The Reluctant Superstar

By Robert L. Boyer

A young man who went by the name of Jay Cee lived in a small town in Pennsylvania. He worked as a carpenters helper at a job that paid less than a dollar an hour above minimum wage. Teaching Sunday school was a passion of his. He arrived in Detroit one day to attend a four-day religious retreat along with twenty thousand other Christian believers from several midwestern states. Due to an incredible set of circumstances, he found himself at the Detroit Lions training facility in Allen Park, Michigan, a nearby suburb of Detroit. In an even more bizarre twist of fate, he found himself practicing with the Detroit Lions football team at the position of quarterback. He dazzled everyone on the field, especially the head coach. His pinpoint passing, his ball handling, and his elusiveness in the pocket were nothing short of amazing! However, he had absolutely no desire to play professional football. He was very satisfied living and working in that small town and teaching Sunday school there. No amount of money offered to him could make him change his mind. One evening, Jay Cee attended a class at the retreat during which the instructor told them, God wants us to live up to our potential by using the talents He has given us. Sometimes, we have to step outside of our comfort zones before we can recognize what those talents are. That made him realize that perhaps living in a small town and working for minimum wage was not his destiny; maybe it was time for him to broaden his horizons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 27, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450002561

Robert L. Boyer

Robert L. Boyer is a native Detroiter. After serving in the United States Army for two years, he was honorably discharged, but was notified that he had been laid off from his job as a city bus driver. He was soon recalled to work, but in the sanitation department. Boyer saw this as an opportunity to enroll in night school at Highland Park Junior College in order to better himself. He soon transferred to Wayne State University where he acquired a bachelor’s degree in sociology, with which he began a career in social casework. He went on to earn his master’s degree from the college of education. He changed careers and went to work for General Motors where he was employed for nearly twenty-seven years. He retired as manager of Southeast Michigan Regional Benefit Centers. He is a member of Hopewell Baptist Church in Detroit where he teaches Sunday school and serves on the Board of Trustees. Cover design by Robert L. Boyer Cover graphics by Xlibris

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

This book is dedicated to the

State Of Michigan,

especially the

City of Detroit,

all of its professional sports teams,

and the many wonderful fans who

have supported them through the years.

Mr. Boyer has also authored books titled

The Enemy Next Door

and

The Right To Remain Silent

Copies may be ordered through Xlibris.

Acknowledgments

I thank God for His inspiration and His blessings in the writing of this book. I thank Him, also, for making resource people and material available to me. I also thank my daughter, Robin, who proofread and edited this entire manuscript. She offered suggestions that helped me to stay focused. My brother Ed provided information regarding legal ramifications regarding some of the material used in the publication of this book. Mucho gracias, Ed.

I must thank Matt Barnhart, the Detroit Lions’ Director of Media Relations, for information he provided to me regarding how walk-on tryouts are handled. He also provided other information relative to the Lions’ training facility, and various modes of transportation used by some individuals traveling to and from that location.

As always, my son Brian was my data processing guru. His knowledge of computers and their related components proved, once again, to be invaluable to my literary efforts. Thanks Brian, for lending your expertise to the writing of this manuscript. Thanks also for taking the time to instruct me in the sending and receiving of e-mails.

Chapter One

The Detroit Lions were having tryouts during the week leading up to the official opening of their training camp. One National Football League hopeful had made the 250-mile trip down from Traverse City to Detroit by bus to take part in the tryouts. He had moved there to take a job in his uncle’s construction company after dropping out of college. The overnight bus ride afforded him several hours of unusually sound and peaceful sleep. He was surprised at how soundly he slept.

He had gone through all of the proper channels to get what he felt was his second, and perhaps last, chance to play professional football. That entailed contacting the Lions’ scouting department and making his plea. It also put him in the unfamiliar situation of talking to God about it. To say he was walking three feet off the ground when the Lions’ organization invited him to their training camp would be a gross understatement. However, being invited to camp was only a foot in the door. Nothing had been promised beyond giving him a chance to tryout to see if he had what it takes to make the team. The young man knew full well that making the team had to come from deep within him. Furthermore, he knew, in all probability, he would have no more than one hour to impress those who had the power to say ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ regarding his ability.

