Daniel Wilcox was a standout wide receiver at Appalachian in 1999 and 2000 before embarking on a eight-year NFL career as a tight end that included winning a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 and five successful seasons with the Baltimore Ravens (2004-08).

Wilcox is back at ASU this fall to complete coursework for a bachelor's degree in communication, advertising. As part of his studies, Wilcox is serving as an intern in several areas around the athletics department, including the Yosef Club, the Appalachian ISP Sports Network and sports information. He is also serving as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and a student assistant with Mountaineer football, working closely with the Apps' wide receivers.

Wilcox will regularly share his experiences throughout the fall with fans via a live blog at GoASU.com.

December 15, 2010

Unfortunately, this is officially my last blog. The semester and the season went by so fast. It seems like yesterday that I was moving my family to Boone from Atlanta. Now we are making preparations to move back to Atlanta. Life will not hand us anything. The things we want and need the most, we must get out there and take. 

As I sat in the Holmes Center during graduation on Synday, listening to all of the guest speakers and thinking about the last couple of times that I was in that building, my mind immediately goes back to my senior year here at App and my friend, Rufus Leach. As I think about Rufus, even on such a special day for me personally, I can't help but shake my head in disappointment.

Let's go back in time to 11 years ago. During my senior year here at App, we had the grand opening of what was then the brand-new Holmes Convocation Center. I don't know if you guys remember or not but the first game ever played in the building was App State versus North Carolina (yep, the Tar Heels). At halftime, ASU honored Rufus Leach. As part of the ceremony, his jersey was framed and given to his mother.

For those of you that don't know, Rufus was a great friend to many here at ASU, including me. Rufus was also a player on ASU's men's basketball team. Before he came to ASU, Rufus was a standout junior-college player. However, he didn't have enough hours at the juco to receive a scholarship when he transferred here, so he worked at Bojangles' to pay for his first two semesters at ASU. He went on to receive a basketball scholarship and  was soon backing up former ASU basketball coach Matt McMahon. Coming off the bench, Rufus slowly became a go-to player as a 3-point shooter and led the team in 3-point baskets in 2000. He helped lead ASU to the NCAA Tournament that season and had likely earned himself a starting spot for the following year, which would be his senior campaign.

Unfortunately, Rufus didn't make it to his senior season because drowned at Wautaga Lake the summer before his senior year. Rufus' death devastated Appalachian State, his family, his friends, his teammates, his coach Buzz Peterson and definitely me. Rufus touched the lives of many with his charismatic mindset and his champion-style work ethic. Personally, I feel like Rufus' death is part of the reason Buzz left God's Country twice. It took us all by surprise when he passed away. You know the old saying, "Why do bad things have to happen to good people?" Rufus' death was a prime example of bad things happening to a good person. His memory will always live on through me and the people who knew him best. 

I know you are wondering why am I telling you this now. The reason is because while I was sitting at graduation on Sunday, I realized that my first memory of the Holmes Center was a very, very sad one but now I am bledded to replace those sad memories with one of my proudest memories — graduating from Appalachian State. Plus, I know Rufus would have been happy to see me graduate.

Appalachian has been good to me and it has been my pleasure to have my wife and newborn son spend some time with me here. This place has been a big part of my life and I look forward to many more memories at ASU.

A lot of people have asked what's next for me? I'm going to stay around Boone for a while and not rush myself back to Atlanta right away. I need a break. My final semester of college was not easy — it was rough. One of my favorite quotes that got me through this semester was "You must do what others won't, to achieve what others won't." I know that there are a million opportunities out there for me and I'm excited about getting to them right away but I am going to relax a bit for the time-being! When it's time to get back to work, I will be willing to do things that other people won't do and I will prepare myself to work every day so that I can better myself and my family!

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank a lot of people. First, thanks to everyone who has ever taken the time out of their busy days to read any of my blogs. Thanks to all of the people who have helped me to get acclimated to life back here at App in any kind of way. Jason at the Kincaid Outlet for helping me furnish my home. Reggie Hunt for helping me find a place to live. Holten Mountain Rentals for being wonderful landlords. Coach Moore and the entire App State coaching staff for allowing me to be apart of this team and helping out with a great group of guys. Jay Sutton and Charlie Cobb for helping to find a spot for me to fit in at ASU — without them, I probably would have stayed in Atlanta.

Mr. Rick Beasley, Kindsay Greene, David Jackson, Chandler Harkey, Mike Flynn, Jake Stroot, Josh Thompson, the entire Yosef Club staff, Dr. Jean DeHart, Cindy Wallace, Dr. Glenda Treadaway — thanks for all your help.

To all my teachers — Dr. Heather Preston, Dr. Paul Gates and Dr. Eva Hyatt — you guys were great! It was my pleasure to take your classes. Alll of you pushed me in ways that I haven't been pushed in the last 10 years. Thanks for opening up my mind to new things. You guys were great ... hard, but still great!

A very special thank you to my best friend, Kareem Young, and Coach "Red" Kent in the weight room!

Last but certainly not least, thank you to my wife, Shauna. I would like to say thank you a thousand times for having my back through this journey. I know it wasn't easy on you but you have been a true inspiration to me and I will continue to push myself more and more for the well-being of our family. Thank you for the surprise graduation party. No one has ever treated me as well as you do. Thanks for allowing me to invite the guys over every week throughout the season and being cool enough to put up with us all year long without complaining once and treating them with as much love and respect as I did. Lord know those guys can eat! I love you and you are the center of my strength.

To all of you: your help and passion for this University and its alumni is greatly appreciated and I have the deepest gratitude for all of you. It took a village to make all of this work and Lord knows I couldn't have done it all with all of you.

I came here thinking I would conquer things and I'm leaving a college graduate. My life is one more step complete. This degree is something that I will cherish forever and, even more importantly, it will allow me to push my own children to go to college. In this family we must finish — no excuses. 

Finally, as for foorball, we fell short of a national championship this year and for that, I apologize. I truly thought as late as last week that I would be leaving with a national championship ring but I was wrong. I hope you don't feel let down as fans. I know that I am greatly disappointed and I am sure that you are too but please know that every coach, player and staff member gave his or her all for Appalachian State and we hope that despite coming up short of our ultimate goal, we made you proud.

To the players, I must say that it has been a tremendous pleasure to be around you this season — to listen to your problems, to hear your stories, to become one of you. I came here with the intention of teaching but I ended up learning. You guys have been a tremendous blessing and I hope I have helped you in some sort of way. Thanks for allowing me to become a part of your lives. I wish you all the best and if I get the opportunity to be around you men, I will be here.

God Bless to everyone and Happy Holidays!

December 8, 2010

Here we are, going on to round three of the FCS playoffs! We defeated a tough Western Illinois team on Saturday. Once again on Saturday, I realized how hard it is for a team to come in here and win. The fan support is tremendous!

