Northwestern University Athletics
Zeke Speaks: Camp Kenosha - August 20, 2009
8/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Blog Entry #6
August 20; 8 p.m.
BigTen Network day! It was fun to see the Big Ten Network bus up on the hill before practice. There is always a little more buzz going on around the team when we know the media is here. The good part for us is we didn't have to change anything we did. We just looked at it like another day to get better and closer to our goals for the season. Only difference was there were cameras all over the place. :)
After practice we had our annual watermelon eating contest. Ten guys were selected to compete for the title of 'fat cat' by eating three good size slices of watermelon in the fastest time. Last year the wide-outs reigned supreme when Charles Brown won the contest in impressive fashion. This year it was a little different, big man Corey Wootton annihilated his melon slices in what seemed like 10 seconds flat. When he starts eating, just stand back so you don't lose any fingers because he can put it down. No one else had a chance.
Recent Wildcat alum Kevin Mims flew in to see us practice and partake in the tailgating festivities. It was good to see him and hear what life is like after football is over. My mom and dad also came up to watch practice. It was great to see them and I hope they liked what they saw at practice. :)
I know I have been bragging a lot about how good the food is up here but check out the line up we had tonight: Full racks of barbaque ribs, chicken wings and drumsticks, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, deli sandwiches and of course brownies and ice cream for dessert. Alright, alright, this is the last I will brag about the food up here. :)
Tomorrow is another two-a-day. Getting closer to our scrimmage on Saturday and of course our big day against Towson on Sept. 5. Go 'Cats.
-Zeke
Blog Entry #5
August 20; 12 p.m.
What a night we had Wednesday! We jumped on the buses to head over to Tremper High School and it started to rain... By the time we arrived the rain was coming down pretty hard and a sizable thunderstorm was over us. We hung out in the buses for a little while to ensure there was no lightning strikes in the area. Once we got the O.K. from the coaches we took the field. There is something about playing in the rain that brings the little kids out in all us. It's pretty funny to see 300 pound linemen jumping around and screaming just because a little rain is coming down. :)
Then the rain really started to come down. Within a matter of minutes there wasn't a dry football on the field and everyone was soaked to the bone. Now we were playing football! On offense, soaking-wet footballs make it tough to complete passes but not impossible. As wide receivers we needed to look the ball into the catch everytime. The defense did a good job keying on the offensive mistakes that can be made due to the weather conditions. To some people the conditions might have been looked at as horrible, but to us it was looked at as an opportunity to face adversity and get better. As a senior I have the luxury of stepping back and savoring experiences like these throughout camp. This will definitely be one of the more memorable moments.
We had a lively bus ride home with lots of stories, laughing, and even the occasional attempt at singing. Dinner just seems to get better and better up here. Tonight we had salmon and steak with cheesy baked potatoes and broccoli. What a deal--playing football, eating great food, and hanging out with 100 of my closest friends. I bet you people would pay to just to get to do this :) Thursday is Big Ten Network day. The BTN is coming to check out our operation up here in Kenosha and film a practice, which will air at 9 p.m. CT. I'll fill you in on all the details later. Thanks for reading.
-Zeke
