Northwestern University Athletics
Keegan Kennedy
12/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 18, 2008
I had my last Northwestern Football lift today, and it felt very strange. I have spent four years of my life in that weight room. I have gotten stronger every year, burned God knows how many calories, and sweated out more liquid then you could ever imagine. The weight room has been a place where players really develop. Players are taught how to perform weight lifting exercises that will help them gain overall mass and strength, but also help them improve position specific strength. Position specific strength is the strength a player needs to have at a certain position. For example, defensive backs and wide receivers need a high vertical jump and may not need a real heavy bench press. Offensive lineman on the other hand really don't need to be able to jump extremely high, but do need to posses an extremely strong bench press. The weight room is also a place where you bond with your teammates. When you are lunging with a keg on your back, your legs are shaking beyond belief, you get that sick to your stomach feeling, you don't think you can make it twenty five more yards, and you look up and you see your teammate in your face rooting for you, that is where you bond. I have become closer to all my teammates not through going to movies on the weekends or playing video games together, but rather working together.
There is no better way to develop bonds and friendships then by going through the worst of the worst with people, and then being able to achieve what you set as a goal with the same people who went to hell and back with you. Working out and working hard are essential to becoming a team that trusts each other and a team that believes in each other. Because I got in Ben Burkett's face during keg lunges and he finished, I know he is going to make that block on third and short to gain a first down and seal a victory. Because Eric Peterman placed first or second in every single Mount Trashmore race, I know he is going to catch the ball when the game is on the line. Because Sherrick McManis ran the conditioning as hard as he could and pushed his fellow Defensive Backs, I know he is going to shut down a receiver when we need him most. And because Nate Williams has worked on his bench press everyday in the weight room, I know he is going to shed that blocker and make the third down stop. I know I touched on this in a previous blog, but it's funny to think that some of the lifts and drills that I hated the most, will be some of things that I will miss the most.
After practice Me, Kurt, Joel and Rucks headed to Flat Top Grill. Both Rucks' and Joel's lady friends met up with us there. When we go to Flat Top we have a simple tradition, we order our food and we play the movie game. Now, the movie game is very simple. There is one question master per game. The question master will give a category and then each contestant will name a movie that fits the given category. The object of the game is to give a movie that fits the given category, but that movie must also be liked by the question master. The person who names the question master's least favorite is eliminated. One person is eliminated at every round and the last person standing becomes the question master for the next game. Simple, right? I couldn't believe how terrible the girls were at this game. Not only did it take them forever to come up with answers, but the answers they gave were horrific and the judgments they cast down upon the contestants were also terrible. It was unbelievable that movies like Shawshank Redemption, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile and Goodfellas lost to movies like Sex and the City, Ten Things I Hate About You and Center Stage. I don't even know what the heck Center Stage is.
On a final note, I wanted to recognize how hard and how much work our coaches invest in Northwestern Football. All preseason and all season long the coaches are up at the stadium at the crack of dawn and don't leave until very late at night. Most days the coaches eat all three meals up at the stadium and have very little time to see their families. Out of season the coaches are constantly traveling on trains, planes and automobiles across the country so they can recruit good football players and good character men to come play at Northwestern. I just wanted to make sure they knew how much we all really appreciate their dedication to the program. Thanks for reading. Go `Cats!
Keegan "Tuna" Kennedy
