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When You Aim at Nothing,
You Hit It Every Time
Where there is no revelation, the people
cast off restraint...
—Proverbs 29:18
I attended Episcopal High School in
Alexandria, Va., during my lOth-grade
year. The primary reason that I decided
to go to prep school academic
benefits, but I also wanted to play a sport
during each season—and I could do that
more easily at a boarding school.
In the fall, I played football. True, at
5'4" and 117 lbs., I did not strike much
fear in the hearts of my opponents, but I
was fast and anticipated well.
Still, I was only the backup free safety
on the "junior" team—one level under
JV.
I wore number 42 for Ronnie Lott He
was the best defensive back in the game
at that time, so I thought that I would
imitate his aggressive style of play. The
problem was that I did not much enjoy
tackling people—l usually felt more pain
after the play than did the receiver.
In the third quarter of our first game,
the defensive line coach wanted to make
a substitution. There was no way I was
going into the game—the guy playing
ahead of me was the team's Most Valu
able Player the year before.
"Maier! Hey, where's Maier?"
Wait a sec. I'm a defensive back.
Coach, you are in charge of the defensive
line. What do you want with me?
"Maier, go in at right defensive end."
What are you talking about? I don't
have a clue how to play defensive end and
besides, all 200 lbs. of Bubba what's-his
name on the other team always runs a trap
Bowls, Polls Surprise the College Football World
Chris Ward
Staff Writer
The conclusion to the 1990 season in
college football was both exciting and
controversial.
First, let's take a look at the annual
meeting between the Pac-10 and the Big
Ten champions that is known as the Rose
Bowl. The eighth-ranked University of
Washington Huskies handled the nth
ranked lowa Hawkeyes 46-34, the highest
scoring Rose Bowl in the entire 77-year
history of the contest.
The 1989 national champion Miami
Hurricanes clobbered Texas 46-3 in Dal
las' Cotton Bowl to the amazement of
Longhorn fans. Texas had been ranked
number three by the polls, but number four
Miami prevailed under the leadership of
THE (UILFORDIAN January 14, 1991
12
to that side (even if I didn't know that
hands-on stuff, I knew the game—they
called me "Stat" in prep school).
"Just contain. Don't let him get to the
outside."
Contain? My only attribute is that I have
long arms. I don't know how to perform
the "swim" technique or how to avoid
blockers... and Bubba could bench press
me two or three times over.
"Alright then, Pollard! Come 'ere!"
Besides. Ronnie Lott doesn't play on
the line... well, he doesn't carry the team
equipment bags, either.
I could have made a contribution to the
team; instead I chose to hide on the bench —
not willing to take that risk of failing, not
willing to try.
As the season progressed, I saw limited
playing time at defensive back and never
really made an impact.
That winter, I decided to go out for
basketball. I went to the first tryouts for the
"junior" cage team. I didn't really have a
goal or a purpose. I just played.
After a couple of workouts, the coach
posted a "cut" list. Sweet! I had made it
through the first trial. The only other cut
would occur after the next practice.
I was late to the next practice. I wasn't
allotted enough time to stretch. I was
assigned to guard one of the best players.
I was cut
My Washington Semester class visited
the National Cathedral that day and was
late getting back to school. That's not fair.
Neither was complaining to the coach
who hadn't seen an ounce of desire or a
pinch of determination in my playing.
Okay. Then came spring. A newness,
quarterback Craig Erickson.
In a Sugar Bowl of interest to local fans,
the unranked Virginia Cavaliers, who had
been ranked number one earlier during the
season and had later fallen from grace,
faced a favored number 10 Tennessee
Volunteer team. However, Virginia's star
quarterback and one-time Heisman Tro
phy hopeful Shawn Moore was able to
recover from injuries sustained earlier and
kqpt the Hoos in front until a final Tennes
see drive with only seconds remaining
gave the victory to the Vols.
