ANDREW'S RECRUITING SUMMER CHAPTER 8: THE ROAD TO NOTRE DAME (* IN PROGRESS *)

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      Andrew, Carrie, Mike, JP and Matt spent their 2nd night (July 7th) in Columbus, before moving onto Notre Dame the next day.

 

"I think I have a problem Andrew," Mike said, as he stepped into the hall with his suitcase.

 

"What's that Mike?" Andrew asked, as he and Carrie left their room.

 

"I was going to wear some more loose clothes today, but I forgot to pack them. And my loose clothes from yesterday are dirty."

 

"Sure Mike, you 'forgot' to pack more loose clothes," Andrew teased him, while using Air Quotes. "You just couldn't resist wearing tight clothes to show off during these Recruiting Visits."

 

"You've got me there Andrew," Mike laughed, flexing his massive biceps in his tight t-shirt. He looked down at his tight jeans and then noticed JP coming out of their room. "Hey JP; what do you think?"

 

"Looks like you're wearing clothes that are too small for you Mike," JP teased him. 

 

"Guess you're not as smart as you think you are JP," Mike laughed, as Matt came out of their room.

 

"What are you talking about?" JP asked in confusion.

 

"My t-shirt sleeves come down halfway to my elbows, I can tuck my t-shirt into my jeans and my jeans stack on top of my cowboy boots," Mike informed him. He turned around in a full circle and added, "See for youself."

 

"I guess you're right Mike," JP agreed, as they headed to the elevator with their luggage. "It's just that your clothes are a lot tighter than the ones you wore yesterday."

 

"Yeah, I decided to stop hiding who I truly am," Mike informed him with a smirk. "I'm a Cocky Jock and I love wearing tight clothes that show off every one of my massive muscles. And I love wearing cowboy boots that make me a few inches taller."

 

"How tall are you with those boots on?" JP asked, his eyes widening at how much taller his new friend was.

 

"6 foot 8 with my boots on, when I normally stand 6 foot 5," Mike bragged with a cocky smirk.

 

"You're taking an awful risk Mike; what if the College Football Coaches don't approve of your tight clothes?" JP asked him.

 

"Well how am I supposed to get noticed if I don't show off all my huge muscles?" Mike asked, as they stepped into the elevator. "That's why I've performed so well on the football field and been noticed by all the College Football Coaches."

 

"That's when you were wearing your football uniform," JP reminded him with a smug grin.

 

"Yeah JP, but I wear the tightest uniform on the team," Mike bragged.

 

"That's true," Andrew confirmed. "His jersey especially: it's as tight as the skintight Under Armour he wears in the gym. He's always showing off his big muscles and he loves the attention he gets from all his fans."

 

"And it got me noticed by the NCAA, so it didn't hurt me," Mike bragged. "I'm a god on the High School Football Field!"

 

"Get all this bragging out of your system now Mike," Andrew advised him, as they stepped out of the elevator. "That way, once you're with the College Football Coaches, you won't make them mad." He looked over at JP and added, "Besides, JP looks like he's about to vomit with disgust at your cocky attitude."

 

"Well I wouldn't go that far Andrew," JP corrected him, as they checked out. He turned to Mike as they walked across the lobby and added, "You're not so bad Mike."

 

"Thanks JP," Mike said gratefully. "I hope you understand that just because I brag about myself a lot, I don't tear anyone else down at the same time."

 

"He's right JP," Andrew agreed, as they stepped out into the parking lot. "In fact, Mike has trained a few of the back-up players on our team."

 

"I think you left out a few steps of that story Andrew," JP informed him, as they reached their vehicles. 

 

"I'll tell you the full story on the way to Notre Dame," Andrew decided.

 

"Good idea Andrew," JP agreed, hugging Matt goodbye. 

 

He shook Mike's hand as Andrew hugged Carrie goodbye. Then he got into the passenger seat of Andrew's truck and they headed out of the parking lot towards the Interstate.

 

"Even though Mike showed off in front of all his small friends in Grade Nine, he didn't do it to make them feel bad," Andrew said. "He was just so excited about joining the football team and getting his Letter Jacket that he couldn't help it. Once he realized that he was scaring his small friends, he decided to help them work out and trained them to become football players as well. That way, his lifelong friends got to spend more time with him."

 

"Wow!" JP gasped in amazement. "I really got the wrong impression of Mike when I first met him; he's not a Dumb Jock after all, is he?"

 

"No JP; he's actually a Workout Mentor for small guys just like I am," Andrew said proudly. "I taught him everything I know about being an athletic example for the small guys, even though he always forgets to be humble."

 

"Yeah, humble and Mike don't belong in the same sentence," JP agreed with a laugh.

