How we can all learn a lesson from Jeremy Lin

Linsanity, Lincredible, Linvincible, Super Lintendo. The nicknames for the stunning breakout of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin are endless.  He has emerged from anonymity, and now finds himself in the center of the brightly shining spotlight of New York City, and Madison Square Garden.  How did this all happen? Where did he come from? And why has he been overlooked for so long?

Jeremy Lin has gone from the end of the Knicks bench, to the top story on ESPN, and is now the hottest story in sports.  For those of you who have been following this story, you probably know by now that Jeremy Lin has been overlooked at every level.  But despite being overlooked, and being told he wasn't good enough, he kept fighting. He had a dream, and he has worked relentlessly to make it into a reality. All he needed was for somebody to believe in him, and to give him an opportunity.  He is the epitome of an underdog, and from this underdog story I think there are two major lessons we can learn in perseverance, and in stereotyping.  

Jeremy Lin hails from Palo Alto, California.  In high school Lin was a phenomenal player. He received very little attention heading into his senior year from recruiters though.  Even Harvard, where he eventually found a home, came away unimpressed after their initial analysis.  However, after seeing him a second time Lin became the top player on Harvard's recruiting board.  In Lin's senior season he led Palo Alto High School to a 32-1 record and an upset over perennial powerhouse Mater Dei High School in the state championship game.  Lin would also go on to win Player of the Year honors in the state of California. However he was also the only California High School State Player of the Year to never be offered a Division I scholarship.  Stanford was located right across the street, but they never came through with an offer. Neither did Cal or UCLA who were at the top of his list. So he ended up at Harvard, a school who has produced more United States Presidents, than NBA Draft Picks.

At Harvard, Lin continued to perform.  He averaged, 17.8 points per game, and 16.4 points per game respectively in his junior, and senior seasons.  He also helped turn around what had been a horrid Harvard Basketball program. With the help of newly hired Head Coach Tommy Amaker, Lin led Harvard to a 21-8 record in his senior season. They narrowly missed the NCAA tournament, however they did receive a postseason bid to the CIT, which was an impressive accomplishment after struggling through an 8-22 season when he was a sophomore.  Lin also graduated with a degree in Economics.

However despite all the success he had at Harvard, the NBA didn't seem to really take notice.  He was projected to be drafted by many experts, but the draft came and went without Lin's name being called.  You think stereotypes don't exist? Let me tell you that even here in 2012 they are alive and well.  "How could an Asian kid from California, who played at Harvard possibly be good enough for the NBA?"  "He's smart, and he knows the game, has a decent shot, but he can't possibly be athletic enough." Those were the kinds of statements that NBA scouts, and front office brass made about Lin.  People didn't take into account that he has won at every level, that he has constantly been overlooked yet continued to perform, that he actually has good size for a point guard at 6'3" and 200 pounds, and that he has an explosive first step and ability to get to the rim.

But did that stop Lin? Absolutely not. He had a dream, and he was determined to make it come true.  He had been overlooked going into the college, this was just another hurdle on his way to achieving his dreams.  Lin was invited by the Dallas Mavericks to play in the NBA's Summer League. That is where Lin made his first impression on the NBA. He played very well against that year's number one overall pick John Wall out of Kentucky.  He posted solid numbers in the Summer League, and was signed by the Golden State Warriors.  Despite making the roster he was placed on the inactive list.  Despite making his NBA debut, and enjoying playing for his hometown team, Lin spent the season bouncing between the NBA and the D-League and was cut on December 9, 2011, the first day of training camp after the NBA lockout had ended.  He was claimed off of waivers by the Houston Rockets on December 12th.  However things didn't get any easier in Houston.  He found himself at the bottom of the depth chart, and was waived by them on Christmas Eve.

Than Lin finally caught a break, well sort of.  On Christmas Day, New York Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert suffered a knee injury, and the Knicks claimed Lin off waivers on December 27th.  Again Lin initially saw no playing time. In fact he was even assigned to the D-League again.  After posting a triple double of 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, the Knicks recalled him to the NBA team.