He stopped in a diner near the bus station to partake of their breakfast special for two reasons. One was so he could fight off the hunger pangs after the all-night bus ride. The other was to make an attempt to fight off the butterflies that insisted on settling in the pit of his stomach. He was not the nervous type. That had never happened to him before. But he reasoned that this time everything was different. He had never been faced with a life-changing opportunity before. Playing professional football was a life-long dream of his. In a few hours he would get his chance to put it all on the line—give it all he had. Make it or break it!

The young man had played football in high school, and during his freshman and sophomore years at Wayne State University in Detroit. He was regarded as a better than average defensive cornerback. His college playing days were cut short, however, because he could not maintain the required grade point average necessary for academic eligibility. That problem was deemed to be fixable. The problem of torn ligaments in his knee was not. Half way through his sophomore season he sustained the injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year. His dream of playing in the NFL faded when he was forced to drop out of college due to injury and academics.

From the time this young man entered the ninth grade, he always envisioned himself playing professional football before family and friends in sold-out stadiums around the country. One ambition of his was to break the rookie-season record of 14 pass interceptions held by Dick Night Train Lane. He had career aspirations as well. He wanted to strike fear into the hearts of opposing quarterbacks whenever they threw passes in his area. Paul Krause, the career record holder for interceptions with 81, and Emlen Tunnell, with 79 career interceptions, were his sports idols. Opposing quarterbacks referred to Emlen Tunnell as Emlen the gremlin, an interception waiting to happen. He set the career interception record when the seasons consisted of only fourteen games. The seasons had expanded to sixteen games by the time Paul Krause came along.

Now, here he was, just a few hours away from getting a second chance at fulfilling his dream. Just the thought of the situation seemed to cause the goose bumps on his arms and back, to team up with the butterflies in his stomach, to become even more active. He knew he had to shake off those nemeses in short order. Otherwise, it was a virtual certainty that he would not make it through the Lions’ first round of practice. He did not want to be embarrassed by having traveled all that distance for a tryout, only to be back on a bus headed for home the same day.

Another young man was in town for a religious retreat. He came in the night before on a late-night bus trip after putting in a full day’s work on his job as a carpenter’s helper. The comfort of a bed and plenty of rest was his number one priority when he got off the bus. He checked into a hotel near the bus station and asked the desk clerk for a 7:30 a. m. wakeup call. The clerk gave him a duplicate copy of a small card on which he had written the room number and the time of his wakeup call. He was to return the card to the desk clerk before leaving the hotel the next day. That way, the person working the desk the following morning would match the copy with the original to determine if the guest had responded to the wakeup call, or if he was oversleeping.

The young man went to his room and immediately got into bed in an attempt to recover from the fatigue that had taken over his body. He fell into a deep, log-sawing sleep within a few minutes after his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, he just happened to opt for the same diner that the would-be NFL cornerback had picked. That was his first time in a city as large as Detroit. The tall buildings, the traffic, and the hustle-and-bustle of the Motor City were a far cry from his hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a population of around 15,000.

He and most of his fellow townsfolk were on a first-name basis. That’s because most of them attended the same church, shopped at the same combination grocery/department-store outlet, and bought gasoline at one of two stations in town. Ninety percent of all of their shopping took place on Main Street from one end of town to the other. If a person traveled more than five thousand yards in any direction from the center of town, he would be half way to the next town.

There were not many people in the diner when the visitor from Bethlehem walked in. Two men sat at the counter shooting the breeze with the waitress. The would-be Detroit Lion sat at a table for two against a wall. The carpenter’s helper sat across the aisle from the would-be Lions player. He couldn’t help but notice the athlete’s gym bag because of the many stickers on it. He spoke to the owner of the bag. Your satchel is very interesting. Are you a member of the Lions’ organization?

