Combine Fun --- All work and no play is not my style!

Super Bowl Rings

We work with a few athletic trainers from the NFL. They are in the room to answer athlete questions and assess/prepare the generated reports for the orthos, mainly. The also check athlete's in.  We normally have ATC's from the Ravens and the Packers with us. These guys are great. One of the ATC's had his Super Bowl rings with him. They were impressive. The thing was heavy! I am wearing the 2011 Super Bowl ring....

This year, we had the honor of having Kurt Fielding in the room with us. He is an assistant athletic trainer with the Packers. He brought both of his Super Bowl rings with him. THEY ARE SO COOL.
He told us the story about his rings. They received their 2011 rings at a formal function. One that required bus transport. Kurt said that when he received his 1996 ring he slipped his off and put it in his pocket. He got back to the hotel, felt his pockets and couldn't find it. Obviously, he was pretty upset about it. He hoped he had left it at the facility and he would find it tomorrow. Anyway, he got a phone call about 530AM the next morning. It was security. The bus driver found Kurt's ring and turned it in. Kurt was relieved and amazed. The '96 ring has 115 diamonds. The '11 ring has the shape of the ‘G’ itself consisting of 13 diamonds, one for each title dating back to 1929, and surrounding the entire crown are 92 diamonds, one for each year the Packers have been in existence. The four diamonds in the corners represent the 4 Super Bowls the Pack has won.

Van Halen

I had checked the local events calendar. Van Halen was in town during the Combine. Early in the day on Wednesday, we started looking in to going that night. The boss man was generous enough to by the tickets for us. That was awesome. The company treats us really well.  The opener was....get this...Kool & the Gang. What an odd pairing you say? So do I. With the all the athlete's we had to do that day, we weren't able to get to Kool & the Gang. But, we got to our seats just before Van Halem started. It. Was. Awesome.  Eddie still brings it. He seems to be enjoying himself with his son, Wolfgang. They were awesome. The played and sounded fantastic. David Lee Roth was usual odd self. IMHO, I think they tolerate him because he provides us all with the sound that brings back the memories we all have surrounding those songs. He still jumps and kicks but not to the extent he did back in the day. He had more clothing changes that I have ever seen an artist do.

St Elmo's Steak House

On Tuesday night before the Combine begins, the boss man takes us to St. Elmo's. I told you the boss treats us well. It is a really cool place with really great food and service. St. Elmo Steak House has been a landmark in downtown Indianapolis since 1902. It is the oldest Indianapolis steakhouse. It has earned a national reputation for its excellent steaks. The shrimp cocktail is one of the standard appetizers that is a must. The cocktail sauce is not for the weak of tongue or stomach. The horseradish is guaranteed to open nasal passages!  The decor and vibe is up scale. Lots of wood. The walls in the hallway contain the photos and autographs of celebrities from back in the day. The staff was still buzzing with the who's who that ate at St. Elmo's during Super Bowl Week. In our area, Adam Sandler and Matt Damon dined.  I had the shrimp cocktail, New York Strip, the Blueberry Bread Pudding, with plenty of red wine. ALL WERE EXCELLENT!

Tilted Kilt

We headed to tje Tilted Kilt after the Van Halen concert for a few drinks and a little food. Tilted Kilt is a sports bar chain with an Irish flair. It's basically an Irish version of Hooters. It has a wide variety of beers. I had a Magner's Irish Cider. It was quite tasty. It has a similar clean refreshing taste as the Magner's Golden Draught that I had in London. The wait staff are clothed in kilts. The females wear extremely short red tartan kilts. Their tops very small. The cartoon to the left doesn't give you a true sense of their smallness. The men are dress in solid black kilts with black t shirts. The male staff were skinny and tall. I was hoping for at least a little muscle in the chest. How fair is that???

Izzy and Harry's

On Thursday after we finished. We headed to Harry and Izzy's for dinner. I am amazed how lively Indianapolis is during the week. Yes, the Combine was in town but you could tell the locals where present as they always are.  Harry and Izzy's is a dining establishment established by two long time friends. Harry's brothers began St. Elmo's Steakhouse.  When Harry's brothers left the business, Harry asked his longtime friend, Izzy to come on board. Izzy was a bookie. This is evident in some of the decor throughout the restaurant. The place is a little more casual than St. Elmo's. Peyton Manning is one of the current co-owners of this place. Since there is a connection between the two restaurants, many of the items on the menu are versions from the St. Elmo's. It is still awesome. I had a grilled bbq chicken pizza. Great.  The excitement her was that John Mellencamp was seated at the table next to us. He was dining with members of his family. It was apparent two were his brothers. John has aged. He is graying. He has salt and peppered hair and only flecks of black in his beard.  Looked a little rough with his unshaven face, but it fits. It was fun.

