Not in a Million Years...

Do you recognize this imposing figure?

How about that baby face? Are you wondering what the heck he's doing in this get up?

Let me back up a little and explain...

It all began when our kids started school here in January. Troy is not a small guy, I'm sure you've noticed. He's 6'2" and around 240. So naturally, he constantly got 'the question'.

(Do you play football?)

He ate lunch each day with a group of boys who do play football, and they kept encouraging him to join the team. But there's one problem. Troy doesn't really know football...none of our boys do (poor Cliff...a Chargers fanatic and not one son to share the passion). After school one day (a few months later), Troy said, "I've been thinking, maybe I should go out for football." to which I replied, "Maybe first you should talk to the coach and ask him if it matters that you don't know anything about football."

Luckily, the head coach is Troy's history teacher. When Troy asked him, the coach said, "I've been meaning to ask you if you are interested in football." Troy explained the situation, and the coach assured him that they would teach him everything he needs to know. The next day, Troy started after school conditioning for 2 1/2 hours a day, 4 days a week...including running, weight lifting and field exercises. (There is even an activity bus that brings him home each evening!) He's been making great progress in his running, and has only puked once. They are still working on getting him to look mean...it's just not in his repertoire.

So, it gets better...a few weeks later, Troy tells me that one of the assistant coaches is also the choir director. (He's no dummy...I'm sure he was probably choir director first, and then joined forces with the football program to recruit male voices.) Anyway, this coach is constantly after these guys to join choir. So on the last day to turn in schedule requests for next year, Troy and four of his football friends went down to try out for choir. The coach listened to their auditions, then simply said he knew he had his work cut out for him, but they at least had the raw materials he could start with (lungs and a voice box, I think).

So, now we have a football-playing canary. (This just came to me...wasn't that the premise of a Brady Bunch episode?)

Anyway, as long as he doesn't sustain any brain damage, and this doesn't interfere too much with my travel plans this summer and fall...this could be a very awesome thing for him to experience in his senior year. Way to go, Troy!