No, but I hope to be. The Lions are having tryouts this week. I went through all of the necessary steps of contacting their scouting team. I told them my story about why I quit playing in college. I just put myself at their mercy. As luck would have it, a member of the scouting team had heard of me during my playing days in college. He wondered what happened to me. That’s how I got to this point. Now, I’m here to give it my best shot for making the team.

What position?

Defensive corner. Are you here for the tryouts?

No, I am not. Pardon me, but do you mind if I join you? We should not have to talk to each other across this aisle with all of this distance between us.

Not at all. Please, sit there, the athlete said as he gestured toward the chair on the other side of the table. They shook hands. The athlete said, My name is Rudy, Rudy Gardner. What moniker do you answer to?

You can call me Jay Cee. That will be a welcome change after the names some people have called me over the years.

Names like what? Rudy asked.

"Well, just suffice it to say that some people have called me everything except a child of God. I teach Sunday school at my church. I am in town for a religious retreat. About twenty thousand Christians from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are expected to attend. We will be meeting in a place called Cobo Hall here in downtown Detroit. This is my first time in the Motor City."

Rudy said, "I’ve been to Cobo Hall several times to the Auto Shows. It’s a very nice place. It’s very ironic. When it was built, it offered all the space necessary to host the North American Auto Show. Now there are auto companies threatening to pull out of the show because they do not have enough space to, as they put it, properly display all of their nameplates. Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties are constantly making proposals on how to finance expansion of Cobo. I hope they get their heads together soon. The auto show brings a lot of money into Southeast Michigan. It would be a shame to lose it. I’d love to be in position to walk into a new-car showroom and plunk down cash-on-the-barrelhead for one of those shiny, new vehicles that they parade out there every year. Who knows? Maybe this will be my year."

Jay Cee’s comment was, Well, Rudy, I hope you get your wish. While I am hoping, I hope Cobo Hall is within a reasonable walking distance from the hotel where I am staying. A guest there told me it is only about six blocks or so. I should be able to walk that distance in fifteen or twenty minutes. It has been my experience that busses are too slow, and cabs are too expensive.

You said, ‘my church.’ Are you a pastor? You look mighty young to be a pastor, Rudy said.

No, I am not a pastor. A more correct way of saying it would have been, ‘the church where I attend.’

What do you do at a retreat? Rudy asked.

We sing, we pray, we have Bible-study classes, and other activities that bring us into a closer relationship with God.

Rudy’s brain immediately went into high gear. He said, "A closer relationship with God, huh? Twenty thousand people under one roof, praying to the Almighty. That’s a whole lot of prayer power." He felt that if he could get that many Christian believers talking to God at the same time about him making the team, he’d be a shoo-in. He hesitated for a moment, then he continued speaking. Hey! I wonder if I can get your group to . . . that’s okay, never mind, forget it.

Jay Cee was taken aback by Rudy’s abrupt cessation of speech. He said, It is obvious that you have something on your mind, Rudy. Put it out there. Surely we can discuss it; good, bad, or anything in between.

Rudy said, "I thought about asking you to have your group, twenty-thousand souls, pray for some divine intervention on my behalf so that I will make the team. But that would be sacrilegious. You see, I don’t go to church very often. I don’t want God to block my chances for making the team because I used your group in an attempt to get Him to grant me a special favor. He might view that as me treating Him like He’s my errand boy."

"You do not need twenty thousand people praying for you, Rudy. God’s blessings are readily available to you. You can go to Him one-on-one if you are sincere. That way, He knows that you recognize Him as the true and living God, the Supreme Ruler and Controller of the universe. You are not putting your trust in a rabbit’s foot, a four-leaf clover, a voodoo doll, or any other mumbo jumbo type object. The fact that you even thought about asking us to pray for your success lets Him know that you believe in the power of prayer. Talk to God about it. Nobody else can plead your case as well as you can."