Day 2 QB, RB and WR

I could talk of the roommate who let their alarm go off for 40 minutes without even moving an inch. But, that last statement is more effort than what that's worth. It is funny due to the fact that it sounded like an actual fire alarm and had me thinking the hotel was on fire.  Or that later in the day, said roommate made a backhand comment about my alarm going off for 3 minutes while I was in the bath. Are you kidding me? You can't hear a freaking fire alarm but you can hear my phone vibrate.

Today were the serious athletes. It seems the offensive players are all business. They seem to be the most high strung as well; especially this group.

I had the honor of testing two of Oklahoma State's finest. They did fine. It is always good to run in to people from that fine institution.

Athletes that left impressions today due to numbers and personality:

 Yes, all there are QB's. Sorry RB's and WO's. These guys were just neat.

Athletes in my chair today:

Corp, Aaron                  QB          Richmond                         CAA Football

Davis, Austin                QB          Southern Miss                   Conference USA 

Harris, Jacory                QB          Miami                               ACC

Lindley, Ryan                QB          San Diego St.                   Mountain West

Tannehill, Ryan             QB          Texas A&M                      Big 12

Thomas, Darron            QB          Oregon                              Pac-12

Weeden, Brandon          QB          Oklahoma St.                     Big 12

Ball, Mike                      RB          Nevada                               WAC

Ballard, Vick                  RB          Mississippi St.                    SEC

Bolden, Brandon            RB          Mississippi                          SEC

Gray, Cyrus                    RB          Texas A&M                         Big 12

Hillman, Ronnie             RB          San Diego St.                      Mountain West

Martin, Doug                  RB          Boise St.                             Mountain West

Meggett, Davin               RB          Maryland                            ACC 

Miller, Lamar                  RB          Miami                                 ACC

Pierce, Bernard               RB          Temple                                Mid-American

Polk, Chris                      RB          Washington                         Pac-12

Rainey, Chris                  RB          Florida                                 SEC

Turbin, Robert                 RB          Utah St.                               WAC 

Whittaker, Fozzy             RB          Texas                                   Big 12

Wilson, David                 RB          Virginia Tech                       ACC

Benjamin, Travis            WR         Miami                                   ACC

Blackmon, Justin            WR         Oklahoma St.                       Big 12

Boykin, Jarrett                WR         Virginia Tech                       ACC

Criner, Juron                   WR         Arizona                                Pac-12

Edwards, Patrick             WR         Houston                               Conference USA

Fuller, Jeff                       WR         Texas A&M                         Big 12

Givens, Chris                   WR         Wake Forest                        ACC

Graham, T J                     WR         N.C. State                            ACC

Jackson, Jerrell                WR         Missouri                               Big 12

Jeffery, Alshon                WR         South Carolina                      SEC

Jenkins, A.J.                    WR         Illinois                                   Big Ten

Jones, Dwight                  WR         North Carolina                      ACC

Jones, Marvin                  WR         California                              Pac-12

Kearse, Jermaine             WR         Washington                           Pac-12

Matthews, Rishard           WR         Nevada                                 WAC

Moore, Kashif                  WR         Connecticut                          Big East

Moye, Derek                    WR         Penn St.                                Big Ten 

Page, Eric                         WR         Toledo                                  Mid-American

Streeter, Tommy               WR         Miami                                  ACC

Wylie, Devon                   WR         Fresno St.                             WAC

Day 1 Kickers, O-Line and Tight Ends

It was a fun day, as usual. I was excited at the prospect of having Peter Konz in the room. I was lucky enough to snag him to my chair; much to the dismay of my Wisconsin loving colleague. Mike likes to chat up all the Wisconsin athletes. True devotion and idol worship....haha. Mike asked how did we know were related. I asked "what besides the last name?" Peter replied there aren't that many of us. Peter was an easy going guy. I wish him the best.

I think he has some of the traditional Konz traits.

Scouting has him being a possible addition to the following teams: Denver, Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit, or Baltimore. Only time will tell.