I played for three years here at The Rock and never once did I play in a snow game, so this past weekend was my first snow game at The Rock. It was a great experience. Of course, any time you win, the experience is always pretty good!

Due to the snow, we really had to buckle down and play real Mountaineer football on Saturday. The guys responded by pounding out over 400 rushing yards. Sometimes you just have to get back to the basics. On the other side of the ball, I don't think our defense has played a better game all year than they did on Saturday! It was quite an accomplishment to hold a great offense like Western Illinois' in check but I'm still challenging them to pitch a shutout!

I must say that I am proud of our guys. They have done a lot of growing up this year. Football is a great way to teach youngsters how to become men. If you think about it, football can easily help all of us prepare for the real world. Football teaches us how to work in a group and a team-oriented environment. It teaches us time management and the importance of being on time for things. It teaches us how to be unselfish and to be a team player. How to know our roles. It puts us under constant pressure, so we learn how to react and perform under pressure. We learn how to listen, pay attention and to follow instructions to the "T".

In the real world, we too must learn how to play a game - the game of life - and all of the same lessons and attributes that are learned in the game of football are important in the game of life too. In life, as in football, we must know how to communicate and how to treat people. Treating people the right way will take you a long way! Being honest will always show people the real you and the real you is always better than a representative of you. Be honest and allow people to get to know you. If I have one thing going for me, it is my honesty. You may like my honesty, yoy may not. But the one thing that I know for sure is that I'll never try to be someone that I'm not and, at the end of the day, you will get 100 percent me.

School is coming to an end for me. I have one more week of tough studies for huge finals then it's all over for me (school, that is). After that, my family and myself will have another chance to start a new chapter in our lives. As a father of two and a husband I know that I must be a provider and I want to give my family things that I did not have growing up. That's why I'm so proud that I came back to ASU semester and have been working so hard and feel a real sense of accomplishment as it all comes to a close.

December 3, 2010

New beginnings are here! Thanksgiving is over and I'm sure you have gained weight, just as I did! For me this year, Thanksgiving seemed more like Thanks-eating. I stuffed my face over and over again. It seemed like the days were longer and the food was plentiful. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with another year filled with blessings. We had family come in town and we had friends over to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone seemed to  enjoy themselves. Now that the break is done its time to get down to business.

This week is the second round of the NCAA Division I playoffs. Last weekend, we received a first-round bye due to being the playoffs' No. 1 seed. THis week, we get back to work to play a scrappy Western Illinois team.

I need to start by congratulating their QB, Matt Barr, and our QB, DeAndre Presley, as both were invited to the Walter Payton Award ceremony earlier this week. Dre was also named the SoCon Player of the Year since the last time I blogged and I know first-hand that he deserves it! Dre's accolades just prove that hard work pays off. I've watched Dre a lot over this season and his passion for this game is insane. His drive and dedication is what separated him from the rest of the pack this year.

Off the field, it's getting close to the end of the semester and, for me, graduation is coming soon. It has been a long, hard semester. I must admit that coming back to finish my degree this semester was harder than I thought it would be. I feel like I'm as sleep-deprived as ever but I've learned that I'm not a youngster anymore and my tail needs rest! I can't stay up all night studying anymore and turn around and go all day - I need rest. I also learned how important it is to read. Every single teacher and class wanted me to read the textbook, do outside of class readings, group projects, presentations and research papers. All in all, It was a very hard transition from just work, work, work, to work and school. It feels totally different than when I went to school here 10 years ago.

I've put in the work this semester, so hopefully it will pay off big-time come graduation day. Dec. 12 is my day and my wife wants me to walk, so I will do just that. I'm looking forward to finishing school and moving on to great things. I'm ready to get my life started. I'm ready to get to the grind. I'm ready to grow and walk into the real world.

OK, back to football. It's the best time of the year. This is what football is all about - weather and the elements make football the best sport out there. Snow games, cold games - it's a battle of the wills. Who wants it more is the team that will pull it off. Who prepares better is the team that will win! The better team is the team that will advance. I hope you guys are ready for some football because I sure am!

November 20, 2010

What's up, world? I'm back again with another blog entry here at GoASU.com. I am writing this entry while during what seems like a long plane flight - flights always seem long after a tough loss. 

We just lost to the Florida Gators, 48-10. They are a pretty good team but I thought we could have played much better than we did - I know we are better on both offense and defense than the score indicates. I wish we could play that game over again. I don't believe in bowing down to anyone, no matter who they are. Florida was a great team and were especially physically imposing but I live by the mantra that "the bigger they, are the harder they fall."

I played in a league where just about everyone was bigger than me but it never stopped me from working my tail off and fighting to the end. Don't get me wrong, I don't think our guys laid down for the Gators - it's clear that they were the better team on this day - but we shot ourselves in the foot too many times to win a game against such a good team.

I will never forget my first experience in the Swamp. It was an exciting feeling once the fans packed themselves into the stadium. It felt almost like an NFL game with the amount of noise . I just hate that we shot ourselves in the foot so many times. You can't commit a turnover and have 10 penalties for over 80-plus yards and have a chance to beat a team like Florida.

I hope you, the fans, don't feel like we let you down. I feel disappointed - I honestly thought we had a real chance of winning the game. Maybe I'm just bull-headed but I have never played or now, coached, in a game that I felt like we should have lost and I don't feel like we should have lost today. I tell you, my personal record in games should be about 255-0!

I'm not a fan of losing and I don't want to start getting comfortable with it. I remember a couple of seasons in Baltimore and my one season in New York when we weren't playing well and we came out on the short end of the stick a lot. Losing makes you want to stay inside. Who wants to be seen and praised for losing? No one that I know. That's why I always feel like my team should win every game - I don't want to ever be complacent about losing.

All of that being said, it's time to move to the next one. From this point on its survive and advance or lose and go home and we all know what I think we should do each week!

Thanks to playing as well as we have this season, we have a bye in the first round of the playoffs, which is awesome because I can't wait to see my family at Thanksgiving this week. I miss them a lot. My son, Tristan, has had the flu and is not feeling well. He is in his first year of playing little league football and his team only lost one game and played for the title today. Unfortunately, since Tristan has been sick, he did not play. I feel bad that he had to miss his first championship game. Since he was 2, he has suffered from fibral seizures, which are activated every time he has a fever that reaches a certain temperature. He had an episode a couple of days ago and that scared his Daddy a little. He's a tough kid but it's hard being a daddy in Boone when your son is in Atlanta. It's scary when you are out of town and you sister calls you to tell you that your son was asleep and when they tried to wake him, he was not responding, his eyes were rolled to the back of his head and he's in the back of a ambulance on the way to the hospital. I don't care who you are, that's alarming.

I miss my kid and my mom, sister and brothers too. My middle brother, Anthony, is an engineer for Caterpillar and lives in Peoria, Illi. with his wife, Jennifer, and their son, Zion. They are coming to Atlanta for Thanksgiving and my youngest brother, MarcusTor, made it to the Florida game. He just came home from an internship in Missouri. I'm looking forward to seeing my huge family and maybe having Thanksgiving with all of them.

