The Diary of Fritz Brady (NCAA 08 Legend)

[wvufan]

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--- Diary of Fritz Brady -- December 9, 2006 ---
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WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!

Roddy is THE MAN! Nice little run (with a nice picture by Kristy) to set up the winning score in the fourth quarter, giving us a nice cushion and a win, 21-14. I was 14-16, 200 yards, 1 touchdown and a pick. Roddy rushed for over 100 yards and 2 scores, and probably earned him a Division I scholarship with a big game in front of all the scouts. Our kicker missed 3 field goals. He's entitled to a bad game, he's pulled our butts out of the fire more times than I can count.

Anyway, we score quickly in the first quarter with a nice pass to Bob McKinney for an early score, and the kicker misses a field goal late in the quarter, and we go ahead at the end of the first, 7-0.

Early in the second, we move right down the field, then I do something dumb.

[MEDIA]http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=1130047882[/MEDIA]

They move it right down the field and tie up the game. The last play of the first half ends like with me sacked, the 4th of the half, and we go into halftime tied.




I go back out in the second half determine to be more aggressive in my passing and more agile in the pocket, which isn't easy for me since I'm slow. But, ultimately, I didn't have to do either, because Roddy Parsons had over 70 yards rushing in the second half. We slowed down, and used up an inordinate amount of time on the field. The first drive ended with Roddy coming in from a yard out, carrying people into the end zone, and no one can score for the rest of the quarter, even though we had a couple good drives than ended in missed field goals. Finally, in the early part of the 4th quarter, we get the ball on the 30, then proceed to have a 13 play, 70 yard drive that takes up nearly the entire quarter and ends like this:

[MEDIA]http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=1130057907[/MEDIA]

We go up 21-7, and with only a minute and change on the clock, Weston doesn't have time to score twice. They get a last second touchdown (3 seconds left on the clock), and we recover the onside kick to seal the victory.

I gotta tell you, it's nice to win the state championship, but after our game against Barboursville, this is a little anti-climatic. It's nice to bring a title home to Winfield though.

Now I have to decide the rest of my life in the next few days.

[Bagel7]

Congrats on your state championship. It'll be interesting to see what happens from here on out.

[wvufan]

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-- The Diary of Fritz Brady -- December 10, 2006 ---
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I have no idea what I'm going to do.

Today I got a 6th school invite, this one from the University of Maryland. I had visited the campus earlier in the year, and I thought the campus and the people of the school were fantastic. I met more than a few interesting people with so many differing viewpoints. I know that I'd learn alot being in that school, and have the opportunity to play against some great schools being a part of the ACC. But that's not what I'm talking about.

Kristy pulled me aside today and told me that her dad, who owns a car dealership in town, had told her that Percy Simmons, the ref that I had asked her about, came in a few days ago and plunked down a thousand dollars for a down payment on a car. Just a few weeks earlier, he had came in but didn't have the money for the down payment. He said Percy had to the salesmen he had "done some work for a friend" and had gotten some extra money.

So that wasn't a big deal, but I got curious. I just knew it couldn't be the Coach, since they don't make that kind of money teaching in West Virginia, but a few months ago my dad had gotten lucky and won $1500 in a scratch off ticket, but I never knew what he had done with the money. So I asked Mom. She kinda ... paused for a sec, and looked up and to the left, and then said they had paid some extra on some bills.

Now, I watch CSI. I know from that show that if someone looks up and to the left (or is it right) they're thinking of something to say. In other words, they're lying. I asked her again, and she said that it wasn't my concern. Then I out and out accused her, and told her that the ref had admitted it to me himself. She looked down, than at me and said "We were just trying to ensure your future.".

In a flash, my whole world came down. Did I EARN those scholarship offers, or was it this ref who made it happen? I know if I say something, the offers go away, and my future is sunk. I also know that if I don't say anything, I'll never been able to look at myself in the face. I turned away from mom and went to find Dad.