Athletes in my chair today were the following:

Kickers and Punters

• Bullock, Randol      K      Texas A&M
• Martens, Kyle         P       Rice
• Stahovich, Brian     P        San Diego St.
• Wiggs, Carson        K       Purdue

 Offensive Line

• Beachum, Kelvin    T      SMU
• Bergstrom, Tony     OT    Utah
• Brown, James         G       Troy
• Compton, Tom        T       South Dakota
• Cornick, Paul          T       North Dakota St.
• Cullen, John            T       Utah
• DeCastro, David     G      Stanford
• Gerhart, Garth        C       Arizona State
• Gettis, Adam          G       Iowa
• Holmes, Lamar       T       Southern Miss
• Kalil, Matt              OT    USC
• Konz, Peter            C       Wisconsin
• Leary, Ronald        G        Memphis
• Leribeus, Josh       G        SMU
• Looney, Joe           G        Wake Forest
• Massie, Bobby      T         Mississippi
• McClain, Antoine G         Clemson
• Miller, Ryan         G          Colorado
• Molk, David         C          Michigan
• Mosley, Brandon  OT       Auburn
• Nix, Luke              OG      Pittsburgh
• Potter, Nate           T          Boise St.
• Reiff, Riley           OT       Iowa
• Reynolds, Matt     T          BYU
• Silatolu, Amini     T          Midwestern St.
• Stephenson, Donald T      Oklahoma
• Tiller, Andrew      G         Syracuse
• Washington, Brandon OG  Miami
• Wynn, Desmond   G         Rutgers
• Zusevics, Markus  T         Iowa

 Tight Ends

• Allen, Dwayne     TE        Clemson
• Dunsmore, Drake TE        Northwestern
• Egnew, Michael    TE        Missouri
• Fleener, Coby       TE        Stanford
• Hanna, James       TE        Oklahoma
• Harkey, Cory        TE        UCLA
• Igwenagu, Emil    TE        Massachusetts
• Paulson, David     TE        Oregon
• Peterson, Deangelo TE     LSU
• Provo, Nick           TE       Syracuse

  Most of the guys were great. They were cooperative and gave full effort. A few didn't but were consistent enough to make it past Kurt and the physicians. The physicians sent one back because of a huge difference in strength. It was the first time in 12 years. I will not mention the athlete's name to keep him safe. But, he is expected to go in the top 10 in the draft. He will be a highly sought by many teams. The guy gave half an effort for the first leg and then crap the second time. I don't know what caused his issue. It might have been device crashes. The guy I was paired with to do testing had issues with instructions to the athletes and consistency in following protocols all day. He normally uses a different company's device. This lack of attention to detail was causing the machine to error out meaning the device had to be re-calibrated. It took a little extra time but nothing more than a few minutes.  I don't remember if this was one of those times.      

We get a few athletes who are concerned about the test. Most have never been tested on this device. They fear soreness or injury due to it's use. To these athletes, they have two days to recover from 18 reps. And, no one has been injured.  Some will tell us that their agent told them not to do it. What? This is a job interview from the minute you get off the plane until you get back on the plane. I wish I could opt out of portions of an interview because my agent told me not to do it! Kurt will talk to them. He explains that they don't have to do the test but then they will definitely undergo 3-4 hours of MRIs to assess their lower extremities. Many change their minds and not follow the agents instructions. We had one young many from this group come back after an orientation meeting. There they are reminded about how the entire process is an interview. His said his agent is an idiot. 

Combine

So, I have been asked to help with medical testing at the 2012 Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Specifically, I help with knee joint testing. We use an isokinetic dynamometer to test both knees of the athletes invited to the Combine. A dynamometer is a piece of equipment used in physical therapy, orthopedic offices, and athletic training to test force production. The dynamometer resembles a chair one may use to do ham curls and quad extensions.  Attached to it is an adjustable arm containing a servomotor and computer control unit. Isokinetics employs the use of speed rather than weight to resist athlete movement. Also, it measures force rather than total weight. The movement of the device occurs at a constant speed that the individual moves with while exerting force at their level of their ability with the direction of movement.The athlete's at the Combine are encouraged to give a maximum and consistent effort in order to get the best results. The results are then included in their medical jacket for their evaluation by team orthopedic physicians.

It is an honor and a privilege to be asked. I am excited to see the people I have hung out with in the past. They were awesome.

Marine Educator - The Rest of the Story

Our remaining time with the Marines found us doing some close order drilling (our version of it), close combat, shooting guns, and obstacle course.  We saw the indoor simulator gun range, the outdoor range, the squad room, the mess hall, the flight line, and the Thunder Dome. We were able to shoot the M4 indoors and the M16 outdoors. THAT WAS AWESOME!!!  The M4 had a scope. It helped ALOT! The M16 had iron sights. I struggled.  The Martial Arts Instructors showed us close combat. And, we got to battle them with pugil sticks to mimic strikes with a bayonet and rifle butt. That was exhausting but so cool! 30 seconds never seemed so long. The MAI explained and demonstrated the obstacle course. We got to try a few of the "easier" ones. Judas...need to get back on the dedicated and intense workout wagon... 

