Catching Controversy | The Legend of Ethan Woy

[Woy]

Suicidal Thoughts

The young woman's body laid motionless on the floor, blood still flooding out of the wounds. Her face was in shock, with her lips barely moving like she was desperately trying to say something.

"No, no, no, no, no!" the instigator shouted, completely regretting what she just did. She felt around for a pulse, got one for a few seconds, then it went away as she dropped the victim's arm and put her hands over her face. This was an absolute nightmare come true.

"What do I do?" she thought to herself, pacing around quickly to figure out how to keep her away from as much trouble as possible. After minutes of thinking, she finally decided on making it look like a suicide. So covered the wounds with a blanket, drug the body onto the couch and placed the dagger in her right hand. Checking herself for blood, she was relieved to find none and ran out of the house to leave the scene.

...

"Damn, they were in a hurry," I thought to myself as a car passed me from the other side of the road going over 100 MPH. I drove as fast I could to the restaurant to retrieve my phone, because I was excited for what the night had in store for Melyssa and I.

Notorious B.I.G.'s voice faded away through my speakers as I turned off and stepped out of the car. All the lights in the house seemed to be on as I put the key in, but the door already seemed to be unlocked, so I just opened the door and walked in to a clean front room.

However, when I walked into the living room, I saw Melyssa sleeping on the couch with something in her hand. When I got closer, I saw it was a knife of some sort and after uncovering the blanket, I realized that I was alone once again.

"No..." I muttered, choked up from the constant tears falling from my eyes. "Why? What did I do wrong?"

I pulled out my phone and dialed three numbers. Immediately I got an answer and after they heard my crying, they told me someone would be over right away. I sat there on the recliner in disbelief, still deeply saddened and confused about the turn of events. What brought this upon Melyssa? Did she really take her own life? Questions without answers were burning a hole into my brain and I didn't know what to do to find them out.

Finally the authorities showed up and asked me what happened. I obviously didn't know and told them that, so they looked around the place and started looking for clues.

"I think we might have something here," the one officer said to the other. He was holding the dagger and I moved in closer to overhear what they were saying.

"Find something?"

"Yeah, someone's initials are carved into this dagger," he replied, holding up so I could see. "Do you know anyone with the initials CP?"<hr>"...I will be attending Syracuse University, to play both football and basketball. I went with my heart on this choice. Basketball was my first love ever since junior high, and now having the opportunity to play my favorite sport and my favorite hobby at the same school is a dream come true. I'm sorry to the coaches that didn't get me, believe me, it was a tough decision. I don't really want to answer any questions, sorry..."

"Wrong decision."<hr>"I fucking knew it," I muttered, punching the wall beside me. "I can't believe he'd stoop to a level like this."

"Who are you talking about, Mr. Woy?"

"Chris Perry," I spoke up, revealing who I assumed committed this crime. "He's still upset I didn't go to Michigan and said he would get revenge on me. I just didn't know he would do something drastic like this."

"Do you know where he might have went?"

"No clue, but please find him. He shouldn't be able to get away with this."

"I promise we'll find him, Mr. Woy. Now I'm completely sorry about this, but we're going to have to kick your out of your own house for a day as we continue this investigation. We'll let you know when we're done. Now I already called the local hotel and they offered you one of the suite rooms for free."

I nodded my head, wiped another tear from my eye and shook his hand before walking off to my car.

As soon as the car started up, I looked at my picture of Mel and I and couldn't handle the pain. The tears were going to continue to pour from my eyes all night no matter what.

The next song started up on my iPod and I started listening to Biggie talk about ending his life in 'Suicidal Thoughts.' Completely depressed, I decided to hammer on the throttle and risk everything; my friendships, my future career, my life. Nothing seemed worth it with Melyssa gone.

Hitting 130, I didn't face any cars ahead of me and had open roads the entire time. However, the third turn was a very sharp one and I missed it spinning into the direction of a ditch. I tensed up, closed my eyes and hoped for the worst...

...and when I opened them, I saw a smashed windshield in front of me. Rolling down the driver's side window, I crawled out and saw a completely totaled car but no scratches on my body.

Dropping to my knees, I started crying uncontrollably once again, because I didn't know what to do or where to go next. All I knew was that Melyssa was gone and my life would never be the same...

 

[Woy]

Saying Goodbye

Tick, tock.<hr>"...the halo above your head completes the masterpiece,
Be my guardian angel; that one girl that completes me...Melyssa, will you marry me?"<hr>Tick, tock.<hr>"Whenever we met in Hilton Head, I saw someone I could be with for a long time. And when I saw you in my first class that year, I knew we were supposed to be together. God brought you from those sandy beaches right to me, and for that I'm forever grateful. I know I can finally see someone that loves me for who I am now, and not who I can be later on in life. Melyssa, I love you and always will."<hr>I looked at the clock and swore that time was standing still; seconds seemed like days, minutes seemed like years, and hours seemed like centuries. It was like everything was moving in slow motion and that the above world was playing games with me by making me suffer longer with Melyssa gone.