He still wasn't playing though. The Knicks were going with their completely ineffective combination of Mike Bibby, Iman Shumpert, and Toney Douglass at point guard, and along with it their previously high expectations were gone. The Knicks were ready for Baron Davis to come back and hopefully instill some stability to the point guard position. However after he suffered a setback in practice, and with the urging of Carmelo Anthony, Head Coach Mike D'Antoni decided to give him some minutes, and what Lin had been waiting for all along, an opportunity.  25 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds later, and one Knicks victory later, Lin found himself with a starting assignment against the Utah Jazz.  And as they say, that's all she wrote.  Lin has led the Knicks to seven straight victories and counting now. Those victories include dramatic comebacks, a game winning 3 pointer at Toronto, and a dominating 38 point performance against the Lakers.  Despite, the public questioning of whether or not Carmelo will pose a problem once he returns, things are only going to get better.

How did he seemingly come out of nowhere? Well the thing is, he was always ready. He was just waiting for a chance.  This whole time he patiently waited, working his hardest, and most importantly staying confident and believing in himself.  It's easy to lose confidence in yourself when nobody else seems to have any in you. Sometimes the only thing that can hold you back is yourself, and when you don't believe in yourself that is what can happen. Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski once said "For the most part people do not attempt things because they fear the consequences. But the greatest consequence of all comes in not attempting to do the things that you believe you can. Having courage means boldly pursuing your dreams, no matter what the consequences may be." Jeremy Lin has the courage of a lion, and for those of you who think that he is just a flash in the pan, or a fluke, you don't know enough about him, and he's looking forward to proving you wrong just like he has everybody else on his way to the top.

Right now he's the toast of New York City. People can't get enough of him. His jersey is the best selling in the NBA since February 4th, and he is the headline on ESPN every day.  But the reason people love him so much isn't just because he is a great basketball player. Sure he is one, but there are plenty of those. The reason is because he inspires us, he gives us hope.  Every player on the bench working his hardest to get in, every employee who feels that they are under-appreciated and that they can do more, every person who believes all they need is a chance, look no further than Jeremy Lin, and keep believing.

Eli Manning Emerges from Peyton's Shadow, and Makes His Way Into the Spotlight

Eli, Peyton, and father Archie

You all know Peyton Manning. Engineering the Colts offense better than any offensive coordinator possibly could, putting up passing numbers that seemed only possible in video games, leading his team to the playoffs year after year, featured in countless advertising campaigns and promoting some of the most popular products in their respective industries.  After a spectacular college career at the University of Tennessee, in which he set the SEC record for passing yards and wins for a starting quarterback, he was taken with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and has taken the league by storm since than.  He has led the Colts to 12 playoff appearances, has earned 11 Pro Bowl appearances, has won three MVP awards, has already won one Super Bowl, and taken his team to another, and in the process has broken virtually every Colts franchise passing record.

Eli in the Cotton Bowl at Ole Miss

In the meantime, as his older and far more celebrated brother, made his way to top, little Eli was steadily putting together an impressive career for traditional SEC cellar dweller Ole Miss.  Despite the fact that Ole Miss was not an SEC powerhouse, Eli decided to follow in Daddy Archie's footsteps.  After finishing a senior season in which he led Ole Miss to a Cotton Bowl victory, won both the Maxwell, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards, and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, his stock steadily began to rise.

Just like Peyton he was selected first overall, albeit, amid some controversy.  People tend to forget that Eli was originally a San Diego Charger.  However with the support of Archie, who suffered through some miserable seasons, on some very bad teams, as the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, it was rumored that Eli would refuse to play unless dealt to another team.  So on draft day the Chargers and Giants made a deal that would define both franchises for the years to come.  They swapped draft picks and when all was said and done the Chargers had Phillip Rivers out of N.C. State, and the Giants had their man in Eli Manning.  And we all know how that one is working out.

