Aug. 28, 2010

Photo Gallery

By Alex Podlogar - FAYETTEVILLE, NC - Midway through the pre-scrimmage festivities before the 2010 Blue and White Game, it was evident that Fayetteville State Head Coach Kenny Phillips' message got through loud and clear.

A 10-year-old football player, donned in his youth helmet, youth pads, youth jersey, youth mouthpiece - youth everything - shyly raised his hand and waited for Phillips to call on him. When his turn game, the youngster from the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Parks and Recreation youth football league pointed to the Broncos players on the other end of the field and fired away. It wasn't a question. More of a statement.

"So, to play college football, you have to do your schoolwork," the boy said, mild conviction in his voice.

Phillips face broadened into a wide smile. "Yes," Phillips answered. "Yes, you do. It all starts with schoolwork."

And with that, Phillips leaned down to the youngster, patted him on the shoulder, and had a quiet moment with the boy.

In just one moment of many during the 90-minute festivities at the event preceding defending CIAA champion Fayetteville State's annual Blue and White Game. They were all memorable, from the youths running through the tunnel and onto the field at Luther "Nick" Jeralds Stadium with the Broncos players, to each of them pairing up and stretching with the players. There was the informative and interactive cheerleading clinic provided to the Parks and Rec cheerleaders by FSU's Cheer Phi Smoov and the youth players mimicking of drills alongside the Broncos.

And there was the talk by Coach Phillips.

"The first question I have for all of you," Phillips said in the North end zone, where the youth players huddled in a group around him. "Are you doing your schoolwork? Are you doing it every night?"

Little of Phillips' talk had to do with football. This was not a time for Xs and Os. This is where Phillips showcased his teaching skills.

"It has to start at a young age, the age you are at now," Phillips said. "You know how those guys got to be college football players? Because they did what they had to do in school. You can't play college football if you don't do well in school."

After Phillips spoke, former N.C. State star and Cincinnati Bengals player Fernandus Vinson spoke to the group, inspiring them with an impassioned speech.

"We are all football players out here, but there is another game that is far more important that you are going to have to play," Vinson said. "That is the game of life."

Vinson warned the youngsters to stay true to themselves, to refrain from dark paths of drugs, gangs and poor choices.

"You have to listen to your parents. You have to listen to your coaches. Do what they tell you to do," Vinson said. "In football, when you do something wrong, an official throws a flag. But in the game of life, nobody is going to throw a flag and stop the game."

Minutes later, the players walked in a line toward the water cooler as the Broncos completed their warm-up and jogged back to the locker room for last-minute preparations. After their water break, the youths walked across the field in a single file line to the shade of the visitor's stands to watch a 90-minute intersquad scrimmage.