Coach to Coach

3The Showup Showdown

After a game, it is usual for the team to practice the next day. Since the season is short and condensed, athletes and coaches have to maximize the time to get physically and technically ready for the next week.

After a losing game, however, morale is usually low and aggressions can run high. Practice can often seem like a softer word for punishment. On that Sunday morning after the game, Brian would find out he wasn't the only one who was in a defensive mood.

Marcus Chase was the most talented player on the defense. A top recruit out of high school from Florida, some people questioned his decision to go to a program that was rebuilding. Now in his third year with the school, even he might agree it had been the wrong choice. Not only had the team not cracked into the Top 25, but his play had been highly criticized. Just like Brian, no one likes to admit when they aren't living up to their potential.

Marcus also hadn't recovered from the fallout of the game last night. Rarely do defensive players make highlight reels on ESPN. That is, unless they end up making an offensive player look really good. During the fourth quarter, on a big third-down play, Marcus was hurdled by a receiver as he attempted to make a tackle. Not only did this acrobatic play lead to Marcus making his first Sports Center highlight, it also led to the touchdown that sealed his team's loss.

Marcus was a bit of a lone wolf on the team. His teammates also knew his football pedigree and ...