Every day, one of my friends would stop by to see if I was holding up okay. I would tell them that I was fine, but the truth was that I wasn't. However, despite the long nights of crying my eyes out, I never once thought about suicide since I totaled my car on that gloomy night.

Eventually, I started to make more appearances outside my house and received condolences from everyone that saw me. I told Coach Boeheim that my heart wasn't into playing basketball this year and he was completely fine with that, considering my situation and plus the team was on track for another Big East championship.

...

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

I woke up in the afternoon, knowing today was the day I dreaded the most. I met up with Averin and Torian for a lunch where few words were spoken, then got myself together back at home for the night's remembrance. Kissing a picture of Melyssa and I, I held back tears for the umpteenth time this week and slowly walked out the door to get into my old Ford F-150; the same one I was given to by my father during my high school junior year.

When I got to the chapel, I was greeted by many mourners. The room was filled to capacity, as thousands of friends, family and classmates came out to say their goodbyes to the beautiful young woman taken from this world way too early.

Sitting in the front row, I watched as the priest walked to the podium to give his opening statements. One by one, members of her family paid their respects and everyone walked by the coffin to take a look at her one last time.

Finally it was my turn to speak. I walked to the coffin, kissed my hand and placed it on her cheek. "I'll love you forever," I whispered as a tear dropped on the fallen corpse. Then I made my way to the podium, looked down to gather my thoughts, then raised my head to see thousands of saddened folks staring back at me.

"Wow...where can I begin? I'm absolutely crushed that Melyssa isn't with us anymore. She was an incredible young woman who brightened up my day whenever I saw her. Although she's gone far too young, I'm blessed that I got to spend over four years of my life with such an amazing person."

I pulled a tissue out from my back pocket and wiped the tears from my eyes, then started on a story about how we met. I continued with how I proposed to her, tales of our marriage and other random tidbits which had everyone interested. After speaking for a good 10 minutes, I made my closing statement and walked off.

"I promise that I will never love someone as much as I loved Melyssa. No matter how hard I try, I know that I will never recover from this; she meant too much to me."

With one last goodbye, I knew I would have to go to an empty home with an empty heart for a long time.

 

[Woy]

Rookie Again

After Melyssa's memorial service, things started to calm down around campus. I was obviously still a shell of my former self, but with my decision to stop playing basketball, Coach Marrone invited me to spring practice; not mandatory, but only if I wanted to.

Missing the first two practices, I decided to take Coach's offer even though my heart wasn't into it. Maybe playing the game that I love would keep my mind off of Melyssa and help me regain the happiness that would brighten anyone's day.

...

"Well look who it is!" Averin shouted as I walked into the locker-room. "Glad to have you here, Ethan."

"Nice to be here," I replied as I threw my bag near my locker. "Shit, I just remembered that I've never played spring ball before because of basketball."

Averin chuckled, then pronounced to the entire locker-room, "You hear that guys? Our Heisman winner is a rookie again! And you know what rookies get to do, right?"

Everyone started to laugh as I stood there without a clue about what was going to happen. Then one by one, teammates started lining up, dropping their shoulder pads at my feet and patting me on the back as they jogged out to the field.

I had to make a few trips, but I got all the shoulder pads out there, bringing the last one - my own - to a humorous applause by both the players and coaching staff. I laughed the hazing ritual off, then everyone got focused and went into their position drills.

...

"You and Charley looked pretty sharp out there," Averin noticed as we were done with practice and were at the university cafeteria to grab a bite to eat.

"Yeah, hopefully he can pick up where Ryan left off," I replied, grabbing the cheeseburger that the chef made me. "I'm real excited about this season."

"Me too man, me too." Then his head turned to the TV as a group of students were moving closer and closer to the screen. "Yo, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure," I said as I picked up my plate and moved over to the TV. There was a breaking news update on the local station and it switched to a commercial right before we got there.

"Damn, I wonder if anyone was shot," one of the students said to another as I overheard their conversation.

"Woah, what happened?" I cut them off, stepping into their circle.

"There was a..." he started, before the last commercial ended and the news came back on. "Just watch."

I focused my eyes on the TV as the anchor started to explain the story.

"Shades of the Virginia Tech tragedy hang over the University of Buffalo today as Thomas Nash, a 19-year old football player, killed seven students and injured two others before taking his own life. Nash was a back-up defensive lineman on the Bulls football team and was reportedly tired of the pressure being a student-athlete provided..."

That's all I caught of it before I ran off to my car to get my phone. Scrolling to the B's in my phone, I called the fourth name on the list and waited very impatiently for an answer.

One ring, two ring, three rings went by and I was fearing the worst before I heard a voice on the other line.

"Hello?"