What should I say to Him? Not only do I not go to church often, I don’t pray that often, either. Sure, I asked Him for the chance to be selected by the Lions for a tryout, and I’m here. But that does not mean I’ll make the team. Tell me what I should say to Him.

"Talk to Him just like you are talking to me. Tell Him what you want. But, above all, be sincere. Do not make a lot of promises that you know you cannot or will not keep. Some people in situations like this will say, ‘Lord, if you grant my wish, I’ll go to church every Sunday, and give ten percent of my salary in tithes.’ When their wishes are granted, they start going to church. But a short time later, especially when golfing season rolls around, their church attendance slacks off. They soon decide that ten percent is just too much money to part with every Sunday. God does not like it when people think they can hoodwink Him. He does not need us. We need Him."

Okay, Jay Cee. Now let me ask you something else. What time is your group getting together tonight?

Today, we’ll get started around six. That gives everybody time to get settled into their hotels and eat something before we kick things off. Starting tomorrow, the sessions get started much earlier. Some of the classes will begin right after breakfast.

Have you checked in yet? Rudy asked.

Yes. I came in last night. For my first time being in a city the size of Detroit, I had a surprisingly restful night. I am sure the fact that I worked yesterday contributed to why I slept so soundly. It is a good thing I asked the desk clerk to give me a seven-thirty wake-up call. Otherwise, I might still be sleeping. I came to this diner to get a bite to eat because the food in the hotel is too pricey for my meager funds. Our congregation is not very large. The church could not afford to give me an all-expenses-paid trip here, and I could not afford to pay for the entire trip. An anonymous donor paid for my room for the four-day event, plus fifteen dollars per day for food. Any additional expenses come out of my pocket. The fact that I came in last night—that extra day is on me. I plan to do a little sight-seeing before we get underway this evening.

The aspiring defensive back leaned closer to Jay Cee. His entire demeanor changed. It was obvious he wanted to say something that was very serious. He hesitated for a moment, then he stammered with a few words. He knew what he wanted to say but he was having trouble verbalizing his thoughts. He finally came out with, "Well, Jay Cee, I know we just met this morning. But I feel very comfortable talking with you. It’s like I’ve known you a lot longer than the past few minutes since we began talking. I wonder if you would do me a big, big favor? I mean this is huge!"

I will have to hear your request before I promise anything. I do not want to say ‘yes’ only to have to turn you down afterward.

"Okay. Here’s my request. The tryouts start at noon. Your session does not begin until six. How about you going to the tryouts with me? Man! I just feel like our two different worlds were destined to collide on this date, in this café, at this moment in history. It’s as though it has been written on the pages of antiquity. Otherwise, why do I feel such a strong connection to you? We met less than an hour ago. Is that weird or what?"

No, it is not weird, Jay Cee said. I have been in situations that are just as peculiar, if not more so.

"So you see, even you think this situation is way beyond coincidental, Rudy said. He continued with, This may sound crazy, but I feel that if you are there, you will be my good-luck charm."

Jay Cee said rather sternly, I do not believe in luck. Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes we accept events as being good, and sometimes we see them as being unfortunate. But luck has nothing to do with them happening or not happening.

Okay, Rudy said. "Strike ‘good-luck charm.’ I’ll refer to you as my one-man cheering team and confidence builder. How about it? It would mean a lot to me."

Let me think about that for a minute. How far is the training facility, and how will we get there and back? All I need for my pastor to have my scalp is to go with you and end up AWOL from our opening session tonight.

The training facility is in Allen Park, a nearby suburb of Detroit. I’m sure there are busses that we can take to get there. But don’t worry. You will be back in plenty of time. You have my word on it. And, because you said you’re strapped for cash, I’ll pay the freight for both of us, there and back. Fair enough?