I found Dad outside on the porch talking on the phone. He saw me, then the look on my face, and told the person on the other line he'd call him back. I started to say something, then he looked at me and told me he had overheard, and that I should be grateful that I had parents that were willing to do what they did to make sure I got to a good school. And twice in as less than a week, we had a screaming match. I accused him to destroying any sort of self-confidence I had, that I now knew none of my accolades I actually earned, and I certainly didn't earn any championship.

He told me the ref had messed with a single solitary call, and that call didn't make the difference in the game, and that he had told Dad that it was the "easiest thousand dollars he had ever gotten" since he didn't have to do anything. I called him a liar. That if he was willing to do this, what else had he done to fix games -- did he pay the coach to start playing me all those years ago -- did he pay off refs earlier in my high school career. How could I believe ANYTHING he had told me? All those years of "be honest, and don't cheat" when talking about school work was hypocritical, when he had done the same thing. I told him I was gonna go and admit this, set things right.

He told me I couldn't do that, that not only would it destroy my career, as no college would touch me, it would hurt the town, since we would certainly be stripped of the state championship, and that he's pretty sure him bribing the ref was illegal in some way. So I could either shut the hell up and take the opportunities given me, and earn it from this point on, or ruin my life, ruin my teammates life, since they'll lose scholarships too probably, and probably send my own father to jail. Certainly ruin his reputation too. But I'd have a clean conscience.

DAMN HIM. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do here.

[champ134]

Wow, didn't see that coming. This is a great story, keep it up.

[wvufan]

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--- The Diary of Fritz Brady -- December 14, 2006 ---
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I thought about talking to Roddy, but I know him. He would be obliged to tell someone, regardless of the consequences. He's pretty black and white in terms of ethics.

I wish I could be like him.

So, I sat down and had a talk with Kristy. I have to say that I always just looked at her as a friend, and someone to help with homework, but the more time I spend with her, the better I felt about myself. She said she had went through old games, and that it looked like my dad with right -- that one bad throw and catch out of bounds was the only really questionable thing the ref had done. I told her it didn't matter, it was the principle, but she touched my arm and said I earned what scholarships I had been offered.

She then suggested a solution that allows me to get what I want and show everyone involved what I think of what they did. She smiles as I pick up the phone and dial a number.

I had been given his home number in case I had any questions, so when he answered, I just blurted out. "Sir, I want to go to your school. I want to be a Hokie."

A day later, surrounded by my brother, (who will be a great player too, mark my words), my mother, Coach Richmond, my friend Roddy Parsons (who is going to West Virginia) and Kristy Mason (who is also going to Virginia Tech), I signed my letter of intent and became a Virginia Tech Hokie.

My father did not attend the ceremony. He knew why I was going there. I hope I do get to play West Virginia someday. When I throw the winning touchdown and beat the Mountaineers, he'll be responsible for them losing.

[wvufan]

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--- The Diary of Fritz Brady --- January 11, 2007 ---
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I know it's supposed to be the opposite -- that a potential recruit is supposed to visit the campus of a school BEFORE he makes a decision, but I visited the campus today for the first time, a month after I signed with Virginia Tech.

Blacksburg is absolutely beautiful. The people are friendly, the way the campus is set up is gorgeous. I think I'll like it here.

Me and my mom drove up here, and Kristy came along for the ride. She had toured the campus before, so she could take me around to some of the more important places. She's become a good friend over the course of the last few months.

So, I'm with Kristy looking around the library, called the Newman Library, and it's very well put together. It looks like a half-circle on one side of it, and it's MASSIVE. I walk through the doors and there's a student worker at the front of the building, blonde hair about mid-shoulder -- looks like a model, only not as skinny (and that's a good thing, by the way). She looks at me and smiles. She says "Hi, Fritzy".

SHE KNOWS MY NAME!!!

I ask her if we'd met before, and she says she's a big supporter of the football team, and she's glad someone of my (and she paused here) stature is coming to school. That's very cool, and then Kristy took my arm and pulled me into the school, saying we had a lot to look at and not a lot of time.

I think I'm gonna like Blacksburg. Never did get that woman's name, though ...