"You alright bro?" I asked, relieved that Brad wasn't one of the victims in the shooting.

"Yeah I'm fine," he replied on the other line, still sounding frightened. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"What do you mean?"

"The NCAA is going to come down hard on us, I just know it. I need out of here, Ethan."

"I don't know what to tell you man. I know that Robert Morris just hired my former offensive coordinator and you'd fit their offense perfectly," I suggested. "Plus you wouldn't have to sit out a year."

"Maybe. Wait, didn't Waltman take the offensive coordinator job up down there at the 'Cuse?"

"Yeah he did. I'd tell you to transfer here but I'm not going to red-shirt just to play a year with you."

We both laughed for a good ten seconds before he spoke up. "That would be so awesome. But anyways, I'll look into RMU...maybe I can be the next Joe Flacco or Pat Devlin."

With everything that's gone wrong lately, it was sort of refreshing to know that another bad situation didn't turn out to have extreme consequences concerning me after all.

 

[Fox1994]

Cool. You got it caught up to where it was, right?

 

[Woy]

Cool. You got it caught up to where it was, right?

No, because if I had it caught up already, I would be done updating cause I actually finished out the story. I've been posting 10 updates per day until I get to the finale.

 

[Woy]

Family Reunion

After four more days of practice, we got a break and I spent my day off chillin' with some of my teammates. Averin, Torian and I decided to go check out our number one ranked lacrosse team play in their second game of the season. When we got there, they already had a 5-2 lead on Army going into the second quarter.

We ended up keeping our number one ranking by defeating the Black Knights, 15-12. I didn't get to see much of the action though because there were autographs to be signed and pictures to be taken. Once the final horn sounded, we got back in my truck and drove off to a local sports bar/grill to get dinner.

ESPN was on the TV in front of our table, as Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler were discussing various schools' spring practices and games. I asked the guy beside me if they mentioned us, but they didn't, which made me think they'd get to us later on in the broadcast. As I sat down though, I heard something from a local sports channel on the other side of the room that caught my attention.

"And you have some breaking news regarding the University of Buffalo shootings, right Paul?"

"Yes I do, Tim. It's been reported by multiple sources that the Bulls have demoted their football program to the FCS level. Taking their place in the Mid-American Conference will be last year's FCS champions, the Robert Morris University Colonials. I bet new head coach Jeremy Green, formerly of Syracuse, had the goal of eventually moving up to the FBS coaching ranks and he gets to do that without coaching a game."

I had mixed feelings because I liked seeing Robert Morris move up to the MAC, but now Brad basically had to stay at Buffalo...

...or so I thought.

"Also, in part of this self-given punishment, Buffalo and the NCAA will allow any player to transfer to another university, regardless of division, without giving up a year of eligibility. This really gives guys like All-MAC quarterback Brad Swindell a chance to get more recognition at a bigger school..."

I couldn't hear the rest of what he said, because of my celebratory yelling. "Fuck yeah!"

"What E?" Averin asked, tapping me on the shoulder.

Before I could respond, I felt a vibrating in my pocket and pulled out my phone. The text was exactly what I wanted to hear from my former quarterback.

"Syracuse, here I come!"

I replied with, "I saw bro, fucking sick. Welcome to the team."

"We just got ourselves a beastly quarterback," I answered Averin.

"Charley not good enough for you?"

"Nah," I said, shaking off his assumption. "Charley's going to be a good quarterback for the 'Cuse someday."

"Then who's this beast we're getting?" he asked. "Ryan is getting drafted in a week, he can't come back."

"My boy from Buffalo," I replied with a smirk. "Swindell."

"Nice. You think he can win the job?"

"He already has it when he steps on campus. Trust me."

...

The next day after practice, Coach said he wanted to speak to me in private in his office, so after showering and such, I slowly opened the door as he motioned me to come in.

"Take a seat," he suggested, pulling out a chair.

I obliged and sat down, awaiting the reason why I was here. Scattered across his desk were various recruiting profiles; probably from the commits we signed before LOI day.

"So how good is your buddy Swindell?" he asked before taking a drink of his coffee.

"You're going to love him Coach," I answered. "He's smart, athletic and a hard worker. Plus with Coach Waltman running the O, we're going to put up huge numbers."

"Glad to hear that. I already talked to Charley earlier about the situation and although he was disappointed, he was fine with being the back-up once Swindell arrived on campus. I went from being horrified with our QB situation to relieved that he have two capable starters."

"Yeah I bet. So was that the reason why you called me in here?"

"Part of it was, yes, but not all of it."

He started going through his recruiting folders before pulling out one that said 'Rodgers, Maurice.'

"What's this Coach?" I asked, without a clue of what he was getting at.

"This was going to be one of Averin's back-ups at runningback," he replied, before throwing the entire folder in the shredder. "Not anymore. Grades weren't up to par and he has to go to prep school."