Things weren't easy for Eli though.  He had an immense amount of pressure placed on him already, coming from the most popular family of athletes in sports, and there was surely no way he could ever escape the shadow cast by his immensely successful brother Peyton. But the expectations were on him to not only produce, but to do it right away, and anything short of returning the New York Giants to glory would undoubtedly be considered a failure.

If you watched Eli Manning from the start, it was not a pretty sight.  He struggled early, and often. His numbers were mediocre at best, teammates questioned his ability to lead, and the media absolutely killed him for it.  And the fans were the worst of all. New York is a great place, it is my home, and I absolutely love it, but as great as the fans can be when things are going well, they can be downright awful when you are not.  New York City is a place where the common theme "is what have you done for me lately?"

Eli Manning escaped the Patriots grasp to deliver the
throw to David Tyree that would change history

But than in his fourth season Eli finally delivered what all those New Yorkers had been waiting for. He won that first ring. In dramatic fashion, he led a game winning drive, in which he completed one of the most phenomenal plays in Super Bowl history to David Tyree, and delivered again, hitting Plaxico Burress for the winning touchdown.  He defeated Tom Brady and the almighty, seemingly unbeatable, New England Patriots.  The Giants made an improbable run, knocking off Buccaneers, Cowboys, and the Packers at Lambeau, on the way to achieving their Super Bowl victory. New York was in love with Eli Manning, and the New York Giants, for the time being at least...

The following season the Giants went on to win the NFC East and earned the number one seed in the NFC.  However they were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles at home, and fans were angry as Eli under performed badly in the loss. Over the next two seasons things only got worse.  The Giants struggled mightily down the stretch and missed the playoffs in both years. Eli personally struggled as well. Despite throwing for over 4,000 yards in both seasons, he finished last season with an embarrassing 25 interceptions.  New York was again ready to throw him out of town.

Than in 2011 things changed.  In the preseason Eli was highly criticized for saying that he believed he "is an elite quarterback" and "in the class of Tom Brady."  Now athletes are criticized for things they say in the media all the time, and more often than not they are taken out of context.  But either way those words came out of his mouth, and he went out this season and proved that he in fact was elite.  He threw for nearly 5,000 yards, finishing with 4,933, and thew 29 touchdowns to 16 interceptions.  The Giants did have their struggles at times, losing four straight at one point this season, as well as an ugly loss to the Seahawks, and losses to the Redskins both times.  But Eli was rarely at fault.

This season was defined not only by his impressive numbers, but by his late season heroics in victories over the Cowboys twice, and the outspoken, but unimpressive New York Jets, that has set up the second improbable playoff run they are now on.  The Giants are healthy, confident, and look like they could take down anybody right now. They outright dominated the Falcons, at home, shut down the vaunted Packers offense at Lambeau, and won an intense battle with the 49ers at Candlestick.  Although his numbers were solid in that victory over the 49ers, the most impressive thing in that game to me was that he kept on fighting. He got beat up badly in that game. The 49ers sacked him 6 times, and knocked him down or hit him on seemingly every play, yet he just kept getting back up, and eventually found a way to help his team get the victory and back to the Super Bowl, earning a rematch Brady and the Patriots.

I admittedly have not always been the biggest Eli fan.  But he has earned my respect, and than some.  When it comes down to it, he might not be made for the spotlight, he's just a laid back southern kid out here doing what he loves. But he has no doubt put himself in the elite class of quarterbacks in the NFL.  If he can win on Sunday, and beat Tom Brady and the Patriots again, in Peyton's house, than he will have won his second ring, and that's one more than Peyton has for those of you counting at home. For the first time in his life, he will have one upped his big bro, and in the process he just may be emerging from that shadow.

Anthony Myers making a name for himself

When you think of the Robert Morris Colonials team, you probably think of the players who garner the most attention, including undisputed leader and veteran guard Velton Jones, sharpshooting star in the making Coron Williams, and forward/center Lijah Thompson who is capable of throwing down some impressive dunks.  But it's time that people start paying attention to do everything guard, sophomore Anthony Myers.