Jay Cee said, "Alright. One of my biggest difficulties has always been not telling people ‘no’. Woe be unto both of us if I do not make it back in time. My pastor will have my scalp. But yours will definitely belong to me!"

Rudy, with tongue in cheek, chimed in with, "I only regret that I have but one scalp to lose for my Lions."

Jay Cee said, "Go ahead, make jokes. But you know what happened to the man you are paraphrasing. His name is Nathan Hale, and he was hanged a few seconds after he made that statement. I rest my case."

Don’t worry, Rudy said. "We’ll be back in good time. Besides, you will be helping your fellow man. Isn’t that what this Christian thing is all about?"

Keep my religion out of this, Jay Cee said in a voice that let Rudy know he was upset by the remark. He continued with, It is very curious to me how so many people want to use ‘religion’ when they want something special to happen for them. When Jay Cee said the word religion, he used his index fingers and the ones next to them to make imaginary quotation marks in the air. That was done as a way of chiding Rudy for his remark about the Christian thing.

Rudy apologized for making the statement.

Jay Cee said, Apology accepted.

They finished their breakfasts.

Jay Cee said, Now tell me when and where to meet you.

Rudy said, Let’s go to your hotel and talk with the people at the concierge desk. Surely they can . . .

Jay Cee interrupted with, Rudy, I am not staying in a big, fancy, five-star hotel. Those people would be beside themselves just to have a fulltime desk clerk. As it is, he probably has to sweep and mop the lobby, take out the garbage, and keep the lobby windows clean when he is not checking guests in and out.

With a noticeable degree of sarcasm in his voice, Rudy said, "Okay, Jay Cee. We’ll talk to the desk clerk, slash bus boy, slash janitor, slash window washer, or someone just passing through the lobby who might be able to tell us how to get to the Lions’ practice field. Okay?"

Jay Cee said, "Fine! But I think you could have made your point with a lot fewer words.

Again, Rudy apologized for his remarks.

Jay Cee said, Rudy, I do not have to put up with your verbal abuse. That makes two apologies in the past two minutes. If you say anything else to me for which you have to apologize, you will be making the trip by yourself. Is that understood?

Rudy said, Loud and clear.

The desk clerk told them there were no busses that went directly to the Lions’ camp as far as he knew. As it turned out, he was able to inform them of a bus route that would put them fairly close to their destination. They could take a city bus from downtown Detroit to the Fairlane shopping center in Dearborn. A short ride by taxi would take them into Allen Park, right to the front door of the Lions’ training facility. The entire trip would take about one hour, one way, plus whatever time they spent waiting for the bus and the cab. That gave them an idea of the time they would have to leave the training grounds in order to get back downtown in good time for Jay Cee’s retreat. The clerk even gave them a map of the area just in case they, somehow, ended up on the wrong bus during their return trip.

Now that they had their travel plans, complete with a road map, Jay Cee asked Rudy how long it would be before he would be ready to leave.

Rudy responded with, I’m ready when you are. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can shoo away these butterflies in my stomach. They have been with me since I got off the bus.

Jay Cee said, You lead the way. Whither thou goest, I will go; thy people shall be . . . oh never mind. Let us be gone.

Rudy asked, Why are you, all of a sudden, sounding like a seventeenth-century Englishman?

Jay Cee said, It is a statement from the book of Ruth in the Bible. She was totally devoted to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Maybe sometime before we part company I will explain it to you, or just have you read it for yourself. It encompasses a very interesting series of events.

They headed for the bus line that would take them on the first leg of their journey.

Chapter Two

Rudy and Jay Cee arrived at the Detroit Lions’ Headquarters and Training Facility around ten o’clock that morning. It can very well be stated that they entered Ford Country while en route. In addition to the team being owned by descendants of Henry Ford, the automobile pioneer, they passed within a stone’s throw of Ford Motor Company’s World Headquarters. Just a short distance away stands The Henry Ford, Greenfield Village, The Henry Ford Museum, et al. Jay Cee expressed the desire to, perhaps, visit Greenfield Village while he was in town. He had heard about some of the historical artifacts that it contains, and thought it would be a good time to view some Americana up close and personal.