"So what does this mean?"

"Well I've been calling around, trying to find someone who can fill that last scholarship. And well...take a look at this."

He opened his one desk drawer and pulled out a folder with no name on it. Handing it to me, I opened it and instantly recognized what he did.

"Are you kidding me!?" I shouted with joy as Coach had a big smile on his face. The paper in front of me was a signed letter of intent from 'Woy, Evan' to play football at Syracuse University in 2013.

"Called him yesterday after I found out the news about Maurice, offering the scholarship. He was planning on playing for Jer and was ready to sign a LOI with Robert Morris, but once I told him about the opening here, he couldn't refuse."

I got up and gave Coach a big hug, then walked out the door. Life would never be as good as it was with Melyssa, but at least things were looking up for now.

 

[Woy]

Tribute

"So the Orange defeat the Blue, 24-14, in Syracuse's 2010 spring game. And I'm standing here with last year's Heisman winner, Ethan Woy. Ethan, how does this team compare to last year's?"

"I think we're going to be even more explosive on the offensive side of the ball. No disrespect aimed towards the players we lost, but everyone has picked up Coach Waltman's offense so quickly and we feel there's not a defense in America that can stop it."

"How's it feel to know you'll be catching passes from your former high school quarterback in the fall?"

"It's a great feeling. We'll spend most of the summer getting our timing down and make some noise in our opener against USC. There's going to be a much different result that last year, that's for sure."

"What do the initials 'MDW' stand for on your eyeblack?"

"No comment."<hr>"And at number 10, we have the returning Big East champion Syracuse Orange. Kirk, tell the nation why they have a legit shot at winning it all this season."

"Well Chris, despite losing their offensive coordinator Jeremy Green to Robert Morris and their starting quarterback Ryan Nassib to the Minnesota Vikings, the Orange come in as a darkhorse to get back to Miami; this time as one of the two teams in the BCS National Championship. The defense lost just one starter and the offense returns Heisman winning receiver Ethan Woy. New offensive coordinator Tom Waltman gets to coach some of his former players in the Woy brothers and former Buffalo quarterback Brad Swindell. But Desmond, what could be holding the Orange back?"

"A killer schedule, Kirk. Syracuse opens up the season by finishing up their home-and-home with number three ranked USC. Then they travel to South Bend to face number nine Notre Dame, followed by games against Hawaii and at Minnesota. In addition to those non-conference tilts, they head to Death Valley on the next to last week of the season to face number four ranked Clemson. I don't know if they can get through this without a blemish."<hr>"Police, open up!"

"Is there a prob...hey, what are you doing!?"

"Chris Perry, you are under arrest for the murder of Melyssa Woy."<hr>"Over the past few months I've gone through a lot," I said while sitting in my truck outside the Carrier Dome. "I just want to thank you for looking after me."

These words were spoken to a picture of Melyssa I was clutching in front of me. Although still heart-broken, I knew she was in a better place and that she would keep watch over me for the rest of my life.

I walked into the locker-room, pads over my shoulder, ready to do battle and get revenge on the team that completely embarrassed us on national television the year before. Like last season, College Gameday was on campus for the game, but both Lee and Kirk went with USC because of 51-10. I had that posted in my locker all week for motivation and it was finally time to unleash all the anger and tension I had towards them.

Brad and I went out early to toss the football around, just like what we'd use to do as middle schoolers on the sidelines while the varsity played. After playing three years of high school ball with him, taking three years off and then reuniting one last time...I couldn't help to think of the past. Right before we were loosened up, Coach Waltman came out to talk to us a little bit, then went back into the locker-room; probably to his office to gather his own thoughts.

One of our managers were hanging up the orange jerseys we requested to wear for the home opener in our lockers as Brad and I walked in to a full locker-room. When he hung mine up, I noticed a black patch on the right chest area and moved closer to view it. After realizing what it was, I turned around and noticed the same exact patch was on everyone else's jerseys. I held back tears and smiled, giving Coach Marrone a hug when he walked out of his office.

"It was the least we could do," Coach said, holding his hat up near my face and pointing to the 'MDW' patch on it. "I know how hard it's been on you, but this was an idea that was brought up by your teammates to let you know that we all lost a loved one."

"Thank you so much," I replied. "I know she's looking down right now from heaven, smiling because she's being honored."

When I put on that jersey, I put my hand over the patch and felt a hand from above covering mine. I smiled one last time, then put on my helmet with the dark visor shielding me from the world before walking out to the end of the tunnel for pre-game introductions.

 

[Woy]

Payback is Sweet

#3 USC Trojans (0-0) at #10 Syracuse Orange (0-0)

"And now, let's give it up for your defending Big East champion Syracuse Orange!"

The thunderous applause was the signal as we burst out of the tunnel full of confidence and emotion. USC followed to a chorus of boos and some of the Trojan fans that made the long trip started to chant '51-10,' reminding us of our debacle last year.