The group watched parts of the Crucible. The Crucible, the final test in recruit training, represents the culmination of all of the skills and knowledge of a Marine. The Crucible is a rigorous 54-hour field training exercise and includes a total of 48 miles of marching.  It simulates typical combat situations with strenuous testing, hardship, and the deprivation of food and sleep. The test emphasizes the importance of teamwork in overcoming adversity.  A recruit gets three MREs and may get four to eight hours of sleep through the entire event. The recruits are faced with physical and mental challenges that must be accomplished before advancing further. Teamwork is stressed; as the majority of tasks are completely impossible without it. Every recruit in each group must complete each task. The recruits must leave no one behind. This includes any “casualties.” Each group will succeed or fail as a whole. Corps' core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment are stressed.  On the final day of the Crucible, recruits begin their 10 mile final march. Immediately following this, recruits are treated to a "Warrior's Breakfast." Following this is the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor ceremony where the recruits receive a plastic Eagle, Globe and Anchor and are called Marine for the first time by their DI.

We meet with Colonels, Captains, various levels of Sergeants, and recruits. The highest ranking officer to meet with us was Colonel Garbowski. He was an Iowa farm boy. He grew up in Farmington, IA. I told him I had been through there many times while living in SE Io wa. Nice guy.  We ate lunch with recruits. It was sort of an odd environment. We performed our single file entrance and lined up in 2 rows facing the tables. The recruits were waiting for us. They were standing at attention beside their seat at the table. Who knows how long they had been standing there. They were required to pop off and give basic info: name, platoon, MOS, and home town. We were able to sit among them and converse. Their responses were in the third-person. This is to help reinforce the unit and teamwork. The recurits I ate with were a future infantry man and a future meteorologist/oceanography. They were great kids.

The last morning, we were some of the guests of honor for Morning Colors. It was pretty cool. We followed it up with viewing the graduation of Company's L & O. The pride in the new Marines. The happiness of family and friends that came to view. The military knows how to do ceremony right.

The floor was always open. We could ask as many questions as we wanted and of anyone we wanted. It was great access to the amazing facility.

Marine Educator - Through the Doors

We were then directed to walk fast not run in formation to a location in front of two large silver doors (hatches). This was the biggest cluster I have seen. I am sure we were not the only ones to have to repeat this a few times. These silver doors are the next step in the transition from civilian to Marine recruit takes by passing through these two large silver doors. They will pass through these doors one time and never again. As the silver hatches close behind them, a chapter of their lives closes too and a new chapter begins. Recruits learn as they pass through them that no one else walks through the silver hatches. Visitors do not walk through them. Even Marines do not walk through them. Rather, two hatches on wither side serve as portals into receiving for those who are not recruits. We filed through them in single file and took a seat among the silver desks. 

We learned that this is receiving. In receiving, recruits spend a few days here. They get all the gear they need, haircuts, physicals, vaccines, and their initial strength testing. It is also hear where they get the last contact with their loved ones. A 30 second phone call to basically tell them they arrived and to not send any bulky packages and to thank them for their support. The recruits are basically up for 3 days during this process. Recruits also get a last "moment of truth."  It allows those who have been dishonest about their eligibility, such as drug use, judicial convictions, or other disqualifying conditions to reveal this information. This is their last chance of coming clean and to possibly recieve a waiver in order to continue with recruti training. Long gone are the days of the Marine Corp being heavy with felons who enlisted to avoid jail time. The Corp boosts a 99% graduation rate from High School. The Marines are now trying to court the best and the brightest. They quotas are decreases but the applications are rising. The average wait once committing to the Corp is now between 6-9 months. A couple years ago commitment and time to report to training were only a month different. The recruits are then assigned battalions and turned over to their permanent drill instructors for the remaining time at Parris Island.

We, the educators, were turned back out in to the early morning light. We were turned over to our permanent DI...Gunnery Sergeant Edgecomb. He was as intense as SSgt Rivera. He organized us into squads based upon height. He taught us how to stand at attention, parade rest, responds to commands beyond "Aye Sir" and "Yes Sir." Next we moved to learning what close order drilling. Close order drilling promotes discipline and teamwork. It also allows for the efficient and quick movement of a platoon from one location to another. When the recruits do it it looks pretty impressive. We on the other hand looked pretty crappy. We couldn't even line-up right behind our squad leaders; let alone align and cover There were about 8 individuals who just didn't get what this experience was all about. The Corp developed an immersion tech for educators so that we can honestly discuss military service with student who are considering it. These 8 never listened. Or, paid attention. These 8 drove the rest of the squad nuts.