Nobody was on the indoor practice field when they arrived because a tour of the facility for the invited hopefuls was scheduled for 10:30 that morning. Rudy had given no indication of what he expected the practice complex to look like, or what conveniences it would offer. One thing is for sure. He was completely blown away by what he saw.

The 35.5 million-dollar facility, on a 22.7-acre site was loaded with state-of-the-art everything! Rudy was awe struck upon entering the building by the 23 by 26 foot mural in the lobby with the likenesses of several ex-Lions players who are enshrined in the Hall of Fame: Joe Schmidt, Night Train Lane, Lem Barney, Bobby Layne, Doak Walker, Yale Larry, Lou Creekmur, Alex Wojciechowicz, John Johnson, Bill Dudley and Jack Christiansen. These men never practiced at that location, nor had they ever played football at the new Ford Field in downtown Detroit. But their images in that mural attest to the great contributions they made to the Detroit Lions and the National Football League. There they were, larger than life, as if they were checking out everyone who wanted to be a part of the organization they helped to build.

Rudy was so taken in by the mural that the receptionist had to ask twice if she could help him, before she could get his attention. He was absolutely mesmerized! He asked her why Barry Sanders and Charlie Sanders were not in the mural. She explained that they were elected to the Hall Of Fame after the mural was done. She offered no speculation as to whether or not they would be added to the mural.

One can only assume that Rudy was looking down the road and imagined himself being in that mural one day. Jay Cee showed absolutely no interest in it. He could not have cared less about to whom those strange faces in the mural belonged. The two men were asked to fill out registration forms, and join the other hopefuls in the auditorium, which was located just off the lobby.

The tour began promptly at 10:30. The first level of the structure contained a full-size indoor practice field. Also included on the first floor were a weight and training room, a huge locker room, a hydrotherapy room, a cafeteria, and a very large equipment room. There were meeting rooms for each position! There was also a players’ lounge, a studio, a library, and a 103-seat auditorium for full team meetings and large press conferences.

The second story housed the Lions’ executive offices, their administrative offices, a broadcast studio, a female staff lounge/locker room, and an observation area from which the indoor field could be viewed. In addition to all of those indoor amenities, there were also two and a half outdoor practice fields.

The Lions’ psychology behind the tour was to settle the nerves of the players before they got out on the practice field. It is only natural to be at least a little nervous when the opportunity to completely change one’s lifestyle could be just a few practice plays away. The Lions’ Human Resources personnel recognized that. They wanted every tryout participant to be as calm and relaxed as humanly possible. That is why the idea of showing off the facility was instituted. Judging from the effect the tour had on Rudy, whoever thought of it deserved a pay raise. It worked wonders.

Rudy was on cloud nine just from being able to witness all of those creature comforts, and imagining himself enjoying them as a member of the Detroit Lions football team. As they were nearing the end of the tour, Jay Cee asked him, Rudy, who is winning the battle between you and those butterflies?

Rudy answered, Butterflies? What butterflies?

Jay Cee just smiled. He knew Rudy was ready to hit the gridiron and give a 110 percent effort. All of the players were given a six-ounce container of a vitamin-enriched sports drink to gulp down just before taking the field. The tour guide explained that it would give them a much-needed burst of energy for the tryouts that would soon get underway.

Just about every man had brought suitable shoes, sweat pants, a couple of white sweatshirts, and several changes of underwear. Having everyone on the field in white shirts would have created mass confusion. Therefore, all of the offensive players were given Honolulu-blue sweatshirts as a way of distinguishing offense from defense. The guys were told to congregate in designated areas along the sidelines according to their tryout positions. Large yellow signs with black lettering clearly marked where the players for each position were to gather. All the coach had to do then was go to the various groups and select players until he had two opposing teams.

