsewhere, and a few years later he married Dawber.

Hello, Leroy

For the next two decades, he appeared in films, including Stealing Home, Wyatt Earp, Summer School and Freaky Friday, and starred in other long-running television shows while also taking on producing and directing responsibilities—as well as parenting two boys. “I work hard. [But] it’s where I come from,” he explains, based on the ethic he learned from his father’s family, who toiled in Michigan steel mills. Eventually, he says, “I was directing a lot, I was doing a movie here or there and we had this young family that was growing up, and I was missing a lot of [family time],” which “just was not OK.”

So he scaled back. “And then I read this script called NCIS.” The now-hit show about the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a procedural spinoff of JAG, surprised him with its humor, and he loved the character—and name—of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former U.S. Marine sniper turned special agent who commands a special team for NCIS. “For a moment, when I started getting interested in doing it, the name changed to Bob Nelson or something, and I just said, ‘Eh…please, can you put the name back?’”

In addition to starring in the show, Harmon expanded his role to become an executive producer, while also co-developing the show’s spinoff NCIS: New Orleans, which debuted in 2014—all of which still surprises him, considering NCIS was slow to find its groove, he says. “We didn’t find it until year seven or six. And we’ve been there ever since. That’s because of the fans.” And for that, he offers “a big thank-you. I don’t ever take it for granted.”

He feels the same way about his marriage to Dawber, whom he met through a mutual friend and married in 1987. They clicked over their sense of humor, though really, “there’s no quick answer, no key. I just feel fortunate,” he says. “She’s a neat lady.” He laughs remembering the thrilling day he thought he’d found a fellow football fan in Michigan-born Dawber. “Early on when Pam and I were dating, it was Thanksgiving, and I turned on the TV early in the morning,” he says. She asked who was playing. When he said it was Ohio State vs. Michigan, she responded with glee as she sat next to him to watch. “She was probably there for 10 minutes,” says Harmon, before Dawber finally asked, “‘Which one’s Michigan?’” She now knows who Michigan is, he says, laughing, and their favorite thing to do is “just be with each other and…that’s it.”

Most of all, they get together with their sons and their sons’ girlfriends over family dinners. And when Harmon’s not working, he turns to an old passion: his workshop. He just finished building a new shop table, and there typically are a few projects in the works. He’s so content there that while he and Dawber talk about getting a house outside of L.A. in some smaller town, “I think, in the end, I would probably do that better than she would, because she would need to go to the city to a play or to whatever,” he says, “where I could just get in the shop and be just fine. I can always find something to do.”

On December 10, Harmon will be awarded the National Football Foundation (NFF) Gold Medal, which will bring his football career full circle. In 1973, he won an NFF award as a player at UCLA, the same night John Wayne received the Gold Medal. He’ll never forget that event, he says: Unaware he was required to dress in formal wear for the event, he rented a tuxedo last-minute out of the window from a shop across the street, which led to wearing a dark gray suit with a frilly shirt, “and John Wayne calling me ‘rebel’ all night.”

As the NCAA season breaks into full swing, Harmon will watch or listen to a Bruins game here and there. “I probably have a little bit better weekend when they do well,” he admits, though he hasn’t been to a game in years. And the truth is, having grown up watching games from the stands and the press box—or his QB position on the field—he gets frustrated watching football on TV, when someone else is determining what he gets to see. “Close-up camera, this point of view,” he says, shaking his head. “I like looking at the whole field.” That’s how he prefers to look at his life too. He recalls running a triple option at UCLA and how one of his position coaches would say, “‘Use all the grass.’ What he meant by that was, you push the ball towards the sideline. You make the defense commit before you do, which gives you yet another option,” says Harmon. “You try to never run out of field.”

He sees the parallels in his own life—wanting to pick up and run with the ball every chance he gets. “Sometimes it’s not a popular position—you know, leadership often isn’t,” he says. “But I don’t find failure in being wrong. I learn from being wrong. Even a backwards step can be a forward step, because that’s where you learn the most.”

Which is why, if he were to play back his own reel of his college football days, there isn’t much he’d do differently. “You know, my dad used to say, ‘I’d sure like another shot at Minnesota,’ because he played ’em twice and lost to ’em twice. And I could say the same thing about USC, because we lost to them twice too. But I’m not real good at looking back,” he says. “I’m better pushing forward.”

Harmon 411

These are a few of his favorite things.

Book

Endurance by Alfred Lansing, about Sir Ernest Shackleton’s doomed attempt to cross the Antarctic in 1914—and his crew’s two-year struggle for survival. “Tell Jamie Lee Curtis—that’s [also] her favorite book.”