I joined Averin and Brad as captains, while facing us at midfield wearing red and gold were Matt Barkley and Joe Nobles. We won the toss and elected to receive, then jogged back to the sidelines as our kickoff return team passed us. Brad and I started warming up again as Evan - who won the returning job during fall practice - brought the kickoff out to the 35 yard line.

Our new-look offense had the Trojan defense confused right away. Brad started the game with a quick slant to me which netted 11 yards. Averin carried the rock twice, then I lined up in the slot and came around the right end for seven yards. Eventually we got down to the two-yard line before Brad took a quarterback draw into the endzone, giving us a 7-0 lead. However, Joe Nobles came right back and ran down our defense's throat, scoring on just six carries.

We took the field and after two carries by Averin that netted one first down, Evan came in for his first offensive play of his career. Brad handed him the ball and after making the first guy miss, a linebacker poked it out from behind, giving USC back the ball. He was visibly upset with his mistake on the sidelines, so I walked over and tried to calm him down.

"Settle down," I said as he had his helmet gripped tightly in his hand, ready to slam it down on the bench. "It's still early."

"First carry and I fucking fumble," he cursed at himself, loud enough for me to hear. "Marrone isn't going to let me see another offensive snap."

"Shut up. You'll be fine and get another chance. Stop being so hard on yourself."

With that I walked away, allowing my younger brother to gather his thoughts. After we got the ball back, he came in on the fourth play and busted a 12 yard run up the middle, completely shifting his confidence around. An 11 yard touchdown pass from Brad to me gave us back the lead, then after Matt Barkley threw an interception, I caught a bomb from Brad from 40 yards out, adding onto our lead.

Then after Nobles scored again to start the second quarter, we came back with a drive of our own but it stalled at the 13 yard line of USC. It seemed like we'd be forced to a field goal, but the perfect play call from Coach Waltman shook off that assumption.

"Swindell back in the gun, brings Woy in motion...the snap is high and he hands off to Collier...no it's a fake! Swindell and Woy are running the option to the left, he pitches...Woy shakes a tackler and he'll get into the end zone! Touchdown Orange on a fantastic play call!"

That touchdown pretty much took all the momentum out of USC's sails. We poured on the points and Evan scored his first two collegiate touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Although giving up nearly 200 yards rushing to Joe Nobles, we raised our arms in celebration as the final horn sounded, checking off the first opponent from our road to Miami.

#10 Syracuse 54
#3 USC 33

3 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD, 9 catches, 225 yards, 2 TD

 

[Woy]

Another Star is Born

#10 Syracuse Orange (1-0) at #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0)

"So after Syracuse's big win over USC to start off the season, they have to travel out to Indiana to face another top 10 team in Notre Dame. Kirk, can the Orange take down another national title contender on their road to Miami?"

"Most definitely Chris. Their new-look offense looks very explosive, putting up 54 points on a very good Trojans defense. I especially like how they're getting their Heisman winning receiver Ethan Woy into the running game with reverses, jet sweeps and option plays."

"Speaking of last year's Heisman winner, we have him on the phone here...Ethan, how's campus been since the big win over USC?"

"Great Kirk. Over the four years I've been here, I love how the support for the football program has increased so much. I think besides my announcement of coming back, there hasn't been a bigger buzz on campus and everyone's really excited for the rest of this season."

"Ethan, it's Desmond here. As former Heisman winning receivers, we both know that we caught the ball a lot. But in your new offense, you've been carrying the ball a little bit. Now what's more fun; catching or carrying the rock?"

I laughed on the other line and Desmond joined me before I finally got around to answering the question. "I'll do whatever it takes to help my team win; whether that's carrying the ball or catching it. But maybe I could move to runningback and win the Heisman from that position...call me the next Adrian Peterson without the fumbling."

More laughter ensued before Kirk chimed in with a question of his own. "So how do you come off a big win over USC and go into South Bend the next Saturday for another top 10 match-up?"

"Well there is a little personal motivation on my side considering I couldn't stand Notre Dame when I was growing up. But past personal bias aside, they are a very good football team and it'll take a lot to beat them in their home stadium. Their corners are talented, but first year starters, so we should be able to exploit some flaws in coverage against them. I think it'll be a great game."

...

My hatred of Notre Dame obviously stirred up the Fighting Irish faithful leading up to the game. I received "Fuck you Heisman" chants from the student section during pre-game warm-ups with Brad, which I replied to them with a smile and a hand wave, then on my first catch of the game, the boos started raining down on me. I was starting to think that these people thought it was a sin to hate Notre Dame.

In the third quarter, we were tied at 20 when I got free on a deep route and caught a perfectly thrown pass from Brad for a 68 yard touchdown. Notre Dame answered with a field goal, then they scored a touchdown of their own after Dayne Crist scored on a QB draw with 4:11 left. Brad was then picked off, but we got the ball right back after a three and out.