Conference games on the road in college basketball are never easy. You have to factor in unfamiliarity with the environment the players are staying, hostility from opposing fans, and often times long hours of travel. It is no different for our very own Colonials who just finished up a road trip to New Jersey to take on Northeast Conference opponents Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson.  Never mind the fact that these two teams are bottom dwellers in the conference this season, the Colonials headed into Jersey banged up. Coron, despite showing great toughness and playing through the pain of a badly sprained ankle is still hurting, versatile swingman Russell Johnson is still out with a broken thumb, and Lijah is still recovering from the effects of his fractured foot.  They needed somebody to step up and fill that void.

After being down to FDU by as many as 6 on Thursday night, Lucky Jones, thrust into a starting role with the injury to Johnson, provided a spark and led the Colonials to a 12 point victory. However last night against the Monmouth Hawks, the Colonials were in an even bigger hole, finding themselves down 15 with 11:34 left in regulation. Enter Anthony Myers.  Myers came off the bench and knocked down back to back to back 3's.  He than drove the lane and made a layup to tie the game at 61.  The Colonials traded baskets with the Hawks and after a last second miss by the Hawks headed into overtime tied at 67. In overtime Myers was still feeling it as he scored 5 of the Colonials first 7 points and the team cruised to an 81-73 victory.  Ant finished the night a perfect with 16 points including, 5 for 5 from the field, 4 for 4 from 3 point range, 2 for 2 from the free throw line, and threw in 3 assists, 2 steals and a block for good measure.

This isn't the first time he's shined.  Earlier this season against Duquesne, Myers came off the bench for 10 points and 6 rebounds and helped lead a Colonials comeback victory over the rival Dukes. Just last week, after Velton had a couple of off nights in a row, Myers was inserted into the starting lineup and had 7 assists, helping the Colonials pick up a key victory over Sacred Heart to snap a 2 game skid.  If Robert Morris is going to contend for their 3rd conference title in 4 seasons they need to rely on Myers more down the stretch.

Competition makes everybody better.  Velton has returned to the form of the All-NEC guard he truly is during Ant's emergence. Velton deserves a lot of credit for last night's impressive comeback as well.  He delivered 35 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals.  In the process he also scored his 1,000th career point as a Colonial.  As one of Monmouth's announcers put it "tonight Velton was Superman."

Back to Ant though. This kid is humble, hardworking, energetic, and he is well liked by all of his teammates.  Last season Ant showed promise as a freshman. You could see his athleticism, his quickness, and his excellent court vision, but his shot wasn't where he would like it to be.  I saw his maturation as a shooter right before my eyes. It didn't happen overnight though. He consistently and intensely worked for it all off-season, and all summer long.  This season he has improved his field goal percentage from 34% to 44%, his 3 point percentage from 24% to 50% and his free throw percentage from 63% to 75%.  He is talented, a great team player, and versatile enough to fill any role.  But I know Ant well enough to say that he wants to let you know he's just getting started.

Tim Tebow Rises to the Occasion

There comes a time in a man's life where he is faced with the opportunity he has always dreamed of.  This often comes after he has put in hours of work, paid his dues, waited for his time, and ultimately has done everything in his power to earn the opportunity he is now faced with.  How a man performs in the face of that opportunity will define him, in terms of his level of success, his character, and ultimately his legacy.  On Sunday in Denver, Tim Tebow undoubtedly made the most out of his opportunity, and earned one of the most thrilling upset victories in recent memory.

Despite his widespread popularity among fans, his number of detractors, doubters, and haters is just as large. Whether it be for his proud statement of faith, his enormous amount of hype which some believe is undeserved, the fact that some people just don't think he is a good quarterback, the fact that he's "too nice"
 or the fact that he simply "can't throw," people just don't like the guy.  I don't see what there is not to like about him. In a sport where you see players getting arrested for all types of scandals and criminals, Tebow has never had any of that associated with his name. He works extremely hard, is a captivating leader, inspires others both on and off the field, and when it comes down to it he simply wins games.  