Sunday Activity

“Barbecue or something, usually with the kids. They expect that too. It’s not unusual to get a call in the morning, ‘Hey, we doing anything tonight?’”

Movie

“I can’t name just one. My [production] company is named Wings after the 1927 William Wellman movie Wings. That’s the first movie I remember, a silent film, and I just remember sitting there, being drawn into that TV set.”

Reality TV Show

“American Pickers. Mike Wolfe was on NCIS [as himself on an episode in 2018]. When I was rehabbing my knee and I was lying on the floor, doing my exercises, [his show] was on all the time.”

Guilty Pleasure

“Washing my own car.”

Workout

“I’ve turned into a Pilates man the last six years. I have a regime that I do every day, and it works for me.”

Snack for Football Games

“I might have a glass of water. I’m not there to eat, I’m watching.”

TV Series (That He Doesn’t Star In)

“I loved watching Bryan [Cranston] in Breaking Bad. We had done a play together.”

Song

“Some obscure big band thing. Ozzie Nelson had a song called ‘I’m Looking for a Guy Who Plays Alto and Baritone, Doubles on a Clarinet and Wears a Size 37 Suit.’ I always thought that was a pretty cool name for a song.”

By Amy Spencer

#Mark Harmon #NCIS #Pam Dawber #UCLA #news #parade19

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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Bills pick A.J. Epenesa has talent that isn’t debatable

2020 NFL Draft prospect A.J. Epenesa has first-round talent.

Retired defensive end Stephen White knows there isn’t much that makes Epenesa stand out athletically — yet, the Iowa pass rusher is anything but ordinary.

The Buffalo Bills selected A.J. Epenesa with the 54th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Here’s what Stephen White had to say about Epenesa ahead of the draft.

I would imagine opinions on Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa are going to vary wildly. The reason, quite frankly, is because there doesn’t appear to be anything all that “special” about him at first glance.

I don’t mean to sound harsh with that statement, but it’s the truth. He has good size at 6’4 and a listed weight of 280 pounds, but he isn’t the biggest or strongest guy you’ve ever seen. He has a decent get off, but nothing to write home about. His lateral quickness was fine, but I didn’t watch his tape and come away thinking he’d be breaking any short shuttle records at the combine.

In fact, when I look at his combine performance overall, he put up the kind of numbers I would expect from someone who possessed just above-average athleticism relative to his fellow prospects.

But, the more I watched his tape, the more plays I kept seeing him make. Then, I started tallying up all the damage he’d done in four games I watched: four sacks, 10 pressures, seven other hits on the quarterback, eight other one-on-one pass rush wins, and one pass knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

At that point, it was clear to me Epenesa is one of those prospects who you have to dig a little deeper on to really recognize their value on the next level.

What Epenesa does well: Swiper move

I will admit it did take me a little longer than usual to figure Epenesa out, but then it finally came to me when I changed the way I approached him as a player. Usually, I try to focus on individual traits or moves a defensive lineman uses to win on the field, and extrapolate whether those things will also work for him in the NFL. But with Epenesa, it turns out you have to look at his pass-rushing ability as a complete package.

Epenesa’s best edge move around the corner is his patented swiper move. He has really mastered the details of that move and can seemingly pull it out at any moment. His timing on tape with it was great, too. As soon as offensive linemen shot their hands at him, Epenesa used his swiper so violently that he was almost always able to swat those hands away before they could touch him.

He also finished those moves with a rip, which helped him to turn a tighter corner than he normally would have with just his athletic ability.

Those swiper moves were easily the flashiest part of Epenesa’s game. Just about every offensive lineman he faced had to have been on alert for that move, but they still caught hell when Epenesa was really humming.

There is one problem with the swiper move, however. The success of that move is intrinsically tied to whether or not an offensive lineman actually shoots his punch at Epenesa. If he does, then Epenesa is likely going to able to swat the lineman’s outstretched hands away.

While there is still a shortage of quality offensive tackles in the NFL, Epenesa is sure to go against some who know how to switch up when they shoot their punch and will be able to throw off his swiper move. There will even be a few who understand how to keep their hands back completely when they see him going for his swiper move, and instead just try to bear hug the pass rusher after he swats air.

But that’s where Epenesa’s second-best pass rush move comes into play.

What Epenesa does well: Long-arm move and arm-over

In addition to that swiper move, Epenesa has a nice array of power rushes, and his long-arm move in particular is one of the best you will see from a college prospect. That’s important because once he gets to the NFL where tackles tend to be a little more stingy with their punch, Epenesa will need a Plan B.

It doesn’t get much better than countering your swiper move with a long arm.