 As we stood in formation waiting for them to figure things out, I thought...it explains a lot about the abilities and capabilities of the students I get in class at the collegiate level. These 8 high school educaors didn't want to follow direction or order. And one thing the military is about is order. they weren't about team. Weren't about accountability. Weren't about effort. Weren't about motivation. It's no wonder students come out of high school with the same attitudes and work ethic. These students are products of their environments and their mentors. No wonder most high school students are not prepared for the rigors of college.

Marine Educator - Yellow Foot Prints

As a civilian, ever wonder what happens to military recruits when they arrive at boot camp? Which service branch is the toughest/hardest? You can't just show up to see what goes on. It's not on any adventure outing offered by local guides. You have to be invited. I hoped to find out when I took advantage of an opportunity presented this week.

I was asked by the Office of Military and Veteran Affairs at Marshall to attend the District 4 Marine Corp Educator's Workshop. The Workshop is designed to expose educators, advisers, coaches, and administrators to experiences recruits encounter while completing their 13 weeks at Marine Corp Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC.  The hope is to give these groups better information to guide students who profess an interest in military service. The Marines claim to have the toughest training. The Corp does have the longest duration training for enlisted service members at 13 weeks followed by another 13 weeks at the School of Infantry. The new Marine will receive infantry and marine combat training at SOI.  The Army, Navy, and Air Force all last approximately 9 weeks. The Corp follows the principle that every marine, regardless of job duty, is a rifleman. This concept has been in place since 1775 when the Marine Corp was conceived.

The adventure began with an early morning pick-up, drive and drop off at the airport by one of the local recruiters. At the airport, I met SSgt. G., senior recruiter for the area. They fed me breakfast and put me on a plane with a lanyard identifying me as a Marine Educator for the recruiter I was meeting in Savannah. My understand at first was that we would have lots of briefs and do lots of watching. Ummm....not so much. We actually got to experience many of the situations the recruits do. From the yellow foot prints to graduation, we were exposed to all facets of recruit training.  Not just with the recruits, we had time with drill instructors, martial arts instructors, weapons instructors, recruiters, and high ranking officers. It was an amazing experience. 

The days started "late" by Marine standards....breakfast at 5 AM with first activity at 6. Most recruits have been up since 4 AM.  No matter what you hear or think you know of Recruit Intake, it doesn't prepare you for the experience. It is very disorienting and intense. You are confused. Overwhelmed. Scared to speak. Scared not to speak. Scared to move. Scared not to move. We loaded the white buses and rode to the depot and waited in the bus; much like the recruits. The DI came on and gave us a great welcome and got us off the bus and on to the yellow foot prints.She wasn't demeaning or disrespectful to us. She was intense!  We were expected to respond with the following: "Aye Ma'am", or "Yes Ma'am." I don' think "no" was an option. Holy crap! This is just a taste? I wanted to bail within 5 minutes. I asked myself "why would any one put up with this?" and "what the hell did I agree to?" The DI then instructed us to get off the bus and on to the footprints as quickly as possible. We got organized on the footprints and then we were rewarded with the inspiring Welcome Speech that is given to all recruits: 

“You are now aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, and you have just taken the first step toward becoming a member of the world’s finest fighting force, the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps’ success depends upon teamwork, therefore teamwork will be an essential part of your training here at Parris Island. Starting now, you will train as a team. You will live, eat, sleep, train as a team. The words ‘I,’ ‘me,’ ‘we’ are no longer part of your vocabulary. You will use words like, ‘these recruits’ ‘this recruit’ ‘that recruit’ and ‘those recruits.’ Do you understand? Tens of thousands of Marines have begun their service to our country on the very footprints on which you stand today. You will carry on their proud tradition. Do you understand?”

This experience was humbling among many things previously mentioned for mature adults. I can't imagine what a 17-20 year old individual experiences. Many misunderstand the tactics used by DI's and the military. The mental and physical stressors.The Corp is not about humiliation. It is about breaking bad habits, enhancing qualities, and developing the ability handle intense situations. These 17-20 somethings are not being broken down to change them. They are being broken down to fine tune them. Improve character. Break bad habits. Perform commands without hesitation or question. Recruits have committed to this in order to develop into one of the best military units in the world. We, the adults. We, the educators only get a taste. There is no penalty for misstep or misspeak. For us, there is no permanency in this. We are just here temporarily. We get to leave at the end of the week.