Heading into Sunday's game there was a multitude of questions about Tebow and the Denver Broncos who as many pointed out, had collectively fallen apart down the stretch.  The team went 0-3 in their final three games and the Tebow led offense had stagnated, with Tebow himself turning the ball over seven times in that span. After winning seven of his first eight starts it seemed as though "Tebow Time" was up, and the magic had run out. The Broncos however managed to hold onto the AFC West, with an 8-8 record, and backed into the playoffs.  Rumors swirled around Denver all week with reports that Tebow was holding onto his starting job by a thread, and that the team was considering going with backup quarterback Brady Quinn if Tebow struggled in the early goings on Sunday.  This game would be Tebow's biggest test facing off against the reigning AFC Champions, a Pittsburgh Steelers team with a famed tradition of postseason success, that featured the NFL's #1 ranked pass defense, not to mention a sold out Denver crowd and a record breaking national television audience.  If Tebow failed here, this could be his last game as the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos.

But the thing that people don't seem to understand about Tebow, is that this man has a will power, work ethic, passion, and competitive nature so strong, that he lives for these moments.  He is at his best when the pressure is on. Back him into a corner, and he will explode out of it.  Those characteristics were on full display on Sunday. Tebow completed 10 passes for 316 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns. He also chipped in 50 rushing yards on 10 carries.  Those who said he couldn't throw, and that he certainly couldn't throw deep, ate their words yesterday.  Consider this, Tebow completed five passes of 30 yards or more on Sunday, the Steelers had only given up seven passes of 30 yards or more all season! After Ben Roethlisberger led a spirited Steelers comeback tying the game at 23 and sending it into overtime, Tebow wasted little time leading his team to victory. On the first play from scrimmage with the defense biting up on a play-action fake he delivered a beautiful strike to Demaryius Thomas, who stiff armed Ike Taylor and outraced Taylor and Ryan Mundy, on his way to an 80 yard game-winning touchdown.  That play was the exclamation point on an outstanding performance from Tebow and his Denver teammates.

Now those who doubt Tebow will be quick to point out all of the injuries that the Steelers were dealing with, the fact that he only completed 10 out of 21 passes, and that this victory proves nothing long term.  What people fail to notice is that the Broncos were missing starting guard Chris Kuper, starting safety Brian Dawkins, running back Knowshon Moreno who has been out for weeks, and top receiver Eric Decker who was sidelined in the 1st quarter with a knee injury and didn't return.  But that is besides the point, Tebow can't control any of that, all he can control is his own performance, and he turned out a great one.

And so the Tebow Show goes on the road to Foxboro to take on the number one seeded New England Patriots and Tom Brady.  The Broncos might go out and get handled this weekend, but Tebow has already made his statement, and at this point are you really going to continue to doubt him? Either you love him or you hate him, and there is seemingly no in between.  But after Sunday's performance it looks like he is here to stay whether you like it or not.

What is Worth Watching in these Lesser Bowls

Well college football fans, bowl season is officially upon us.  Some of you might lament; we hate these lesser bowls, they are meaningless, the teams playing don't deserve to be there, it is only about the money.  All of which are valid claims, and opinions which I myself have voiced.  But the fact of the matter is we are all college football fans, and like it or not we are stuck with this current system.  This past Saturday, with the first three bowl games on the schedule, produced two close games. I enjoyed Louisiana-Lafayette putting together an excellent drive with 35 seconds left for Brett Baer to kick the game winning field goal as time expired, allowing the Ragin' Cajuns to pull out the victory over San Diego State for their first bowl win as an FBS school.