With all three timeouts, it looked like we could milk the clock a little bit and try for a tying field goal or game-winning touchdown. We got to the 40 yard line of theirs before disaster struck once again.

"Swindell back to pass...looks left towards Woy, but he's hit as he throws it! It's picked off! What a tough break for Syracuse as that could probably end it."

Luckily we still had all three timeouts and the Fighting Irish went three and out on their following drive. With no timeouts and 44 seconds left, we jogged back on the field with 72 yards separating us from a win or a season-ending, crushing loss.

"Swindell takes the snap...feels pressure but gets away from it...heaves a bomb in Woy's direction...it's caught! Woy's out to the 40, 30 and is tackled around the 20 yard line! What a clutch play by the former high school teammates!"

My huge catch put us in field goal position and we spiked the ball with 27 seconds left, hoping to get a few throws into the end zone. After throwing those two picks and coming back with a momentum-shifting play, Brad was feeling a bit more confident and looked to seal the deal with a touchdown pass. However, that wouldn't be the case.

"Swindell is in the gun, takes the snap...rolls to his left, but there's pressure...switches direction and there's an opening! Swindell crosses the line of scrimmage and is looking towards the end zone...side-steps a tackler and will dive in...touchdown Syracuse! What a play by Swindell and the Orange will win this game!"

#10 Syracuse 34
#9 Notre Dame 30

3 carries, 44 yards, 13 catches, 254 yards, 2 TD

 

[Woy]

Yo Side of the Bed

Jumping two spots in the polls, we came back home and faced our first unranked team of the season in the Hawaii Warriors. Although they started the game with a 91 yard kick return touchdown, we bounced back quickly and routed the men from the islands, 45-7. After scoring the last touchdown of the game on a 60 yard run, the press decided to interview Evan after the game. I took a shaving-cream pie like what they do in baseball and smashed it in his face, drawing the applause from both the media and the fans that stuck around.

We continued on our roll the next week, traveling to Minnesota and beating the Golden Gophers, 31-21. It wasn't as close as the score indicated, as Minnesota scored two garbage touchdowns on our second-string defense. Nothing really stood out in this one, but at 4-0, we were sitting pretty at seventh in the nation and on top of the Big East. However, our long-time rival West Virginia was looking to derail our national championship hopes on Saturday.

Things were going great on the field; off-the-field, not so much. Despite the community's embrace of me and how they would pick me up after the Melyssa tragedy, I still was miserable inside. I spent every night alone, sleeping on just one side of the bed, staring at the other side waiting for Melyssa to come back and fill that void. I knew that it would never happen, but I couldn't bring myself to consistently talk to one girl and get my love life back on track. No one would ever live up to Melyssa.

After getting back from practice, I picked up some food from the McDonald's drive-thru and went home to work on a project. For the millionth time, I unlocked my door and opened it to an empty house. Setting the bag of food and my cell on the counter, I walked into my room to change and re-entered the living room with a missed call. Not seeing the name in a while, I hesitantly picked up my phone and called them back.

"Hello?"

"Hey," I started to say before I was interrupted.

"I didn't call at a bad time, did I?" she asked. As soon as she ended her question, I swore I heard a car door close on the other line and went to the window to see if it was her.

"Nah," I answered, still looking out the window. "I was just about to do some homework. How've you been?"

"I've been okay," she said, before shooting off to another question. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure," I hesitantly answered, wondering what was up. Her voice sounded like a mixture of happiness and one that needed someone right now...I couldn't put my finger on what was going on.

"Give me a place to stay tonight? I'll explain everything when I get there."

"Okay," I permitted, interested to hear what she had to say. She then hung up the phone and I continued to look out the window, awaiting her vehicle. After five minutes though, I didn't a car pull up in the parking lot and started to walk away from the door when...

*KNOCK KNOCK*

I opened the door to a smiling face. "Someone drop you off or something?"

"Nah, my car broke down," she answered before giving me a hug. "I haven't talked to you in person in almost a year. How's you and your wife doing anyways?"

I stood there speechless and as the awkward silence filled the room, she finally spoke up. "I guess that's a sore subject to discuss, huh?"

"She's not with us anymore," I revealed, which had her jaw drop. "Long story."

"Awh, I'm really sorry. I didn't know. If it makes you feel any better, my boyfriend and I just broke up not too long ago and that's why I'm at Syracuse right now."

"You were dating someone from Syracuse?" I asked, surprised of the assumption I just made.

"Nah, he was in town working on a project and I was just returning all his stuff," she replied. "That was hard enough and then my car goes and breaks down...just great."

"Tough luck," I said softly, rubbing her shoulder as a sign of letting her know I was here for her. "How has life been though, besides the obvious?"

"Pretty good. I've been traveling around the states, but it'll be nice to go back home and get back to work. This just put a damper on everything."