Since the pilot just told us to turn off electronic items for landing, I would like to close by taking a moment to send out blessings and prayers to all of you. I hope everyone has plenty to eat and some one special to spend the holiday with. It's times like this that make me truly appreciate having a wife and family! I love them and can't wait to just relax with them and spend some quality time with them.

I love you, guys! Happy Thanksgiving and may the Lord bless you and your family! First-round bye, here we come!

November 18, 2010

Here we are at the last game of the season - it's crazy how fast a season goes by!

We already accomplished one of our goals and that was win the Southern Conference. This week we are heading down to "The Swamp" to play the Gators. This will be probably the toughest opponent that we have faced all year. So we'll have to bring our "App" Game — better known to most as our "A" Game!

This time of year, all football players are dealing with injuries. Only the most severe of those injuries are made public but know that all football players have injuries after 10 games. It's an unfortunate reality in football that we all get a little banged up but we learn how to deal with it and play through it. The great thing about this team is that it plays hard and fights to the end no matter what!

Against Wofford, we came out on fire. Coach Glenn, Coach Elder and the entire offensive staff together their best game of the season in terms of play-calling - they were aggressive from the start and did not let up. Coach Dale Jones and his defensive staff put in great work! If not for a couple of  plays, they could have shut out the Terriers - the defense looked like yellow jackets swarming to the ball all game long! The special teams also looked better than ever with Coach Holt putting his brilliant football mind to work! Hats off to the players and hats off to the coaching staff.

That was the way to end a conference season. We played our butts off and finally put together a complete game versus Wofford. We came to play in every aspect of our game - offense, defense and special teams - and came up big everywhere! Although we didn't put together a flawless game, we still played very well - I'm proud of our men!

This week, I can't wait to watch our guys perform versus Florida. The Gators are coming off a big loss to South Carolina, so I know they will be hyped and ready to play! It's their last home game of the year and Senior Day for their seniors, so I know how important this game is for them. However, I hope they know that we are coming to play, to perform, to entertain and, last but not least, to win! I doubt that they think that this will be an easy win - I know that their coaching staff prepares them too well to let them think that - but if they do feel like we're going to roll over for them, they have another think coming!

I remember my Senior Day like yesterday - my last home game at The Rock! My mom and dad came upand taking pictures with them as well as the fans and friends that I met while at App State made it an emotional time for me and my family! It's amazing how you can spend a little time somewhere and become so attached to the people and your surroundings! App State has been good to me and I a lot more good memories than bad from my time here.

The seniors that are leaving will be remembered around here forever. They are officially a part of Appalachian history. Congratulations to them and their families! Besides all of the accomplishments on the field, graduating from college is a major deal and a great accomplishment!

I will chat with you again later! Please feel free to send in your questions to appalachiansid@gmail.com. Much love and thanks for reading!

November 11, 2010

Today is another tough day! The old saying goes that you shouldn't complain because nobody is listening anyways. But honestly, that's not true. People just get tired of hearing the same old people complaining over and over again so they tend to zone them out. But, if you limit your complaints to one a month, people will definitely listen! When you have something on your mind, you should put it out in the open. Share your thoughts!

Now that I've got that out of my system, let's talk Mountaineer football. This week we have a huge game. The loss last week makes this game even more important because we lost our No. 1 ranking and it's time for us to man up and regain the crown! If we want to regain our No. 1 ranking and, much more importantly, win the SoCon championship, we need to play our best game of the year on Saturday against a very good Wofford team. I know that no one is going to lay down for us, nor should they! 

My best friend, Kareem Young, is a strength coach here in the weight room at App State. He is always spitting some sort of philosophy mumbo-jumbo at me. Sometimes he makes me feel like my head is going to explode! I love him for it though because he always keeps me on my toes and I feel like I can learn something different from him every day. One thing I have learned in life is to surround yourself with people that can help you grow - surround yourself around good people!

"My Walgreen's Experience"

Yesterday, I went to Walgreen's to purchase some hair-moistening cream because the hard water of Boone is drying my scalp out! At the check-out counter I bumped into the sweetest young lady I think I've ever met. She had to be between 70-90 years young! I was sporting all of my Appalachian coaches' gear because I had to go to practice later in the day.  She noticed the Appalachian gear and said "We must have a basketball player or a football player here," in a sweet little voice. I said "No, ma'am, I am not." She said "Well, you look like a player," and I replied  "Thank you, but I am a coach." She told me that was amazing because I look like a player and go App State!

As she walked out the door, she reached down and picked a penny up off the floor, turned around and gave it to me! I asked her was it was heads-up for good luck and she said "No, it was tails-up but I'm putting it in your hand heads-up so that it will bring the team good luck!" She walked away pumping her fist saying "Go App State!"

She blew me away. That is the kind of support this school and team needs and receives from our great fans! We need your support more than ever when we're playing for a SoCon championship on Saturday at The Rock and I'm sure that you'll provide it. I'm excited for the rest of this season!

Thanks for joining me again and reading my blog! Please continue to send your questions and thoughts to appalachiansid@gmail.com. God Bless! Talk to you soon.

November 7, 2010

It's time to start thinking about Wofford. Yesterday is history - it's time to start thinking forward to the next opponent.

Yesterday, we played and lost a tough game to a very good Georgia Southern team. I have to take my hat off to GSU - they played their butts off. They were the better team last night. They came in with a good game plan and executed it to perfection.

But, also, when they needed help, we gave it to them. It was not a very good performance by us as a whole. We broke down and weren't our usual selves. We had way too many turnovers and we fell apart when we needed to hold it together. 

These next two weeks will be very interesting. We have Wofford this week and they are playing very well. We cannot allow them to come into our house and take what they want. We have to be on our A-game.

This week's game will tell me a lot about our team. We should be angry and we should play with determination, will and a relentless itch to win! This loss should only anger us and fuel us to be better.

There is one thing that I have always hated and that's losing. I love to win!!! In my life, I have needed reminders to keep me on track at times because times get hard for all of us. No one person is perfect - we are all flawed in our own ways. Because of that, I live and die by this prayer:

The Serenity Prayer

"Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."

Right now, the thing that we cannot change is the loss to Georgia Southern. The variable that we can change is our preparation for this week. We can zero in on the task at hand and put the extra effort and hours in to get ready for Wofford! The wisdom we need is knowing that we cannot change the past and we can only prepare for the future. We hold our own destiny in our hands! We must do all the little things. We are and can be great. We must believe that and prepare like that.

I tell myself everyday that today, we must get better. We can always learn from our mistakes in life and it's valuable for us to learn from this one! Go App State!