I do not work for ESPN, and therefore I have no vested interest in boosting television ratings.  The reason I'm saying this is because despite what they might tell you, there isn't a reason to watch all of the bowls that ESPN throws at you. Some of these games are going to be terrible.  For example the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl featuring Illinois (6-6) vs UCLA (6-7). UCLA astonishingly reached the Pac-12 championship game (helped greatly by the fact that their South division is extremely weak, and USC is facing a postseason ban) where they were thoroughly dominated by Oregon and dropped below .500. Illinois after starting the season 6-0, reeled off 6 straight losses.  In the process the Head Coaches for both teams have been fired.  Why would anyone besides a family member, current student/faculty, or alumni be interested in seeing this game? And I guarantee you even they would have a hard time watching. But that's enough of that, despite the amount of bad football we will see, there are some things we should be thankful for the opportunity to see in these lesser bowls and here they are:

MAACO Bowl Las Vegas
Date: December 22, 8:00 p.m. ESPN
Matchup: #7 Boise State (11-1) vs.  Arizona State (6-6)
Reason worth watching: Boise has a very good team, a top 10 team in fact, and if it hadn't been for another heartbreaking loss on a missed field goal they would be in a much better bowl than this one. Although Arizona State had a disappointing season they have a bright future.  Watching Boise QB Kellen Moore carve up the ASU secondary will be a treat, and his counterpart Brock Osweiler who stands at 6'8", the tallest quarterback in Division I, has the potential to build on his solid junior campaign and springboard into a big senior season.

Valero Alamo Bowl
Date: December 29, 9:00 p.m. ESPN
Matchup: #12 Baylor (9-3) vs. Washington (7-5)
Reason worth watching: Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III isn't quite finished yet.  He has Baylor bowling for the second straight season which is no small feat in itself, but with this game against a porous Washington secondary, he has the potential to significantly add to his already impressive numbers.  The Baylor defense is very weak as well so look for Washington quarterback Keith Prince, who quietly had a very good season in his first year as a starter, to make this one a shootout.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl
Date: December 30, 3:20 p.m. ESPN
Matchup: Iowa State (6-6) vs. Rutgers (8-4)
Reason worth watching: On paper this doesn't look like a great matchup, but Iowa State and Rutgers are both programs headed in the right direction.  Iowa State Head Coach Paul Rhoads has turned the program around, and this year the Cyclones had one of the biggest upsets in college football defeating than 2nd ranked Oklahoma State.  Iowa State also just recently signed Rhoads to a 10 year extension.  Iowa State might see themselves a few years down the road when they look across the field and see the level of rebuilding Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano has done with a previously hapless Rutgers program.  To these teams this bowl game means more than just an extra game and some money.

TicketCity Bowl 
Date: January 2, 12:00 p.m. ESPNU
Matchup: #19 Houston (12-1) vs. #22 Penn State (9-3)
Reason worth watching: Well I'm sure this is not where either team imagined they would end up.  Houston, after being upset in the Conference USA championship game and losing out on a shot for a BCS berth had to settle for this. Penn State after a season that started off with such promise, watched their season begin to slip away courtesy of Jerry Sandusky and the turmoil that followed.  On the field it is a matchup of Houston's high powered passing attack led by record setting quarterback Case Keenum, and Penn State's old school combination of a power running game featuring Silas Redd, and of late Stephfon Greene, and a dominating defense.  I'm always interested to see which style will win out in these matchups.

Outback Bowl
Date: January 2nd, 1:00 p.m. ABC
Matchup: #16 Georgia (10-3) vs. #17 Michigan State (10-3)
Reason worth watching: This game features two teams who finished as runner ups in their respective conferences.  Michigan State lost a heartbreaker in their Big 10 title game rematch against Wisconsin, and Georgia leading at the half was dismantled in the 2nd half by unbeaten and top ranked LSU in the SEC championship game.  I'm sure both of these teams are disappointed with their bowl bid, but it should be a great matchup of Big 10 power against SEC dominance.

