When I was 16-years-old I decided to go out for the High School Football team. I was entering my junior year and except for a stint in a 4th of 5th grade program hadn’t played any kind of organized football. It was a great experience, but took some sacrifices. I mention this because my 13-year-old nephew Max is reaching the age when he soon will be going through the same experience.
This is where the differences begin. Max has been invited to participate in what is essentially a scouting combine. Imagine an 8th grader going through the same strength and agility testing that potential pros go through every year. However this one is for 9th through 12 graders who could eventually be going to a college program. It will be held at the Superior Dome complex in Marquette, Michigan where the Northern Michigan University Wildcats play college ball.
Max takes his strength and conditioning deadly serious. He’s played basketball and football through organized programs for years already. His Christmas present this year was a set of dead weights. He started out lifting 70 pounds. In a matter of months he’s already up to 175 pounds. I didn’t do any weight lifting until high school.
Max’s dad, my brother John, played a couple years of high school football and some basketball. He was good at. Max I think will be better. He’s a tight end and linebacker. He’s not quick enough to play wide receiver, but has a good set of hands. He also keeps up his grades so if he has any talent could at least get a shot at a college scholarship.
His brother Derek is a few years younger and is more like his mother Laurie. She can paint and puts together some jewelry as a hobby. Derek can draw and has some writing abilities. Unfortunately the NFL doesn’t have a scouting combine for artistic ability. Maybe they should.
Either way, both Derek and Max will be wearing Manistique Emerald green and white during their high school years, just as John and I did. At least that’s something old and new school have in common.
This is where the differences begin. Max has been invited to participate in what is essentially a scouting combine. Imagine an 8th grader going through the same strength and agility testing that potential pros go through every year. However this one is for 9th through 12 graders who could eventually be going to a college program. It will be held at the Superior Dome complex in Marquette, Michigan where the Northern Michigan University Wildcats play college ball.
Max takes his strength and conditioning deadly serious. He’s played basketball and football through organized programs for years already. His Christmas present this year was a set of dead weights. He started out lifting 70 pounds. In a matter of months he’s already up to 175 pounds. I didn’t do any weight lifting until high school.
Max’s dad, my brother John, played a couple years of high school football and some basketball. He was good at. Max I think will be better. He’s a tight end and linebacker. He’s not quick enough to play wide receiver, but has a good set of hands. He also keeps up his grades so if he has any talent could at least get a shot at a college scholarship.
His brother Derek is a few years younger and is more like his mother Laurie. She can paint and puts together some jewelry as a hobby. Derek can draw and has some writing abilities. Unfortunately the NFL doesn’t have a scouting combine for artistic ability. Maybe they should.
Either way, both Derek and Max will be wearing Manistique Emerald green and white during their high school years, just as John and I did. At least that’s something old and new school have in common.
1 comment:
I am assuming you are the one and ONLY Bob Nelson. I am sure you have heard this, but on Tecmo Super Bowl you are unstoppable. I don't know how much you paid the programmers, but it was money well spent. I pissed off my friend tonight because regardless of what type of play he called, I (you) was all over it. If it wasn't a running play, you had the recovery speed to get back into coverage to break up the pass. I'm pretty sure we were playing cover-4, but everyone else bit on the play action and you were the only one able to make it back to break up the pass (from the nose tackle position.) You are the man.
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