If he can continue to switch things up like that, I see no reason why Epenesa won’t be even more successful as a pass rusher in the pros.

The more I thought about it, the more sense this made to me: being able to use his power and his swiper move to keep an offensive tackle off balance could help Epenesa turn into a guy who is damn near unblockable three years down the road. I was even more convinced after I factored in the quick two-step arm-overs inside he was able to win with as a counter move, too.

Those three facets of his pass-rushing plan working together will eventually make life hell for any offensive tackle assigned to block him.

What Epenesa does OK: Defend the run

I believe with Epenesa’s size, he could easily pack on another 10 pounds or so and carry it well, so playing him inside full-time could be viable option if he comes out of the gate slow as an edge rusher. At the very least, being an interior pass rusher could be a way he gets on the field early if he doesn’t earn a starting role right away.

I don’t have a lot to say about Epenesa as a run defender, but not because I think he’s bad at it. I feel like he is a guy who can hold the point at the line of scrimmage and not get driven off the ball.

He showed good technique coming off and using his hands well to try to control the blockers, something aided by his long arms that measured over 34 inches at the combine. That’s why his 17 bench press reps are not the same as a guy who is built like a Tyrannosaurus rex. He is definitely plenty strong enough to at least be a decent run defender in the NFL.

At the same time, I only credited him with four tackles aside from those sacks in four games. I wouldn’t be expecting him to make a ton of them in the NFL. But, just like sacks, tackles don’t always tell the tale about how well a guy plays the run.

As far as dropping into coverage, Epenesa did do a little of that, and he was at least OK at it in the games I watched. I don’t think it’s a major selling point for him, however, aside from maybe using him as a spy inside from time to time. But with the speed this new generation of quarterbacks seems to have, I’m not sure how well he would match up with them in that role.

Where Epenesa can improve: Playing both sides

Now that I have established he has first-round talent, I can also point out some valid concerns about Epenesa’s game.

My biggest concern in projecting how Epenesa will do in the NFL is I only got to see him play on the right side of the defensive line. He did show some versatility by kicking inside as a three-technique pass rusher in definite passing situations quite a bit, but even then, he was always on the right side. It seems like there had to be a reason behind it, because I would have assumed at least once in four games Epenesa would’ve found a favorable matchup on the left side, at least on passing downs.

We don’t talk about this a lot, but there are pass rushers who feel a lot more comfortable on one side than the other. I know this because I was one of them until a few years into my NFL career. I had played almost exclusively on the right side at defensive end in college, so playing on left side at first felt like trying to sign my name left-handed.

Eventually I, like a lot of guys in the same situation, did get more comfortable playing on the other side, mostly because I didn’t have a choice if I wanted to stay in the league. Which is to say unless there is a physical issue preventing Epenesa from playing on the left — like the situation with another former Hawkeye defensive end, Adrian Clayborn — Epenesa should get to that comfort level eventually. That is especially true if he is drafted high and expected to play right away.

Epenesa’s NFL future: Underrated but productive

To sum it up, I definitely believe Epenesa is worth a first-round pick, even if he isn’t the best athlete testing-wise. He has legit pass-rush moves and a plan that will work on the next level as long as he continues to improve. If he goes in the first round, it will likely be because the team that took him largely ignored the testing stuff and focused on the film, which I personally would encourage.

I don’t think he’s a finished product anyway, but his floor as a prospect is just too good to ignore.

With the way he plays, I can see Epenesa starting off slowly until he gets a feel for the quicker speed of the game in the NFL. However, a few years down the road, I can also see him being a double-digit sack guy in the right system. That will be especially true if he is comfortable playing on the left side already and won’t have to adjust to that in the league.

I will note, again, that he has excellent potential as an interior pass rusher.

If a team needs a guy to come in and be a “savior” for their defensive line right away, I’d probably advise against taking Epenesa. But if there is a team with some talent up front and is just looking to add to it, then I think most could do a lot worse than drafting Epenesa this year.

But I do think there will be enough conflict between where different teams see his value that he could drop to late in the first round, or out of the first round altogether.

Always remember, it’s not where you start, but where you finish. Barring injury, I believe Epenesa is going to be a hell of a player no matter where he is ultimately drafted. At the same time, he may be one of those guys who is perpetually underrated because he makes a lot of plays without being that flashy.

That’s OK, though — flash doesn’t win games, production does. And Epenesa should have plenty of the latter by the time his career is all said and done.

Be sure to check out my other scouting reports on Chase Young, Jerry Jeudy, Derrick Brown, and Jedrick Wills Jr.

For the purposes of this breakdown, I watched Epenesa play against Iowa State, Michigan, Purdue, and Minnesota.

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