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Date: January 6, 8:00 p.m. FOX
Matchup: #6 Arkansas (10-2) vs. #8 Kansas State (10-2)
Reason worth watching: This matchup is my personal favorite of the bowl season.  The fact that both of these teams were passed over by the BCS in favor of Michigan vs. Virginia Tech is insane in my opinion.  Quarterback Tyler Wilson leads a potent Arkansas offense against a gritty Kansas State squad led by do it all quarterback Collin Klein, who simply finds ways to win, although it might not always be pretty (sound like somebody familiar?).  Klein had 38 total touchdowns this season and ran for over a thousand yards.  This should be a high scoring affair, and it features two great coaching minds as well in Bobby Petrino, and Bill Snyder.

GoDaddy.com Bowl
Date: January 8, 9:00 p.m. ESPN
Matchup: Northern Illinois (10-3) vs. Arkansas State (10-2)
Reason worth watching: This bowl features two conference champions, albeit champions of the MAC and Sun Belt conferences.  Some of you may have never heard of these schools, but they play a very high level of football. These teams both feature high powered offenses so if you enjoy shootouts, and I happen to be a fan, you should check this one out.  Keep in mind the NFL regular season will be over and the postseason games of the day should be over by 8, so if you're bored this will be your only football option for the night.

Division III National Championship Game: What is right with the game of football

Perhaps not many of you know, but there was a National Championship game played in college football Friday night. The reason you are likely unaware of this is because the game was played between the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Mount Union who compete at the Division III level. The Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks defeated  the Mount Union Purple Raiders 13-10 to finish 15-0, earn their 3rd consecutive National Championship, as well as their 3rd consecutive undefeated season, and perhaps most impressively bring their current winning steak to 45 games.  You think this game was meaningless? Try telling that to these kids, coaches, and schools, for who this game meant everything.

The game was played at the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl which is located in Salem, Virginia, in front of a crowd of 3,784 people.  The temperature was only 38 degrees, and a steady rain fell for most of the game. The game was televised nationally on ESPN 2, but nobody seemed to notice.  Despite the lack of attention, imperfect conditions, and obscure location, something about this bowl game was different. Something about it was beautiful. It was simply a game of football being played in its purest form.

There was no excessive television contract involved, no NCAA violations to be spoken of, and no talk of Head Coaches breaking promises and commitments by leaving their schools and players behind.  This match-up wasn't decided by a group of computers, or a series of polls. No folks, this National Champion was decided by a playoff system consisting of 32 teams.

After dominating for much of the game, the Wisconsin-Whitewater defense finally yielded and allowed a Mount Union field goal with 11:23 left in the 4th quarter.  The Warhawk offense quickly answered back with a drive of their own that would lead to 3 points and extend their lead to 13-3, seemingly putting the game out of reach as the Mount Union offense had seemed to be stuck in neutral for much of the night.

However the Mount Union offense sprang to life with an 8 play, 72 yard drive, lasting all of 2:14. The drive was capped off by a beautiful touchdown toss from Matt Piloto to A.J. Claycomb.  The PAT was good, suddenly making it a 3 point game with the score at 13-10 and 3:20 to play.

Following the kickoff the Mount Union defense rose to the occasion. After burning their final timeouts and holding the Warhawk offense to a three and out, the Warhawks were forced to punt.  Mount Union got the ball back with 2:12 to play and one last shot on offense to send this game to overtime or possibly even go for the win. But the Warhawk defense would have none of that tonight as they held strong allowing only one first down, before forcing the Purple Raiders to turn it over on downs.  Defensive back Ryan Wenkman had the highlight of the series as he made an acrobatic pass deflection, and nearly came down with the interception.

It was fitting that the turning point of this defensive showdown came on a turnover.  With 4:04 remaining in the 3rd quarter, Loussaint Minett strip sacked Piloto, and Cole Klotz pounced on the loose ball at the 1 yard line. The following play Levell Coppage burst into the endzone for the game's first touchdown to put the Warhawks up 10-0.

At the Division III level of college sports there are no athletic scholarships, but it didn't seem to matter to these players.  They sell out, giving it everything they have, not for money, or fame, or the incentive of illegal benefits. These players work hard all year to reach this game, and tonight they were out there for each other, for their schools, and most of all for the love of their sport, and there is something truly beautiful about that.