There was to be no serious physical contact between the two groups due to the liability that could be incurred with no pads being worn. The hard hitting, complete with pads, would begin the third day after training officially began.

Offensive linemen were to hold off the defense just long enough for the quarterback to get his passes released. From the sidelines, the coaching staff carefully scrutinized each player to determine if they thought he had what it took to merit asking him to come back the next day. By the same token, defensive backs were viewed regarding how well they covered the wide receivers and tight ends. If a pass defender got beaten with a long bomb, he was not to tackle the receiver. A simple two-hand touch would signify a tackle. Each group would remain on the field from forty-five minutes to an hour.

Jay Cee realized that with such a system to work by, if Rudy was not selected in the first or second wave, they could run late for getting back downtown before six o’clock. That became less of an issue when Rudy was picked in the third group of defensive players. Jay Cee figured group one from noon to one o’clock; group two from one o’clock to two o’clock, and Rudy’s group from two o’clock to three o’clock. That would give them ample time to get back downtown. However, Jay Cee did not factor in a snack break from two o’clock to two thirty. That compacted their schedule even more. They could not waste any time getting out of there once practice was over.

Jay Cee went up to the second-floor observation area to watch the players as they went through their practice routines. When Rudy’s group took the field, he went downstairs and stood on the sideline so he could be closer to the action.

The first play from scrimmage was about a twenty-five or thirty-yard pass to the receiver Rudy was covering. Rudy was beaten, but the pass was overthrown. No real harm done. Jay Cee placed his hands around his mouth in megaphone style and shouted, Rudy, you looked back too soon. I need to talk to you.

That action drew the attention of some members of the coaching staff. They trained their eyes on Jay Cee. There he stood in a poplin jacket, a checkered button-down shirt, khaki pants, and sneakers. Mac, one of the assistant coaches walked over and asked him why he was not in practice attire. Jay Cee said he was not there to tryout for the team. He was there as Rudy’s one-man cheering squad. The assistant coach was just about to tell him no visitors were allowed when Jay Cee looked him squarely in his eyes. The coach seemed to be caught up in a trance. He just stood there staring at Jay Cee for about ten or fifteen seconds, and then he walked away. Not another word did he say.

When Mac rejoined the head coach and others along the sidelines, he seemed preoccupied. The head coach asked him what was wrong. He said, I don’t know. Something very weird just happened to me. That guy focused his eyes on me and his face was like a TV screen. I saw Tom Dempsey kick that record-setting, game-winning, 63-yard field goal against the Lions back in 1970. It was as though I was right there, watching the ball as it passed through the uprights. I’m telling you coach, that guy is really, really weird.

The head coach said, "I don’t care how weird he is, tell him to hit the road. No spectators are allowed, period! I’m not going to have my boss crawling all over my frame if he comes in here and sees that guy spying on us. That just might be reason enough for him to give me a permanent suspension from this club."

The assistant said, Coach, you know I respect you. I have never defied any order you have ever given me on this field. But I’m not saying another word to that guy. Not only is he weird, he’s also scary.

Okay, the head coach said. I’ll talk to him.

Knock yourself out, Boss. Good luck.

The head coach walked along the sideline until he reached Jay Cee. Young man, he began. No spectators are allowed at our practices. You will have to leave.

Jay Cee said, Sir, I am here to support my friend. Making the team means a lot to him. Please, let me stay just until his group is finished.

Young man, you don’t seem to understand, the coach said. No visitors are allowed. Now please leave!

Jay Cee looked him squarely in the eyes. The coach seemed to be caught up in a trance. He just stood there staring at Jay Cee for about ten or fifteen seconds, after which the coach turned his face away and said, What was that? What just happened?

Jay Cee said, Sir, if it happened to you, and you cannot explain it, why are you asking me?

Because I just had a flashback to the 1957 NFL championship game when the Lions defeated the Cleveland Browns 59 to 14. It was not merely a mental picture, it was as though I was right there in the old Briggs Stadium.