"You could have called if you wanted to talk," I reminded her. "Even though we haven't talked in forever, I'm still here for you."

"Thanks Ethan," she said, flashing a weak smile in my direction.

Instead of finishing my homework, I spent the night catching up on her life. We talked till three in the morning, then both fell asleep; her filling Melyssa's spot in the empty spot of the bed.

 

[Woy]

Last Battle for the Schwartzwalder

#7 Syracuse Orange (4-0) at #10 West Virginia Mountaineers (3-0)

"And now we're at the game of the night; seems like this Orange team is always in a big game nowadays. One of the best rivalries in the nation right now...Syracuse/West Virginia. Both teams are in the top 10, undefeated and are looking at more than just a Big East title. Fellas, predictions for this one?"

"Should be another great match-up between these two teams," Desmond stated as Kirk and Lee nodded their heads in agreement. "I got to go with Mr. Heisman and the Orange here. They just seem so focused and committed in their quest for a title."

"I'll have to disagree with you, Desmond," Kirk replied to the cheers of the Mountaineer faithful. "West Virginia never knew how it felt to lose to Syracuse before last year. I know that loss still brings a bitter taste in their mouths and they don't want it to happen again. Look for the Mountaineers to take this one on their home field."

"Look at this West Virginia crowd!" Lee said, hyping up the fans even more. "What a great group of kids. I'm sure they want revenge on Syracuse from last year's upset, am I right?" The crowd responded in a loud cheer, chanting 'Beat SU.' Lee flashed a smile and then shot their chant down, "Not so fast my friend! Give me that hat! Go Orange!"

...

We all sat in the visitors' locker room, hearing the yelling and screaming of the drunk Mountaineer fans from the other side of the wall. There was a nervous silence among us all and after Coach Marrone said a few words, he left the stage open for me to speak.

"Are any of you satisfied with beating these pussies just once? Wouldn't you love it if we beat them again? I know I would. Those fags on the other side of this wall would love nothing more than to derail our Big East and national title plans. Are we going to let them do that!?"

The collective answer was an obvious 'no,' as the uproar voiced over the crowd's cheering.

"Title or bust, bitches! Now, who are we!?"

...

After West Virginia opened off the game with a field goal on their first drive, we came out on the field and I immediately got involved. A connection from Brad and I netted 20 yards on the first offensive play, then a receiver option play only gained two yards after Brad pitched the ball too early. But after another hook-up netting 28 yards, we continued to push the ball down the field and eventually scored a touchdown.

The game went back and forth from there, with the Mountaineers taking the lead, 23-13, in the third quarter. Our defense just picked off Geno Smith and we jogged back on the field, going to work on an exhausted 11 men in blue in front of us. Brad hit me twice and we continued to push the ball down their throats before Evan punched it in from a yard out to cut their lead to three.

West Virginia took the ball and pushed it to mid-field, before halting and eventually failing on a fake punt. We took over and after a four-yard run by Evan, the dagger was brought by yours truly on another outstanding play call.

"Empty backfield, Swindell under center...Woy comes in motion and lines up behind Swindell...here's the snap, Woy gets the hand-off on a stretch...looks for a hole, side-steps a tackler, and has daylight! He's to the 20, the 10, touchdown Syracuse and they'll take the lead!"

The Schwartzwalder Trophy was ours once again.

#7 Syracuse 40
#10 West Virginia 26

4 carries, 60 yards, 2 TD, 14 catches, 212 yards, 2 TD

 

[Woy]

Setting Records and Dinner Plans

We continued our climb up the polls, reaching fourth after our win over West Virginia. As my Heisman hype continued to grow once again - as if it hasn't reached its peak already - I watched a little more of the NFL to see who was shaping up to gain the number one pick in the draft. Right now it was between the Rams and Texans, as both teams we sitting at 0-5.

Saturday, we traveled to Piscataway to face a solid Rutgers team with one big weakness I was trying to exploit; their starting freshman corners. After the Scarlet Knights punted it to our own two-yard line early in the first quarter, I blew past the man covering me on the first play and Brad hit me in stride for a 98 yard touchdown. The final score was 41-7 and I set personal records of 16 catches and 371 yards to go along with my three touchdowns.

Connecticut was a yawner, as I played just the first half, collecting six catches for just 50 yards in a 37-3 win. Pittsburgh scared us, taking the game to double overtime before their quarterback threw a pick. Brad ended up scoring the winning touchdown off a one-yard sneak and we walked into Cincinnati at 8-0 and ranked third in the country behind Alabama and Clemson.

The Bearcats were no slouch, ranked sixth at 6-0. We took control from the start, using our ever improving ground game with Averin and Evan to wear down the Cincinnati defense. A big five-yard touchdown catch by me in which I out-jumped their corner set the halftime score at 28-10. We ended up winning 38-28 and kept our ranking of third going into another big conference match-up against South Florida.

