This is a clip from a story I’m working on called “The Trojans”, a fictional story of a college football team, the Northern Oregon University Trojans, who have been the laughing joke of college football.  They just hired a hall of fame college and a all-pro (professionally) linebacker, Alexander “Chip” Jackson to help turn the program into a threat for the Championship.  As the year goes on, the team learns how to live up to their potential while surprise a few teams through they’re ups and downs.

So here is the clip, it takes part during the introduction of Alexander Jackson as head coach:

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the media,” started athletic director George Regan, “as a proud member of the Athletic Department and as Athletic Director of Northern Oregon University, it is my great honor to introduce our new head football coach…Alexander Jackson!”

The room exploded with applauds as Jackson walked up to the stage and to the podium.  As he clears his voice, the applauding slowly cease.

“Thank you, thank you.  It’s an honor.” Coach Jackson started, “I know that this school, this program has a lot of potential.  I know this from playing against this team years ago and from watching film on them from last season.  All they needed was someone to push them to and through that potential and I know I’m that guy.  From my playing days, and through everyday life, I live to learn to take things one step at a time, at one day at a time.  To be serious, but to have fun.  To make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes.  You can’t expect things to happen on the first try.  If that was the case, life would be too easy.  Football would be too easy.  You got to learn from the past to live for the future.  With this team, they’ve lived in the past too long, now its time for them to come to the current time and become the winners I know they are.”

“How do you know that coach?” ask a reporter.

“Well, I don’t like to reveal too much into my ideologies on playing and coaching as you guys know.  But I’ll tell you this though,” he started, “It’s going to be tough.  These kids are going to be pushed to the brink.  These kids will be entering camp as boys, but come game day at the end of August, these boys will be mean.”

“We’ve heard this before Coach Jackson, what makes you any different from your predecessors?” ask another reporter.

“Unlike my predecessors, I’ve already got a game-plan ready for camp already.  My collegiate and professional careers help me design and recognize what teams I played for need to work on on a weekly and daily basis.  Whenever its camp or the season, we will execute the game plan.” Coach Jackson stated.

“What would happen if it doesn’t work?” asked a third reporter.

“We’ll change it.” he said, “I recognized that every play in my playbook won’t work.  That’s why we got 120 of them, if it doesn’t work, we have options to fall back on.  We will be perfect out there.”

“Are you guaranteeing that the team is going to be perfect?”

“No I’m not guaranteeing anything.  I don’t know where you got that idea from.  I understand that no one’s perfect but we will run our plays to perfection.  To execute our game plan to perfection and whatever the scoreboard says at the end of the day we’ll just have to live with it.”

“Don’t you think 120 plays are too much?”

“Nope.  These guys are big boys.  Most of them want to play in the pros, they have to get use to some heavy workloads like this.”

“You mention about changes.  What changes can you give us an example of?”

“You would just have to be there.  I’m not going to be talking and announcing this to the public.”

“When do team activites start?  Two-a-days?”

“Team activities started tomorrow, along with our summer program.  With two-a-days starting on August 8th.”

“Have you address the team already?”

“No I haven’t.  I am doing that tonight.”

The room started to bustle and hustle a bit.

“What are you going to talk about?  What time is it?  Where will it be?”

“I’m not going into this.  Let it be clear, this team isn’t going to be a circus that everyone knows what’s going on behind close doors.  Whatever happens is between me, the team and the coaching staff.”

There is even more commotion.  As the media person ales are getting angry with the lack of information and unanswered questions.

The three or four players in the back are just standing back against the wall, grins on their faces with their arms crossed.  They are liking what they’re hearing.  A coach who isn’t a motor mouth on their private activites.

“Thank you for your time,” said Coach Jackson.

The room exploded.  Jackson is greeted with yells and screams of anger.

“You can’t do this!”  “You have to give us something!”  “You got such courage that your over there”

“What was that all about?” asked George.

“You’ll be thanking me,” said coach Jackson smiling as he exits the room.