Back to 1957, you say? That is the last time the Lions won a championship. Right?

Yes. That’s right. But what does that have to do with anything? the coach asked.

"Well, perhaps you should concentrate more on the reason you are here, which is to win enough games to get you to the Super Bowl. Do not concern yourself with who is watching you. Maybe, just maybe, by doing that, you can return the team to championship contenders. A half century, or there about, is a long time to wait for anything, especially when the opportunity to obtain it is presented every year. Think of the many Detroit-area residents who were born here in the last half century, lived here all of their lives, and died here without ever having the opportunity to celebrate a Lions championship, Super Bowl or otherwise. Lions fans deserve better than that."

Be that as it may, you still have to leave, the coach said. "If the team owner comes in and sees you, a spectator in street clothes, on the sidelines, he will blow his stack . . . at me! He might even be ready to give me my walking papers."

Well, said Jay Cee, All you have to do is let me wear one of those blue shirts and a pair of sweat pants, and no one will be any the wiser.

I can’t do that. You’re not even registered.

Sure I am, Jay Cee said. The receptionist at the front desk had my friend and me fill out registration forms when we entered the building.

The coach turned around and walked toward the equipment manager. Jay Cee began wondering at this point if he was going to get a physical heave-ho from several of the linemen who looked like they weighed about 300 pounds, each. They were waiting their turn to practice. He could see the coach gesturing and pointing toward him, but he was not sure of what was being said. He moved a few steps closer to the coach and the others so he could hear what they were saying.

Much to his surprise, Jay Cee heard the head coach telling the equipment manager, Take that guy and get him a blue shirt and some sweat pants. But, be careful. That guy is really, really weird. Not only is he weird, he’s also scary.

Mac said, "Scary, huh? Boss, I didn’t think you were scared of anything or anybody!"

The head coach said, "Mac, one of your biggest problems has always been the fact that you miss countless, golden opportunities to keep your mouth shut." That remark from the head coach brought laughter from the other members of the coaching staff.

Jay Cee and the equipment manager walked off the field together. The teams went on with their scrimmage. A few minutes later, Jay Cee and the equipment manager returned to the field. Jay Cee was decked out! He had a helmet with the Lions’ logo on each side, a Honolulu-blue shirt with Detroit Lions emblazoned across the chest, a pair of sweat pants, and an old beat-up pair of cleats. He not only looked like a member of the team, now he felt like one.

The head coach walked over to Jay Cee and said, "Okay. You can stay. Pick one of those groups of players to stand with so you will not be so conspicuous, but behave yourself. Stay out of trouble. Otherwise, you might find yourself having to negotiate your health and safety with several of those two hundred and fifty, to two hundred and seventy-five pound linemen you see standing over there waiting for their turn to practice. They’re just itching to manhandle somebody. Do yourself a favor. Try not to let it be you!"

Jay Cee graciously and humbly said, Yes sir. But when you have a few minutes, there are some things I would like to discuss with you that I believe will help the team tremendously.

I’ll set aside a few minutes, a very few, after practice, the coach said. We can talk then.

"Oh, I cannot wait that long. I have to be back in downtown Detroit before six o’clock. That is when our religious retreat gets under way at Cobo Hall. We must talk before I leave."

Well, I guess that kisses our little tete-a-tete goodbye. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some new prospects to look over.

"It will be the team’s loss, coach. You need to hear what I have to say. It will only take a few minutes. But you cannot afford not to hear it."

"What can you possibly have to say about this team that is so earthshaking? You don’t know the game as well as my coaching staff and I know it. We are professionals!"

"That you are. But in order for all of that professionalism to win ballgames, it all has to be channeled in the same direction, at the same time, and for the same purpose. This extends beyond the players and coaches. Everybody in the organization, from the president and CEO, to the person who fills the soft-drink cooler has to eat, sleep, and drink winning for the good of the team, and no other reason!"

"Is that all you have to say?