On Friday evening, following the last practice before the final game of the season, the team took a knee on the field and turned its attention to the three seniors: Tim Jay, Brian Reif and Jacob Mueller, who would play in their final football game for North Park University the following afternoon. Each of them addressed their younger teammates with thoughts about their personal connection to North Park and to the Viking Football program.   They encouraged this team to stick together, to stay at North Park and continue their development as men of character, as students and as football players. 

Tim Jay and Brian Reif were the only men in their recruiting class to stay and play for four years. Jacob Mueller transferred to NPU as a junior, but blended in very quickly and became an outstanding leader and captain in a short period of time.

Jacob had prepared his thoughts and gave me a copy of his notes, which I think you will enjoy reading. Especially, those of you who have played this great game and know what it’s like to be part of a team that you love.  

Following are Jacob Mueller’s words to the team:

“Through fourteen years of football I have seen a lot. Some great talent used to its maximum and some wasted. I have been part of championship teams and losing teams. Good teams and bad teams where the record didn’t matter. In football I have lived by one quote; “Never die easy.”

Football, in my mind, is not like life. Yes, it has some similar key values; however, you will never get or have this opportunity to do the things you get to do while playing football, especially at the college level. Just think about that! I have endless amounts of memories from football, both on the field and off.

I feel there are two important things you can take away from football and those are memories and relationships. And they both help you grow.

Football has done a number of things for me and one of those things is that it has kept my family together. It has given everyone a reason to come together, something to be proud of, to talk about, and something to cheer about. Even my grandma used to come out to watch with an oxygen tank and still had the energy after the game to hit me if I didn’t score for her that game.

The funny thing is you will always remember the “little things” after football is over, and you realize that it is more about the “little things” on the field. And, you learn that life is about the “little things” too. If you haven’t realized this yet, you will. And is the “little things” that separate the winners from the loser, and the teams that win one championship from the team that win 8 in a row.

I will forever love football and what it has done for me. It has been my escape, my drug, my girlfriend, my life. And that is why I say football is a way of life that has taught me so many lessons; to be a man, to lead, to follow, to have character, to stand up when it’s your fault, to choose wisely with others on your mind. It teaches bravery, strength, courage, honesty, integrity, commitment, dedication, hard work, sacrifice, effort and most of all, out of all those values; it has taught me about myself and how to believe in myself.

Brian Reif asked us all to look at ourselves and ask the questions; “Who am I, really? And, is it good enough?”

Football has blessed me with many people who have touched my life significantly and had given me reason and meaning…family, friends, players, coaches, doctors, teachers, trainers and even girlfriends.

I want to leave you with something I have been thinking about for a long time and have been writing these thoughts down when I wake up at night thinking about this being my final season of playing football. I call it “Never Again…”

Never again will I step on a field and forget all my worries for 60 minutes.

Never again will I be able to get my aggression out by hitting someone else and its okay.

Never again will I get to give my mom a smelly, sweaty hug.

Never again will I see photos or article with my name on it, with my statistics.

Never again will I get my dad’s pieces of wisdom after a game of how I could do better and my mom’s million questions.

Never again will I see family other than for birthdays and holidays.

Never again will I have to ice twice a day, get treatment and be ready to go that day even thought I really shouldn’t.

Never again will I hear my mom yell over questionable calls.

Never again will I need my “game gum”.

Never again will I get to bleed all over my uniform and get it dirty and it’s a sign of hard work.

Never again do I have to go through pre-game rituals (you all know who you are that helped).

Never again will I wake up before so many others, and drench myself in sweat for something that is six months away.

Never again will I have to sneak into gyms or jump over fences to get a workout in.

Never again will I be able to stand on a field and look at 10 other men who want the same thing.

Never again can I blame a cut or bruise I can’t explain on a hit I took in football.

Never again will I wake up in the morning after a game and not be able to move and have an excuse so I don’t have to do chores.

Never again will I win a championship or a game that counts for something.

Never again will I be able to watch myself on film.