November 6, 2010

In my 33 years of life, I have faced many obstacles. There were mornings when I would wake up and as soon as I placed my feet on the floor, they would cramp up. I could hardly stand upright. My head would be ringing louder than a train horn. It would take 5-6 hours for my muscles to relax. Sometimes it felt like I had been hit by a freight train because my job was so demanding, my body usually felt like crap! The same soreness that would've taken many men 2-3 weeks to get over, we were forced to get over in 3-4 days because it was our job to attack our soreness with more work!

Right now, we only have three games left on the collegiate level. This is when a lot of the rookies hit the wall in the NFL. The "rookie wall" is when the reality of the season sets in! Bodies get exhausted, legs feel awful. It's 30-60 minutes into our 7 a.m. weightlifting session before we start to feel good and loose!

Today, we are on the bus heading to Georgia Southern. I can't wait to play this game - OK, to coach the game! I know I'm not playing anymore but I feel like I am. I'm excited to be heading back down to Statesboro. Games like this are special! There's a long history behind this rivalry, the emotions are high and I can't wait for us to get down to business.

I remember Georgia Southern fans being kind of like Pittsburgh Steelers fans! In Baltimore, when we went to Pittsburgh, we couldn't wait to see their fans embrace us! We knew it would be with animosity. They would spit at our buses and make obscene gestures as we entered the stadium. As a player, we take on the personality of our fans! We get really wrapped up in the rivalries as well. If our fans didn't like the Colts, than neither did we. If the fans didn't like the Steelers, than neither did we. We play this game because we love it and were blessed with the ability to play it but we also play for the fans! Because of the fans, today's game is amazing and filled with excitement!

Thanks for reading and please continue to send in your questions to appalachiansid@gmail.com! It's been my pleasure answering them!

"The rest of this season, starting with today, will require the very best that we've got."

- Coach Moore

November 1, 2010

Here we are, sitting pretty at 8-0. It's my first coaching experience and we are undefeated so far - if you are gonna start a career in coaching, this has to be the way to start! I have been on both ends of the spectrum. I've started 8-0 before and I've lost nine-straight games as well. I can tell you that the two feelings are totally different. When you're losing, you don't want to be seen at all. You don't want to leave the house, you don't want to go to class, you don't want to go to parties, you don't want to answer your phone. You just want to be left alone! But when you are winning, now that's a different story! You want to get out the house, your spirits are up, you want to go to the clubs and dress nice, you want to hang out, you just want to be seen, baby! Your hair is cut nicely, people treat you differently, talk to you differently and they want to be around you as well. People love to be around success. Bring on the interviews!

Now its time for a question. My man Paul sent in a question. He was recently injured and is feeling discouraged. He wanted to know as a pro athelete how did I deal with injuries mentally?

Well, Paul, as an athlete, we will all get hurt at some point of time, so I've learned to accept it over the years. As a player, we all want to be on the field and play every snap. We dream to be that guy that never misses a game but that's virtually impossible. So I have learned to look at being injured as God's way of telling me I need a break and since I don't know how to give my body a break, this is his way of making me take one! In football, we are conditioned to play through and work through injuries so we push our bodies to the limits. But you need to respect what your body is telling you. Rest it and protect it. Although you can play in hundreds of games and thousands of quarters, you only have one body so protect it, treasure it, don't stress and allow nature to run its coarse. Remember that being injured is only temporary. Allow your body to heal and take this time to learn the game from another perspective - take advantage of every free second!

I have one more question from my man, Fish. Fish would like to know my thoughts on Armanti Edwards playing for the Carolina Panthers.

Well, Fish, I know a lot of ASU fans are frustrated with Armanti's lack of playing time and the antics of the NFL in regards to Armanti being too small to be an NFL QB. I always try to look at things from a different angle. The NFL wants to protect their players - that's why they are starting to suspend players for the helmet-to-helmet hits. They take this sort of thing very serious. They want to keep their players (their investments) on the field. They don't want the league to suffer because all the key players are getting hurt. Just think about it: if you are a investor (or owner) you want to protect your investments (the players). Without the players, there would not be an NFL. Therefore you punish people that are jeopardizing your investments with suspensions, fines, etc. where I'm going with this is that when people in the League says that Armanti's too small, they're actually saying they don't think his frame will with stand the punishment an NFL QB has to endure by standing in the pocket in this league! Armanti is not even 200 lbs and the guys that will be driving his body into the turf will be in the range of 300 to 350 lbs, sometimes more!

Now, on another note, as a player, I personally would want to see them give Armanti a shot at it. Why not? What do the Panthers have to lose? It can't hurt the team! As a player, I feel as though Armanti could give the Panthers a shot to win. Players need an opportunity to make plays! He is a playmaker and he has been battle-tested - let the guy play! He is a born and bred QB - why not give him a shot? Maybe he will give the team a well-needed spark.

But to all fans of Armanti, don't be frustrated with his playing time. Just be frustrated with the politics of the game! Jimmy Clausen was a higher draft pick and the choice of the organization to rebuild their franchise. They have to give him his due time to lead the team - otherwise, they just wasted a lot of money on him! You can't just throw him to the wolves. Money is unfortunately the deciding factor in a lot that goes on in the league. Look at the Oakland Raiders and JaMarcus Russell, The Texans with David Carr, the Ravens with Kyle Boller, Tampa Bay with Chris Simms, etc. As an owner/investor you have to get money out of an investment, or at least give the investment time to pay dividends! Armanti's playing time will increase in due time. He has a learning curve that he has to break through. Be patient and let's see how it unfolds!

October 19, 2010

Hello, world! It's my pleasure to write another blog entry today. It's been a long week filled with many events. I had a mid-term in my 8 o'clock class, a presentation about the history of advertising in my 9 o'clock, a paper about copyright law in my 11 o'clock, a quiz in my 12:30 class and a big football game Saturday Night at The Rock.

Plus, I have started back working out and got a chance to spend some time with my mom, my nephew and my five-year-old son! I don't care how bad things are, hearing Tristan scream "Daaaddy" makes everything okay!

I've came to the conclusion that I'm not going to let anything bring me down! I have to much to be thankful for to allow myself to be miserable! When things are going good, the devil is always there to try to bring you down. Let me share with you guys how my weekend started. On Friday night at 9:58 p.m., my house in Atlanta was broken in to. I was up all night talking with my dad, my friend, Carlos, ADT and the police. It's not a good feeling when something like this happens, especially when you are 4-5 hours away. When someone breaks into your home it makes you feel vulnerable, taken advantage of, angry, unsafe, unprotected, disrespected, embarrassed, violated and unprepared. I have been in Boone for 3 months working with the team and going to school, so our house has been sitting idle with no life at night. My good friend, Carlos, has been watching our home during the day but, at night, he has a wife and kids so he has to go home to them. So, on Friday night, two gentlemen decided to break into my house.

Honestly I think they broke in the house thinking they would find money and jewelry. My house is protected by ADT and, of course, they called me within the first two minutes that my house was broken in to but the burglars were only in my house a total of four minutes, which meant the police only had 2-3 minutes to react to the scene. They arrived 20 minutes later.

