Football Season

Even though the thermometer still says we're in the heat of summer, I know its fall: I can smell football in the air!

Man, do I love football!

I love little leaguers who can barely see out from under their helmets as they run down the field. I love the drama of a Friday night under the lights at a high school game. I love the passion of college football on game day, the fun of tailgating and railing against the BCS. I love the speed and power of professional football. Hey, I even love the kind of futbol played with a round ball too!

I'm assuming this fervor is genetic. This is Davis's first football season, and he's taken to the game already:

Davis takes the snap!

I've assured Jaime that I'm not going to be one of those nutso dads who pushes our kids into playing sports long before they're ready. So with Davis, the rules are clear: he can play organized football if and when he wants. No pressure -- if he doesn't want to play, he doesn't have to.

But like it or not, he's already started practicing every day. Like I said, he never has to play on an organized team if he doesn't want to, but we'll be running tires, doing wind sprints and tackling drills and watching game film every day just the same. I'm sure Jaime will appreciate my reasonable approach.

So far, he's doing pretty well on his receiving drills. The first two or three hundred passes hit him in the head, but eventually he started getting his hands up to block the ball. Quick learner, huh? And while his first instinct after catching the ball isn't to tuck it under his arm and head upfield -- instead, he strategically maneuvers the tip of the ball into his open mouth -- I figure his running with the ball will improve when he no longer depends on the two limbs he holds the ball with to help propel him across the floor.

His time in the 4-yd. dash could use some improvement. It takes him a while to get out of his stance.

Running Back or Linebacker?

I imagine that by the time he gets old enough to play, team practices will seem like such a vacation from my workouts that he'll beg me to let him play. But its all for his own good.

"Hey, is it team photo day?"

See, he likes it already!