 

"I could say the same thing about you JP," Andrew teased him.

 

"Yeah I guess so," JP agreed. "Maybe Mike and I aren't so different after all."

 

"No you're not; you're both at the top of your respective high school sports," Andrew agreed. "That's why the College Coaches want you both."

 

"The next time I talk with Mike, I'll let him know that we have more in common than I thought," JP decided. "Maybe we can become friends."

 

"It would make the rest of this Recruiting Trip less tense," Andrew agreed. "I don't want to have to seperate you two if you start fighting."

 

JP nodded in agreement and then thought of something else to talk about. "Why do we only have a half day each at Notre Dame and Michigan?"

 

"Because I saw their academic facilities last year during Mark's Official Visits," Andrew replied. "So we can focus just on the football facilities during these visits. And I want to spend Sunday at home relaxing with my family and friends before the College Football Coaches start visiting me next week."

 

"They're probably not coming to Orillia just to visit you Andrew; your whole team worked together to get to the Provincial Championships."

 

"I know that JP, but except for Mike, none of my other teammates are here with us," Andrew reminded him. "So I won't have to meet up with my teammates to see the College Football Coaches; I get to meet them by myself."

 

"I understand now Andrew," JP realized. He thought of something else and asked, "How long will it take us to get to Notre Dame?"

 

"I'm surprised you didn't look it up last night," Andrew teased him.

 

"Who says I didn't?" JP teased him back.

 

"You, because you're asking me!" Andrew laughed. JP frowned: looking mad that Andrew had outsmarted him. "But to answer your question JP, it will take about 4.5 hours according to MapQuest. That's why our Notre Dame Stadium tour isn't until this afternoon. Then we drive to our hotel in Ann Arbor this evening. Tomorrow morning Mike and I will tour Michigan Stadium with the Head Coach. Then we'll all drive to Orillia and you can meet my family and friends."

 

"So tomorrow morning, before the tour, we'll have to text our respective parents to let them know when we'll arrive at your house," JP realized. Andrew nodded in agreement. "This is really exciting for me Andrew: getting a Head Start on my College Recruiting with you."

 

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself JP," Andrew said proudly. "I did the same thing when I tagged along on the Recruiting Visits of Carl, Rick and Mark."

 

"So if Carl plays Center for the Ohio State Buckeyes, which College Football Teams do Rick and Mark play for?" JP asked.

 

"Rick is the Starting Quarterback for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Mark is the Starting Quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes," Andrew replied, smiling with pride.

 

"It's strange that I didn't see any Recruiting Letters from the Hurricanes on that Skype Call with your mom," JP said. "Especially since a former teammate of yours goes to that school."

 

"I'm curious about that myself JP," Andrew said. "But I'll ask Coach Everson about that when we get back to Orillia in a couple of days. After all, I got to meet your High School Football Coach, so the least I can do for you is return the favour."

 

"He wasn't my High School Football Coach Andrew; he was Ryan's," JP said, frowning at his big friend's unintentional mistake. 

 

"Sorry about that JP: I meant your High School Wrestling Coach," Andrew corrected himself. He looked over at his smaller friend, who was proudly wearing his Varsity Wrestling Jacket and added, "I can't believe I made such a stupid mistake, especially knowing your bad history with Ryan."

 

"Don't worry about it Andrew; I look forward to seeing your High School Football Field," JP assured him. 

 

"It's right across the street from my house, so we won't have to go far to see it," Andrew reminded him. "I love looking out my bedroom window to the place where I make the big plays and achieve Glory on the Gridiron!"

 

"Yes, from what I saw on that Skype Call with your parents, your new house is a lot bigger than your old one," JP remembered. "It's even bigger than your Childhood Home on Division Road."

 

"Yeah JP, and we even have an Outdoor Pool," Andrew bragged. "The perfect centrepiece for a Football Party this Sunday."

 

"Where I'll get to meet the rest of your football teammates," JP realized. "Are they are all cocky as Mike?" he asked with a teasing grin.

 

"No they're not JP, but let's see how many responded to my Party Invitation Texts," Andrew decided. He handed JP his cell phone and added, "Read me out the names and I'll tell you which positions they play."

 

"I see the name Phil Parker," JP said.

 

"He is the Starting Right Tackle," Andrew said.

 

"And Ralph Connors?"

 

"Starting Quarterback," Andrew replied with a proud grin.

 

"Connor Baldwin."

 

"Starting Wide Receiver."

 

"Well that's all the names I see so far," JP said. "I do know enough about football to know that a couple of Offensive Line Positions are missing from that list."