The two men knew my house was surrounded with cameras, so they wore masks, hats, hoods and gloves. I watched the men stand in my backyard on their cell phones, scampering around the exterior of my house like idiots. They did this for over 30 minutes before they kicked in my front door. I live in a very close-knit neighborhood, where the houses are less than 15 feet apart from one another, so I was in awe with how sloppy this whole process was!

It was nothing like what you would see thieves do on TV. It was more like a episode of "Next Friday." My next-door neighbors turned their kitchen lights on while the guys were standing right outside their window but did not see them. My other neighbor heard noises and figured it was nothing, then my other nieghbor's motion detector light came on but she ignored it! They took a chair from another neighbor's yard to stand on to remove my outdoor siron and motion-sensor light bulbs from over the garage. Shouldn't the siren alert ADT when that happens? You mean all they have to do is snatch it off the exterior of the house for it not to work? Wow!

My house is set up like Fort Knox through ADT but it was not a factor at all! That worries me. We spend a lot of money In this country for protection but do we really truly have protection? After it was done, all ADT could say was we are sorry this happened to you and it will be $355 for the first hour and $90 every 15 minutess afterwards for the repairs of my siren and control boxes that were ripped off the exterior and interior of our home! If we don't pay for the repairs, our house would be unprotected!

The sad part is that after this I do not think that our house was protected at all. What about all the money I paid for all this equiptment, installation and protection a year ago? What about the money I pay monthly for surveillance? At the end of the day, all I get is a phone call and a bill! It's upsetting to work so hard to provide a home for your family and someone comes along to vandalize or steal from you. But, I know the Lord will continue to bless us, oo I will not worry about the selfishness of others. On to the next one!

My time back here at ASU has been a blast! I'm looking forward to another hard and long week. I'm starting to remember what it takes to get myself going every day. When you're exhausted, it's hard to stay self-motivated. Every day, I have to tell myself today is going to be a good day! Today, I must get better. Today, I must find away to improve. Today, I will have to work a little bit harder.

When I played In the NFL, every single day was a fight to survive. There were some days when I did not think I was going to make it! I would wake up at 5:30 a.m. with only a couple of hours of sleep because I stayed up all night studying my plays so that the next day, I would not make any mistakes on the practice field!

My body would be in so much pain from the days prior. My feet would cramp up because of the constant pounding and wear and tear from the combination of cleats and turf! My back would be sore, aching and banged up from the constant pounding of two-a-days. My shoulders were bruised up and sore and my groin and hips were tired and sore. Hamstrings were tight and sore as if they were on the verge of popping. My jaw was sore from biting down on my mouthpiece so hard while hitting all day. I was also mentally drained from the classroom lectures put on by our position coaches and the constant pressure of trying to make the team, which made things even harder.

At least here, I don't have to worry about all the pain or making the team! Some of the things that I always try to reiterate to the players is what it takes to make it in the league. How much of a grind it is gonna be. How fast the game is. How much the game of football will change their lives. How much competition there's going to be. How they will have to show up on film every day in order to be noticed. How many players that each team will have to weed thru before they pick their 53-man rosters. It takes a lot more than talent — it takes drive, focus, dedication and commitment on an extreme level!

We are now 6-0 and still chasing perfection. Keep us in your prayers as we continue on this journey!

I have to give a special thanks to my man, Jason, with the "Kincaid Outlet" off Hwy 321. He helped us out big-time with our furnature for our home here in Boone — thanks, Jason! Also, I give a special thanks to my old teammates from App State that read my blog — Shawn Clark, Kareem Young, Bradley Thomas over in Iraq/Afghanistan, Sterling Heyward, etc. Finally, thanks to all of you too for your thoughts and questions that you send in!

October 12, 2010

Hello, world. Let me start by thanking all of you for reading my blog and sending in your questions! 

A little while ago in class we started this huge discussion about media conglomerates. I never realized how much of what we watch comes from the same source. Since I'm originally from Atlanta, let's use Ted Turner as an example.

Turner Broadcasting owns "TCM" Turner Classic Movies, "TBS" Turner Broadcasting Systems, "CN" the Cartoon Network, the Adult Swim channel, Tru TV, Peachtree TV and CNN. That means that one man — Ted Turner — can control everything that we see on those channels. If those were the only channels I watched then he would control all the media input I receive. He could almost control what I think, purchase, wear, and what I feel about certain things!

We must be more aware of the things around us. I know I wasn't and it like that for numerous other media sources as well!

One of the questions that I have received from readers is what players from App State actually played in the NFL? Well, here's a certified list:

FORMER MOUNTAINEERS THAT PLAYED IN THE NFL
Harold Alexander
Daniel Wilcox
Corey Hall
Matt Stevens
Dexter Coakley
Dino Hackett
Larry Hand
Frank Leatherwood
Marques Murrell
Jason Hunter
Dexter Jackson
Armanti Edwards
Corey Lynch
Derrick Graham
Gary Dandridge
Rico Mack
Bjorn Nittmo
Justin Seaverns
John Settle
Mark Royals

There were many more That actually went into camps! But never made a team! God Bless take to you soon!

October 7, 2010

Here I am laying in my bed feeling under the weather again. Man, this stinks! First pink eye, now I feel as though I'm coming down with a head cold. My allergies have been acting up every since I got here etc., etc. ... 

My wife is engaging in pillow talk which seems to be the best time for her to clear her mind. I must admit I never truly knew what pillow talk was until I got married. I've heard people say it before but never understood its true meaning. We talk about our days, what's new, our business, our future plans, our two sons, school, fashion, life, bills, etc. I never know where these conversations will lead to! Most of the time, I just go with the flow. 

Tomorrow we have to go shopping for our youngest son because he needs some clothes. It's starting to get cold here in the High Country and he doesn't have a bunch of winter clothes. He's growing so fast! He's only four months old and has already outgrown all his clothes up to five and six months. Yes he's a big kid - thick 'lil fella! It has been a complete joy having him around. His smile turns me into a little man! It make's me feel like I'm' not 6'3" 255 lbs. but more like 5'5" 125 lbs. He's a beautiful kid and daddy is proud to say I'm his father! Everyday, it seems like we explore a new avenue with him. He makes me feel like life has no worries. Every time he see's me, he smiles from ear to ear as if to say "There you go, Daddy!" He makes me feel like he has missed me. I could've had the worst day of my life that day but when I see him he turns my bad day into a great day.  But still he allows me to get no sleep. LOL.

He had to get his shots yesterday and it seemed like such a rough process. It never seems right to see a child get stuck with a needle. It seems so wrong when he cries his little eyes out. The crazy part is when he was born, he had to get to shots and he didn't cry a lick. The doctors all said "Wow, you have a tough kid. That has never happened before!"