With the other bowls now covered, the
Citrus and Orange Bowls remain as the
keys to the 1990 championship. The Cit
rus Bowl pitted the ACC champion and
second-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jack
ets versus the number 19 Nebraska Corn
What supposed barriers Butch Maj
hold us back from being
all we can be?
fresh and alive, was in the air. The horrid
winter gave way to the blossoms of nature.
My athletic slate had seemingly been wiped
clean.
Dust off those cleats —it's baseball sea
son.
Now, here I will find my niche. I will
thrive on the diamond, I thought. Back
home, I had been a Charleston Central
Little League All-Star first baseman. I hit
.521 and played well enough in the field
during my "senior" season to start a couple
of games for my All-Star team. We won
six straight and made it all the way to the
semi-finals of the West Virginia State Little
League tournament
That earned me a "West Virginia Dis
trict 3 Champions" jacket. I wore that
thing everywhere. I wanted people to
know that I was somebody, that I was
something special.
Yeah: uh oh, here comes trouble.
Of course, I had the jacket at Episcopal
and wore it during baseball tryouts. The
guys would ask me about it and I would
give them my story about All-Stars. They
were pretty impressed and got the idea that
I was some superstar.
So did I.
I rode that wave as long as I could and
the hype surrounding me intensified. But
my level of play didn't.
All of the pressures put on me were too
much. I became a perfectionist not allow
ing myself to make one simple mistake.
When I did err, even in the most subtle
way, I got mad and frustrated, and soon
after developed an attitude... and a bad
case of splinters.
I had concentrated too much on image,
huskers. To the surprise of many fans,
Nebraska was favored to win the game.
The Ramblin' Wreck proved the odds
makers wrong, however, when they
crushed the Huskers 4S-21 and emerged as
the only undefeated team in NCAA Divi
sion I. Georgia Tech's hopes for a national
championship then rested in the result of
the Orange Bowl in Miami.
The game for the national title involved
the number one, but once-beaten, Buffa
loes of Colorado against the number five
Irish of the University of Notre Dame. The
game was a defensive struggle to the very
end, as Colorado went ahead 10-9 after a
score. With little time remaining, Colo
rado punted to Notre Dame's superstar
Raghib "the Rocket" Ismail. "Rocket"
took the ball and ran a beautiful 91 yards
for the apparent touchdown and victory. A
rather than a vision. I lived in the past,
rather than looking ahead.
I had approached three tasks with not
much more than a wishy-washy mind
set. I didn't have a direction in each
case. With football, I was content to sit
on the bench, rather than take a small
risk to play, learn and improve. With
basketball, I acted casually, instead of
setting high goals for which to strive.
With baseball, I got complacent >vith
where I was and the game passed me by.
We must all set goals to pursue.
Without them, mediocrity and compla
cency are certain to appear. I used to
laugh off New Year's resolutions, be
cause they were so idealistic. But
something can be said for setting lofty
goals.
Even though we may fall short of our
great expectations, they may be more
productive than accomplishing smaller
tasks. Reaching all of our goals shows
that we aren't dreaming big enough. It
shows that we are compromising our
abilities.
What do you aim to do this year?
Why won't you accomplish that? Will
you have empty excuses like I did, or
will you be able to say that you truly
tried? Don't be afraid of taking a chance
since there isn't really much risk in
volved in doing your best —your true
best
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction.
—Romans 12:12
clipping call on the Fighting Irish's Greg
Davis, however, negated the play and
Colorado went on to win.
The identity of the national champion
was now up to the pollsters.
At the end of an agonizing debate, the
Associated Press Poll declared Colorado
the national champion with a record of 11-
1-1. Although the Buffaloes had one loss
and should have lost another game to
Missouri in the now-famous "Fifth and
Goal" game, the sports writers of America
made Georgia Tech the number two team
in the nation.
Miami was given the third place vote
and the 1990 college football campaign
was officially closed after much debate but
a lot of great moments as well.