 

"I play Centre, Mike is the Left Tackle and Phil plays Right Tackle," Andrew replied. "The other two Offensive Linemen are not our friends, so they weren't invited."

 

"That makes sense Andrew," JP realized. "Just as I wouldn't invite Ryan anywhere."

 

"But he has invited me to Virginia Tech for a visit JP," Andrew reminded him. "But I'm sure you won't even have to see him, since you'll be visiting the Wrestling Coach."

 

JP grinned and then said, "Tell me something Andrew: how many of your football teammates have you trained?"

 

"Well I started with Mike in the summer of 1999," Andrew replied. "His big brother Matt had just finished training me the summer before he went to Infantry Training. Of course Mr Pearson, my former father, had also trained me to throw the football and do some blocking exercises."

 

"When did they train you Andrew?" JP asked.

 

"The summer of 1998, just before Grade Five," Andrew replied.

 

"You started working out when you were only ten years old?" JP asked in astonishment.

 

"That's right JP; that's why I'm so big and strong now: seven years later," Andrew bragged, flexing a massive bicep.

 

"Well that explains it," JP realized. "So you didn't play Pee-Wee Football before High School?"

 

"No JP; not much of that in Canada," Andrew replied. "So I did the next best thing: I attended all of Carl and Rick's practices and games. That way, I learned all about High School Football years before I played. That made up for it, especially when Carl and Rick trained me in football techniques."

 

"Well I hope you got some time to enjoy being a kid."

 

"I did JP," Andrew assured him. "That's part of the reason my parents didn't let me play Organized Football before High School; though they had no problem with my older friends training me for High School Football. They just wanted to make sure that I enjoyed the game and wasn't playing it because they had drilled it into me."

 

Andrew stopped there, because he didn't want JP to discover his Military Secret. But JP's next question threatened to expose it, so he decided to reveal it after all.

 

"Will you spend the whole summer getting recruited for College Football Andrew?"

 

"No, just the month of July," Andrew replied. He took a deep breath and added, "I have Reserves Infantry Training in August. Basic Training was last summer."

 

JP looked over at Andrew in awe: especially since he himself was named after a famous military hero: John Paul Jones. "That's awesome Andrew: you're serving your country while you have the chance."

 

"Yeah, I wanted to just like my father and grandfather," Andrew admitted. "I feel very proud to be a Third-Generation Military Man. Even though I am Derrick Harrington's son: he married into the Mitchell Military Family by way of his ex-wife Alice. She is General Mitchell's daughter, which means that my ex-grandpa-in-law is a General and I could have gone to Military School if I wanted to."

 

"Is General Mitchell still serving in the Canadian Forces?" JP asked, looking over at his huge friend in astonishment and admiration.

 

"Yes, but it's his final year," Andrew replied. "He turns 60 this fall, so he has to retire. Luckily, the Canadian Military raised the Mandatory Retirement Age to 60 about six months ago."

 

"But wouldn't he have been retired for five years already?" JP asked, looking confused.

 

"That confused me as well, until he told me that he was able to stay in for the past few years under an Expertise Exception," Andrew explained. "Basically, since he was the Major-General in Charge of Recruiting for the CAF, that allowed him to stay in years after the old CRA."

 

"What is CRA Andrew?"

 

"Compulsary Retirement Age," Andrew replied. 

 

"Well that explains it," JP said, looking relieved. He looked over at Andrew and asked, "What about you?"

 

"What about me JP?" Andrew asked him back, with a mischievious grin on his face.

 

"Have the Reserves asked you to stay in past high school, or possibly switch to Full Time in the Army?" 

 

"No they haven't; I get the feeling they're not happy with me since I am awy this month on College Football Recruiting Visits," Andrew replied. "I'll be doing my Field Course with strangers next month. IF I am successful, I will do my Infantry Trade Training twice a month throughout my Senior Year and finish it next summer. Of course, if I get and accept a football scholarship, then my College Football Practices will take up next summer."

 

"Why's that Andrew?" JP asked.

 

"Because I'll be Starting next fall of course," Andrew bragged. "These big muscles aren't for sitting on the bench, they're for smashing defenders to the turf so that our receivers can score touchdowns!"

 

"Well that makes sense Andrew," JP realized. "Speaking of football, do any of your teammates also serve in the Reserves like you do?"

 

"No, I'm the only one JP," Andrew replied, looking sad about that. "BUt at least being on the football team, especially rooming together during football tournaments, has helped prepare me for being in the Military. Though I must admit that the football drills Coach Everson puts us through are harder than the military training, even the Field Portions."

 

"But still easy for you, because you're so big and strong, right Andrew?" JP teased him.

* IN PROGRESS *

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