9/9/2007 8:10:16 AM
Edmonton Vs Calgary #3 Labour Day Rematch
Reflection

Everything that I do is a reflection of me. It could be something positive or negative but every single thing that I do is somehow indicative of who I am, and what I’m about. That holds true not only in football , but in life. The characteristics, deeds, personality traits and actions that I put out to the world in everyday life are what I will be evaluated on when dealing with people, or when remembered. So naturally, I try to put my best foot forward at all times. It doesn’t always work out like that though, like anyone else, if you catch me at the wrong time of day or in the wrong mood I can be aloof and disinterested. I can come off as arrogant or even a know-it-all, but given time you’ll usually see that I’m a pretty decent guy on the whole.
In football, all things are recorded by the eye in the sky. Several camera angles catch our every move on the field, and often even on the sidelines. It is very difficult to get away with anything extra-curricular without someone seeing, be it in real time, or in film study. If you look slow and lethargic to yourself while watching the film, imagine how you must look to opposing coaches. If you look stiff and un-athletic to your own coaching staff, expect to be picked on that week by opposing coordinators. If you come across as a cancer in your demeanor on tape, there’s a good chance that word will spread of your cancerous behavior since everybody in the league gets the same tapes. Coaches, GM’s, scouts, refs, players, etc. all will view you in whatever light that you put yourself in on game day.
The good thing about that is that you as a player have a choice of how you wish to be seen. To be seen as a “ball-hawk” all one must do is find a way to be around the ball constantly. To be seen as a “tough” or “physical” player, just find a way to win a number of collisions throughout a game and you’ll be on your way. When I watch us on film game after game, I see a number of things. A number of different types of plays reflective of basically 12-15 guys on any given week. At times you can go down the line from player to player and see at least 11 of us offensively who know what we’re doing from an assignment standpoint. In the same play you may see 3 of us who aren’t quite sure how to do it effectively, or are unsure of our chances of success as we attempt to do our job. At other times you can see 10 guys who are absolutely sure of what they are seeing in front of them, what their assignment is, and certain of how to execute that assignment effectively. The other 2 may not be so sure though, and in this game…that uncertainty in either assignment or execution can spell disaster, and for us usually does.
I really believe that our success or lack thereof as a team will continue to come down to how we wish to be seen individually. It’s impossible for one of us to control another, let alone for one to control 50. The vets can’t force the rookies to watch more film, and the linebackers can’t force the defensive line to be gap sound. The quarterbacks can’t force the receivers to win on vs press coverage, and the receivers can’t force the line to protect. All I as a player can do to get my team back on track is to try to be an example. Allowing myself to be pushed out of bounds at the 12 yd line on the first play last week, is reflective of my lack of awareness of the proximity of would-be-tacklers in space. That’s something that I plan to remedy immediately so that I don’t cost my team 6 points again. A lineman giving up a sack should view that sack in the same way. Or a running back who misses a cut, a DB who misses a tackle, and so on. The team is too big of an entity for us to each as individuals try to fix ourselves. If we each attempt to fix ourselves individually, and hold ourselves to the highest of standards, that will in turn fix the team.
I may be an idealist, but I honestly go into every game with the intention of attaining perfection. If there are any minuses on my grade sheet the next day, I’m disappointed with myself because I feel like perfection is attainable if you attack it on a play-by-play basis. To line up each play and have the confidence in what your assignment is from play study, the understanding of how to execute that assignment against the look that is in front you from hours of film study, and the god-given ability to play that play with a unique speed and agility in order to attain success. That’s it…that’s all we need to do. Then line up and do it again about 60 times.
It all comes down to how you wish to be seen as a player, just like life comes down to how you wish to be seen as a person. ©

KP8