Chicago Tribune

David Haugh: Northwestern experience latest reason why college more compelling than NFL

Every college football team needs a guy like Northwestern strength coach Alex Spanos, the human can of Red Bull who understands real strength on Saturdays comes from building camaraderie that can be even more powerful than massive pecs.

In rainy 40-degree temperatures and winds gusting like a Scottish gale Saturday at Ryan Field, Spanos wore a short-sleeve purple shirt on the Northwestern sidelines that suggested he was more brawn than brains. If you think the Big Ten Network cameras loved Spanos and his bare, muscular arms during Northwestern's 39-0 throttling of

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