Its been a wonderful experience thus far having an opportunity to come back to The Rock! I went to Boone Bagelry the other day and had some french-toast bagels for the first time. I never would've thought to make french toast out of bagels but, to my surprise, they were pretty darn good! And that's coming from a guy that doesn't really like bagels!

Its funny all the new things I've taken notice to in my second time here in Boone! Boone Bagelry has been around for over 10 years and I don't remember ever seeing it, nor stepping foot into it, when I was in school here 10 years ago! So, if your looking for a good place to eat on Saturday, I give the Boone Bagelry two thumbs up! Great service and the you lady that runs the cash register is delightful. She's always great me with a wonderful smile and, what do you know, she's also a season-ticket holder! I love it!

The fans are what make football great. Yeah, I know you guys think it's us. No, it's you! It's those five half-naked guys that sit in the front row, catching pneumonia with GO ASU painted on their chests that makes what we do worthwhile. It's the roar of the crowd that makes our hearts beat 180 mph and gets our adrenaline pumping. It's the thousands of fans that tailgate and grill out before and after the game. You guys are amazing! It's when the announcer says "It's another Mountaineer" and you guys say "First Down" that makes us want to move those chains! It's the best student section in all of college football, with that guy doing push-ups, that makes us want to score more and more! It's the way you guys pack the stadium every Saturday, no matter what the weather is like. It's the way our stadium is filled with App State fans! It's the way one side of the stadium screams "App" and the other side screams "State". It's the fan base that keeps the recruits signing and coming every year! You guys make all that offseason conditioning worthwhile!

So, on behalf of all of us, once again I would like to say thank you for making our memories here at Appalachian State amazing!  Our players have a chance to realize just how important you guys are when we play at Samford. It was not even close to as exciting of a place to play as we have here at The Rock! After playing in front of 20,000-plus screaming fans, going on the road seems as quiet as pickup basketball game with guys waiting for their turn to play. That not only gives us such a great home-field advantage but also helps us tremendously on the road because we know that we won't run into a crowd that can affect the game as much as the one we play in front of at home. 

Enjoy Homecoming! I can't wait to see my old teammates!

P.S. — My Song of the Week is DJ Khalid "All We Do Is Win, Win, Win"

October 6, 2010 (submitted at 4:31 a.m.!!!)

Here I am with another sleepless night! This has been pretty rough on my end. School seems to get harder and harder. It's not that it's something I can't do, I'm just out of touch with studying and reading!

I'm starting to think I have ADHD. Every time I start to read, I find my mind wondering off into space, thinking about a million other things. I find it hard to keep my focus on what I'm reading at times, so I have to force my self! Force myself to stay on task and, somehow, some way, I will pull this thing off!

This week is Homecoming. I haven't been to a homecoming game since I played here. It's gonna be amazing to be back here seeing things from a different perspective. I'm a coach - wow!

My family is coming to the game this week. My cousins Allen, Corey and Felipe are all coming and my good friend and barber, Dean, will make his first appearance in Boone. It's amazing how life changes. Ten years ago, I was here playing football and now I'm here again but on a whole other mission!

My cousins where all regulars when I played here from 1998-2001 but they also have not been here since. I'm excited for them to see the new App State! App has done a lot of growing - it's a big boy now! The last time my cousins were here, we were all single with no kids. Now, three of us have kids and wives - life is truely a blessing! We truly should never take one day for granted!

I could remember times when life didn't seem so important. It seemed cruel, mean, boring, unsafe, abandoning and in slow motion. Now that I think about it, life actually seems like its been in fast forward - 10 years ago seems like last week! Thank you, Lord, for my blessings!

This week I would like to share with everyone a prayer that has carried me throughout my lifetime! It has kept my head up when I wanted to put it down. It help me make it through practices that I knew I wasn't supposed to. It has helped me wake up in the morning and push through a whole day's work without complaining. It has meant a lot to me and has been a huge part of my success. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things That I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

I have a huge heart and will give my heart to people because I care about this world. I care about our future. You see, I understand now why it takes a village to raise a family. Sometimes our kids can't find it in their hearts to listen to us. But maybe it's that one more person that might say or do the right thing around them to help them understand. They need knowledge and guidance from a village perspective for them to be able to learn in life!

September 20, 2010

Sitting at home watching the Saints v. 49ers. The game has started off in true Drew Brees fashion — the Saints are controlling the game thus far. But I knew before the game started that no matter what their opponent did, they would not be prepared for what the Saints are bringing to the table. Thanks To Drew Brees, the Saints are one of the hottest teams in the league. The QB position is the most important position on the field and all the Saints do is win, win, win, no matter what!

That's how I'm praying our season goes this year. We started the season off ranked No. 3 and now here we are averaging over 40 points a game and ranked No. 1 in the nation!

It feels good to be sitting at the top. One thing about being on top is that everyone wants to knock you off. Everyone we play this year will play their best versus us. I love it and wouldn't want it any other way!

The thrill of competition is what drives us all so our take is "come get us!" Everyone we play will only make us better so as the season progresses, we will hopefully be prepared for everything.

I talked to my right-hand man Carlos today. Carlos is running our home renovation business, "Strickly Business," back in Atlanta. He's working his tail off and running all over town trying to get things done. Unfortunately, we just aren't making enough money right now - maybe we need to start charging more! We definitely need more help but just can't afford it right now. We try to give people more for less but, unfortunately, that's not paying the bills!

Carlos is remodeling two basements and a condo at the same time and he has his hands full. Me being away from Atlanta makes things even harder on him but he's doing a wonderful job! It seems as if we talked all day, just trying to catch me up on all that I have missed in a week's time.

School has been so demanding of my time lately that I haven't had much time to spend anywhere else. I'm not a very fast reader and I always feel like I'm the slowest reader in the world. My academic coach "Maloo" tells me all the time that I am just as slow as he is — LOL! I know that's not true! The problem is that sometimes I find myself having trouble trying to balance my time. I know that I have a lot going on but I don't know how to prioritize things at times.

Coaching has been the highlight of my time here at App — being around the players is all I know and I think coaching is what I do best. Before I got here, I did not know how the players would take to me but they have been very receptive to me being here. I'll take App State as being just another one of my blessings! I talked to my oldest son today hearing his voice brightened my mood — he misses his daddy and his daddy misses him!

September 17, 2010

Tell me how you feel when you have had NO SLEEP? No matter what you do, there is no resting! Most days, I feel like there's not enough hours in the day to get everything done. I go to school as a full-time student with 14 semester hours, I'm an entrepreneur , I have a weekly segment on two radio stations, a blog on GoASU.com and I'm the a host of a weekly television segment. On top of all that, I'm also a full-time husband and a father with two sons! One of which is a newborn that allows me to get "NO SLEEP" at night! Let's not forget I'm a strength coach and assistant wideouts coach too. Am I complaining? LOL! I know without work there is no pay day!  And I know that the Lord has a blessing for me and my family! I have this theory that if you work your butt off while you are young and still healthy, when you're old and tired you can relax, retire and enjoy the fruits of your labor! So I coined the term "NO SLEEP."