Never again will I be able to lean on someone else because I am so exhausted and trust that they will keep me up.

Never again will I get yelled at for false steps, a missed block, dropped ball, a fumble, a bad read or something someone else did wrong.

Never again will I get to run a play and get yelled at while it’s still happening and then again later by 5 other people.

Never again will I have to physically fight someone for a position.

Never again will I be able to cancel lame plans and use football as an excuse.

Never again will I be able to travel with 70 plus friends.

Never again will I have someone tell me ridiculous things because they are concussed.

I never thought this day would come, thought I could play forever. But I can’t and it’s time to start a new chapter in my life…but I thank football and everyone that was there along the way, especially all the support from my mom and dad. But I want to thank you guys for this…I love you all and thank you for the relationships and memories that I will never again forget.”

We will be honoring our 3 seniors Tim Jay, Jacob Mueller and Brian Reif, along with the rest of the 2008 Vikings Football team on Sunday, November 23^rd. 

God Bless, and…GO VIKINGS!!!

Coach Scott Pethtel

Academics - Priority #1

From the beginning of my time as head football coach here at North Park University we have emphasized that the most important thing a young man can do in this program is to earn his degree and graduate from North Park University.  In this month’s letter I am proud to inform you that, based on academic results of the spring 2008 semester, we are seeing proof that the student-athletes in our football program believe the same thing.

Going into this year our academic goals were to raise the cumulative team GPA to an unprecidented 2.5 level and to have no player below 2.0.  Upon tallying the spring semester grades we found that the team had achieved their goal of a 2.5 GPA by earning an outstanding spring semester GPA of 2.65!  If I sound like a “proud papa”…I am!

18 of our players achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the spring semester; Brandon Alexander, Ismael Alvarez, Chris Anton, Marvin Arenga, Steve Brusky, Joe Cullotta, Dimitri Dallas, Lucas DeJong, Billy Goodale, Alan Hall, Tim Jay, Sam Lialios, Nils Lundgren, Jacob Mueller, Bart Niedziela, Nick Pantaleo, Eric Paul and Brian Reif.   

Another 12 earned a GPA of 2.5 to 2.99; Huxley Belizaire, Anders Nygaard, Joe Orsini, Jose Palma, Adam Paul, Anthony Radcliff, Glen Spejcher, Cheick Toure, Stelios Tzortzopolous, Andrew Wery, Shelby Wood and Bill Ziemba.

Although we are looking for this to improve to the point where every member of our team is above 2.5, I hope you will join with me in congratulating these Vikings on a job well done for the spring 2008 semester.

We have all heard that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.  Academically, our team has taken that step and we now must keep walking toward the goals that lie ahead.

Have a great summer.  Hope to see you this fall. 

God Bless, and … GO VIKINGS!!!

The 23^rd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, said; “To reach a port, we must sail, not tie at anchor – sail, not drift.”  That is exactly what we are doing here at North Park University with our football program.  We are charting a course to reach our goals in the 2008 and setting sail to reach our destination. 

As we begin this spring semester the focus of our team members and coaching staff takes on two major fronts.  At all times, academics is the top priority in every student-athletes’ time management considerations.  But at this time of year our strength and conditioning program begins in full swing, as well.  We ask our team members to lift weights 4 times per week and to be involved in some sort of conditioning activities at least two times per week. Whether they participate in intramural basketball games or do other types of activities, the key is to get active and stay active to keep their competitive fires burning.

As for the coaching staff, we are immersed in recruiting and progressing with visits to campus and with the application and admission process.  We are very excited about the quality of young men we have already hosted for campus visits and are looking forward to the weeks and months ahead as we introduce more outstanding young men to the great academic and athletic opportunities they can experience as North Park Viking student-athletes.

All-in-all, I would say that we are “sailing” toward the 2008 season.  It is exciting to think about the future that God has in store for us and whoever is on board with us when we reach our destination.

God Bless, and…GO VIKINGS!!!

Coach Scott Pethtel