Summer heat, gallons of water, sweat after sweat, endless techinque drills, speeds drills, learning plays, executing plays, and the coaches walking around with stern faces looking for players that are willing to learn. It is hot and many of the guys beside me are gasping for air after all the sprints and running laps. There does not seem to be anyone willing to actually quit but you can see that they might be thinking it, but they keep going.

In the evenings after practice a group of guys rush to the weight room after learning that one of the top running backs and the rest of his team are three weeks ahead on the schedule. Theylift and lift so that they can possibly measure up to shear size and power of the team and it's running back. They lift until the blood is so tight in the arms that they can hardly scratch their head from an occasional itch.

It is football season, and non of the players wants to lose. After a break for about two months the bodies of the players seem to be thursting for some type of workout. At times it seems that all of the players are speaking about the same subjects, "when is the first game going to get here?" The efforts of all of them are as one. They block for each other, they eat with each other, and they help each other learn the new schemes. There is no time for girls or play station, only sweat and more sweat. Starters looking around to see what new guy will come in and challengethem for a spot on the starting roster. No spot is guaranteed, no one is marked as a starter, or no one is planning to lose the spot from the previous season.

Day by day the season opening is looked upon as a new breath of life to the team. All of the previous years accomplishments only means something to the fans, but the player knows that a new season is just a new season. Everyone is undeated at this point with no wins or loses on their record. It is what pressure feels like and pressure can burst pipes or make diamonds. The tam want to make diamonds but the also know they they are as strong as their weakest link. The self motivated captains let the new players know that this road is not an easy road and what they did previously does not mean much if anything for the upcoming season.

This is football. This is what and whyI love it.