Sometimes I look at my wife and I don't know how she does it. My son, Julian, has acid reflux and he's irritable at times.  Most of the time, he's irritable at the wrong times! And then there's Tristan, the 5 year old, that wants to play any sport that involves a ball. And somehow she still manages to keep the two houses in order, cook, plan parties/events, run our not-for-profit foundation, take care of me and still look beautiful! When she nurses, she closes her eyes to catch a quick cat-nap because that's about all Julian gives her time for. She honestly has been sleeping in 30 minute intervals and for an adult that's like pure torture! Can you imagine waking up every 30 minutes, every night, for months? Exhaustion, irritability, frustration, depression,  etc. ... I have "mad respect" for women! That's me using some of my wife's New York slang. "Mad" means a lot. I watched my son being born and it was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced! It instantly brought tears to my eyes. Women are amazingly special! Thank you God for everything you do for us!

Today, Julian cried and cried. It felt like a five-hour stretch of nothing but tears. I needed a 5-hour energy drink! We changed his diapers, fed him several times, walked with him, rocked him, talked to him, burped him, bathed him, played with him, prayed with him, etc...and nothing seemed to work! He was just really sleepy, but he doesn't wanna sleep! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! What is it with this family?!? "NO SLEEP." The kid fits right in.

Please believe, I have "mad" respect for us men too! But, men, can you imagine a little person attached to you at all times?!? Someone that needs to be fed every hour on the hour? I know I can't. Sometimes I look at my wife and know that she just wants to scream!

But life is a grind, so set your goals higher each time and accomplish them one at a time. 

My song of The Week is "Power" by Kanye West. "Dream Hard, Work Even Harder!"

Now for Black Saturday, Part 2!

Players to Watch

Offense:
#6 Cicory (CoCo) Hillary. Welcome back, brother! I'm excited to see this gentleman play. His efforts every day have been increasingly better and his focus has been tremendous. We're looking for a big year out of him!
#8 Brian Quick
#2 DeAndre Presley
#7 Travaris Cadet
#20 Devin Moore
#63 Daniel KilGore
#17 Matt Cline
#84 Ben Jorden

Defense:
#28 Ed Gainey
#31 Troy Sanders
#9 DJ Smith
#13 Mark Legree
#54 Jabari Fletcher
#56 Bobby Bozzo

Special Teams:
#34 Patrick Blalock
#15 Tony Washington
#47 Mark Moll
#27 Sam Martin
#39 Jason Vitaris

N.C. Central Players to Watch

Offense:
#4 WR Geovonie Irvine
#14 QB Keon Williams
#15 QB Michael Johnson
#2 RB Tim Shankle
#5 RB Tony McCord

Defense:
#50 DT Teryl White
#10 LB Calvin Hillie
#11 LB Donald Laster

Special Teams:
#20 Ret. Fred Ominde
#22 P. Author Goforth
#35 LS Zachery Means

September 16, 2010

I just got a new gig. On Tuesday morning, I did my first radio spot with Mark Viviano and Bulldog in Baltimore, Maryland on CBS Radio Baltimore 105.7 F.M. The Fan. Please go to www.1057thefan.com and check out The Mark Viviano Show. I think it went fairly well! Also, click here to check out GoASU TV and watch my live interviews with star ASU football players as I take you "Inside The Locker Room."

I watched my old teammates play against each other on Monday night - Ravens vs. Jets.  It was a dogfight all night long - it's always good to see grown men step into the arena to punish one another!

You see, I look at us like modern day gladiators. We step into the stadium (Arena), only to battle against an opponent. They fight to the end (death); we fight to the of end (of regulation). They both played their butts off! Flacco took a couple of shots that could've of ended his season and Ray Lewis put a shot on TE Dustin Keller that he will remember the rest of his life! Trust me, I know - I played against Ray in practice for five years. I think that shot kept Keller from making the first down on the very next play, effectively ending the game. People have been asking me "How does an NFL tight end not know where the first-down marker is?"  My answer? When you get hit over the middle by Ray Lewis, you will forget where a lot of things are!

Okay, enough of that stuff. Let's get back to us — App State football!

This year's 9/11 was much better than the one I had my rookie year in the NFL.

I woke up at 5 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001. I was in the gym running on the treadmill when the secretary of the New York Jets came running into the weight room and turned my television to the live CNN coverage of the World Trade Center attack. My heart dropped to the floor - what a devastating event. My heart hurt for all those victimized by the heartless display of terror.

While it was nowhere near as important as the thousands of the people who were directly affected by the events of that day, it did affect me in a personal way as it did all Americans. I was at a huge milestone in my life at that time - I had just left App State and made the New York Jets 53-man roster, then I watched the second plane fly into the building live on national television and honestly football rightfully took a back seat. My teammates and I needed to focus on football but, obviously, that was very hard, esepcially living and working in the shadow of Manhattan.   

This year, 9/11 was a much better day for me! Our guys just flat-out out-played the Jacksonville Dolphins. My wife is always trying to get me to go swim with the dolphins but I'm a Mountaineer - why would I wanna swim with a dolphin?

I'm especially proud of #34 Patrick Blalock, who Coach Moore praised in the locker room after the game for his standout play on special teams! Blalock was a walk-on who earned a spot to play on this football team and on Saturday he showed all of you what all of us already knew about him - he's a baller!

Special teams is a huge part of football. In the NFL, we spend hours upon hours daily working on special teams. Football is a game of inches where every single inch counts (Dustin Keller stepped out-of-bounds a couple of inches short on Monday night and it cost the Jets the game). Well, special teams set up field position. Think about it: if you give Peyton Manning only 40 yards to score every time he got the ball, they would score almost 30 more points every game! Those inches add up on special teams and make a big difference in every game.

DeAndre Presley has been outstanding in the first two weeks with standout performances! Brian Quick has taken off and shown the world that he's one of Elite receivers in college football! #6 CoCo Hillary will make his first appearance on the field this season on Saturday. CoCo has done a great job improving his game this offseason and has bought into everything that Trey Elder and myself have tried to teach him. He is more polished on the field and off the field and I congratulate him on being back this week!

Finally, congrats to Jason Vitaris. He is officially a new uncle! His niece's stats are 6 pounds, 8 ounces and her name is Vanessa Nicole Vitaris!

See you at The Rock this weekend for another exciting game with N.C. Central! Thanks for taking time out of ur day to spend with me and reading my blog! God Bless!

P.S. If You have any questions for me that you'd like me to answer in my next blog entry, please email them to appalachiansid@gmail.com.

September 10, 2010

Today, I went shopping for App State apparel. I wanted to make sure my wife was laced for her first App State home game!