[wvufan]

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--- The Diary of Fritz Brady -- March 14, 2007 ---
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So, I've been redshirted. They've already told me, months before spring practice even begins. I can't say I'm surprised, but it's still a little disapointing that I won't even get the chance to move up the depth chart. Sean Glennon will obviously get the nod to start, but I wanted to have a chance, maybe getting put in when we run up the score on some poor team, to get behind the center in a Hokie uniform. Coach Beamer told me my time will come, and that he's redshirting me so he can get the most use. He also says he doesn't want to put me on the field unready to the speed of the college game.

So, I can learn from Glennon, whom I haven't met yet. Cool with me.

I called home today, and talked to mom. She's doing fine, as is my little brother (he starts freshmen footbal this year), and I promised I'd try to get home for one of his games, maybe on an off-week. It's not so much of a trip back home from Blacksburg that I thought. I still have not spoken to my father since the day I signed with the Hokies. I have my doubts we will ever have a decent relationship again. I just can't trust him anymore. It makes me sad, because I got into football because of my dad, and I want more than anything to have him watch me play, but I know no matter what I tell myself, it won't be the same watching him in the stands. He's been tainted by what he did to me, by what he made me do.

Her name is Vicky. I saw her again at the student center, and I recognized her from my visit a few months back with Kristy. We had a few (non-alcoholic) drinks, and one thing led to another ...

Let's just say she REALLY likes quarterbacks. Better not say anything to Kristy ... for some reason she gets all pissed off when I mention other women.

I'm gonna like college.

[pauln353]

This is great stuff man, keep it up. I've been following for a while now.

[wvufan]

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--- The Diary of Fritz Brady -- March 31, 2007 ---
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Spring Training sucks.

Winfield never prepared me for anything CLOSE to the hell this is. I swear to God the place decided to go from 70 degrees yesterday to 135 degrees today, just because this is the first day of training, because I have never been so tired in all my life.

I threw up 3 times. THREE TIMES. What kind of madness is this? What kind of drill seargent/Nazi commandant makes his players run until they puke three times?

Why did I come here again? Why couldn't I have picked ALASKA or someplace nice and cool? Maybe UConn. I'll betcha UConn doesn't make their players run until they puke.

I met the "big starting quarterback" Sean Glennon today, and I hate him. I go to introduce myself, and he called me "Meat", which is what he was calling all the freshmen, and he made me carry his "shoulder pads", which are 20 pound weights they (they being him and running back Brandon Ore) made me carry around all day today.

He also said I need to carry weights on my right arm, since I "throw like a little baby". Screw him. I have a strong arm. Stronger than his. Moron.

This team sucks. I never treated freshmen like this when we were in high school.

Well ... not EXACTLY like this.

But, still. I'M FITZGERALD BRADY, the #3 ranked quarterback on the east coast! I should be treated with a little more respect. I asked the quarterback's coach what's going on, and he told me, "for the first part of training, you're meat. Don't matter who you are. Everyone's Meat.".

Sooo, I turn down Tennessee and West Virginia to be treated like meat?

After practice, Vicky gave me a nice massage, which was nice. She's not the most talkative type, but that's fine with me. Vicky doesn't treat me like meat. Well ... she kinda does, but I don't mind that so much.

After Vicky leaves, I get a call from Kristy, who asked me how practice went. Now she listens. She's a good friend, so I pour my heart out, and she stops me about halfway through, and tells me to "suck it up and play football." She seemed angry, and when I asked, she flatly said that I've been given an opportunity most men would kill for, and I have talent most men would love to have. I had no right to -----. This is a speech that Roddy used to tell me when I got down back in Winfield, and it always worked then. And it works again. It's good to have someone to ground you.

So, then I told her about Vicki, and she said to watch out for women like that, since they'll "use you up and toss you away". I told her that if what she does to me is called "using", I need more of it. She didn't like that very much and quickly got off the phone.

Women. Can't understand them sometimes.

[wvufan]

The next few entries will cover the rest of March and the beginning of April of 2007. We all know what happened in Virginia Tech during those days, but the diary entries will make no mention of the tragedy, as if they didn't happen. I do this because, quite frankly, I don't want to insult anyone or seem like I'm making light of what actually happened on that day. So, if I don't mention what happened, it's not because I'm oblivious to it, only that I don't want to offend anyone.