While I was out, I met a gentleman named Adam. We didn't get a chance to talk much but I did find out that he met my stepfather at the UTC game. Adam also gave me the weather forecast for this week's game! He says it will be party cloudy with a 30-40 percent chance of rain. So App State fans, go to your local App State apparel store and purchase your poncho today - you know, just in case Adam went to weather school. LOL! But seriously, I wanted to say thanks to Adam for reading my blog. He's a super cool guy!

Let me also thank the App State fans and students for supporting our program! As a former player, seeing the new improvements is amazing! Please understand that your constant support and contributions to the athletics programs at App are a huge part of the recent facilities renovations! Also know that we need you to continue to come to the games and make the atmosphere amazing for players, coaches and fans alike. As a player I know how it feels to play in front 100,000 fans and I also know how it feels to play in front of 100 fans. Trust me when I tell you that there is no comparison! We need you guys to help us when every game. Thanks a bunch in advance!

As a coach, I was very impressed with our offensive line at UTC. Offensive line coach Bob McClain has done a wonderful job preparing them to play. Great job, in particular by Daniel Kilgore, leading the way — DeAndre Presley had all the time in the world to throw the ball.

I must say I miss the atmosphere here at The Rock - I can't wait for Saturday! I hope that you are excited as ASU fans because we are excited to play in front of you! Make sure to wear your black this weekend so we can black the stadium out in broad day light. If it rains, that will just add to the blackout!

Our players bleed Black and Gold and can't wait to put on a show for you guys! 

On a final note, congratulations to Jason Vitaris, who's about to become an uncle! Awwwww, my babies are growing up. Exciting stuff!

Players to Watch

Offense:
Travaris Cadet #7
Brian Quick #8
Matt Cline #17
Devon Moore #20 (Glad to have you back, brother! I am excited to see this guy play for the first time!)
Ben Jorden #84
DeAndre Presley #2

Defense:
Mark LeGree #13
D.J. Smith #9
Jabari Fletcher #54
Troy Sanders #31
Ed Gainey #28

Special Teams:
Devin Radford #16
Tony Washington #15
Brian Quick #8
Sam Martin #27
Jason Vitaris #39

Normally, I don't put kickers on the players-to-watch list but our punter and kicker are among the best I've seen at this level!

On film, it looks like the playmakers on Jacksonville's defense are linebacker Joseph Fennell (#34) and safety Leonard Smith (#24).

September 5, 2010

Today is Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010. I'm driving to Charlotte N.C. to pick up my wife, Shauna, and my youngest son, Julian.

This is a nice drive because the scenery is beautiful on my way down the Mountain and alone time always gives me a chance to reflect on life. Shauna and Julian were visiting family in New York for two weeks and I miss my family like crazy! It's amazing, how quiet a home can be after a family has lived in it and then leaves for a couple of weeks!

I was just thinking how crazy life is at times. This time three years ago, I felt like I was gonna play another five years In the NFL and that I would do the whole five years as a bachelor!  Now, here I am back in school finishing my degree, no longer playing football, married with two kids and trying to figure out what's next.

Life is so amazing. We honestly think we can plan our lives but God has his own plans for us all. Honestly, I don't have it all figured out. But, then again, am I supposed too?

I know one thing that has always been consistent in me throughout life is my faith In God! Now my faith has to be even stronger. I have a wife and two young boys — I have to be stronger every day, just for them. I must always protect them from any harm. You see, although I am no longer a gladiator on the field for all of you, I will be their gladiator for life! Fighting, clawing, working, training to be the best father and husband I can be for them. To provide them with a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and food on our table.

Let me stop here to thank all the people who have supported me all these years. Thank you Mom, Auntie, sister, brothers, dads, family, friends, haters, associates and, last but not least, the fans! You guys have been so amazing. From Al and Kay, my play grandparents in Boone, all the way to my extended family in Baltimore, the Gerovasalis family. You all have taught me so much over the years and all of you have had a hand In making me a better man! Thanks so much for all your motivation and support and may the Lord bless you all as much as he has blessed my family and I! 

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to spend with me. I have a Song of the Week for you — "I'm Back" by T.I. God Bless. Talk to you next time.

September 4, 2010

What's up, world? I'm back with another entry. In the classroom, I took my first pop quiz last week. I stunk it up — was not prepared for it.

Today we had our first test as a football team this year. On the road, in front of the second-biggest crowd in Chattanooga's history and we stunk it up too! But we did not fold or quit and we walked away with a win!

We went down by as much as 3 TD's in the game as I stood on the sideline trying to figure what my gameday job would be but this game showed me fast!

In the first quarter we had two quick turnovers which both led to scores for the Mocs. We were down 3-0, then 9-0 and I was scratching my head. Then we finally settled down a little and had a 10-play drive and scored to make it 9-7.

However, before I could blink, the score was 28-7! We went into halftime and we as coaches put our brains to work. We had to figure out what to do! The Mocs did not out-work us but they out-smarted us! On film they were pretty bland but today they used a wide range of misdirection and trick plays and capitalized big-time. It was like Madden 2011 on PlayStation — every thing they called was working and we couldn't get a break! 

We came out in the second half on fire but after we scored to make it 28-14, they scored to make it 35-14. This Is when I started to lose my mind!  There's one thing I  learned in The NFL over the last 9 years and that is in in order to win you need your defense to show up. Defenses stop teams from scoring — if your opponent cannot score, they cannot win.

So I started telling the guys to turn it Up, like Roscoe Dash's song! We were in cruise control with a lot of the things we were doing but from that point on, each guy kicked their game into another gear.

You see, App State Is that candy apple red Ferrari that we all want. But what good is a Ferrari that you can only drive in first and second gear? We ended this game In sixth gear and we walked off the field winners!

So maybe my job on gameday will be pure motivation. I was mic'd up for this game and I think they will have to put the Parental Advisory on that one! Sorry world, but I'm not a happy loser!

However, I think that Saturday proved that this could truly be another magical season. If so, I will not be along for the ride — I will either be in front of the bus pulling the way or behind the bus shoving with all my might. To watch the guys take charge the way they did on the field leads me to believe that they will be the same way when they walk into the real world. Football has a way of setting your mind in grind mode forever! Today, I'm proud of our guys. Go App State!

September 3, 2010

What's up, world? This is my first of many blog entries to come this fall!

I'm back in in Boone! It's been almost 10 years since I left school to pursue a career in the NFL. I prayed and asked for 10 years as a pro and The Good Lord blessed me with a strong eight! Injuries, age, and family cut my career short but I feel tremendously blessed to have the opportunity to come back to App and finish up my degree.

This is a wonderful University with great faculty and staff! My school and football career here was breathtaking and I'm looking forward to wrapping it up this fall. So come along and ride with me in my transition from football in the NFL to a full-time Student, husband, father, radio co-host, TV analyst, blogger, assistant strength coach and assistant wide receivers coach on the football field! Its gonna be a long haul — I'm up for it; are you?