With just one conference loss, the Bulls had a chance to take the Big East title with a win against us and Cincinnati the next week. After being put on the kickoff return team with Evan suffering from cramps, I brought out my first kick from the 30-yard line and ended up in the end zone, tying the score at 36. We scored again with 26 seconds left and it seemed like it was over, but South Florida tied it up with a 68 yard B.J. Daniels touchdown pass. We eventually won in double overtime, 57-50, but it was more of a scare than what we wanted; especially with a trip to Death Valley to face second ranked Clemson next week.

After coming home to a happy campus because we clinched a second-straight Big East title, I checked my Facebook when I got home and noticed a message from the friend that visited a little more than a month ago.

"Ethan,

Hey, how have you been? I see that football's going well...that's great. I'll be in city for a week or so...making a few appearances around the area. Would you want to meet for dinner or something? Let me know. I miss you!"

After closing out of that window, I grabbed my phone and dialed her number. Two rings followed before she picked up and said, "Hello?"

"Hey, what's up?"

"Oh hey! I'm assuming you got my message, huh?"

"Yes I did...how does Wednesday sound?"

"Great! I've ate at the Dinosaur Barbque before and loved it. Would that be a good place?"

I stopped for a few seconds and remembered the last time I was there. The whole awkwardness between Melyssa, Rebecca, Stephen and I led to Rebecca revealing the mistake I made with her to Melyssa, which led to one of the darkest times in my life as she left me. I think about her every day but remembering the negative things that happened in our relationship could put me in a somber mood real quickly. Going back to that restaurant, not only with all the painful memories lingering over me, but with another woman just couldn't happen.

"How 'bout I pick a place and surprise you?"

"That would work. So...I'll meet you at your apartment sometime on Wednesday then?"

"Yeah, sounds good to me."

As she said she had to go, I looked at the picture beside my bed of Melyssa and I. I then looked up and felt a hand from above on my shoulder and knew that if I did try to pursue anything, Melyssa would be with me every step of the way.

 

[Woy]

Opening Up

The next few days went by quickly and before I knew it, the calendar announced that it was Wednesday and I was about to go out on a date for the first time since Melyssa left this world. My stomach was turning and I was getting some butterflies, not because I was nervous to see her again, but I just couldn't pin-point the exact reason. And to top that off, it just felt strange how I used to be so excited to see this girl, but now it's just a chill thing when our eyes meet. It's just so surreal.

The hours past and as I walked into the bathroom to get ready, I received a knock on the door and yelled for them to just come in. I hurried my shower, then put on a towel and saw her sitting on the couch, flipping through channels as I opened the door.

"Sorry," she apologized, blushing. "I didn't know you weren't ready yet."

"It's okay," I replied, walking off into the bedroom. "I'll be ready in a few minutes."

After putting on a button-down shirt and nice jeans, I kissed the picture of Melyssa and asked her for guidance. I then walked back into the living room, took her by the hand and headed out the door to my truck, where we then drove to Pastabilities.

There was a table in the far back where few could see us, so we chose that to avoid annoying autograph and photo seekers. From there, we quickly ordered our food and then started some small talk before our orders eventually came out. A few minutes of quiet eating past, then she spoke up after taking a drink of her lemonade.

"I'm glad we did this, Ethan."

"I'm glad too," I replied, before taking another bite of my lasagna. "It's nice to go out and chill with a friend every once in a while."

"Yeah definitely," she said with a smile. Then her expression turned to one of interest and curiosity as she asked, "is it alright if I ask you a question?"

"Yeah sure," I answered, not sure what she was about to ask. She looked down at her plate, cleared her throat, then picked her head back up and looked me right in the eyes.

"What happened to Melyssa?"

Silence filled the room as I tried to process what exactly I was going to say to her and as the seconds ticked by with still no response, she apologized. "I was just wondering, that's all. You don't have to tell me."

"She was murdered," I revealed, obviously shocking her from the change of facial expression. I stopped for a second because I felt like I was choking up, but I held myself together as she put her hand on my mine and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I replied, flipping my hand over to gently hold her's. "You have no clue how much I loved that girl. I couldn't even begin to describe it with words."

"I'd imagine," she said. "You two seemed very happy together."

"We were," I said, reassuringly. "I didn't think anybody, anything could bring us down. Then she took the worst of my own stupid mistake and that's something I'll never be able to forgive myself for."

"Your mistake? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, during my recruiting process, I was approached by Michigan's coach Rich Rodriguez. He sent a booster to keep tabs on me, spice up the process with money gifts and when I decided to go to Syracuse, that pissed them off. He, the booster, said something in the lines of that there would be payback, but I never expected it to happen to my wife, three years after the fact."

"Damn," she slightly gasped, stunned from everything I told her. "I don't know what to say."

"I wouldn't know what to say either," I half-joked. "As much as I love this place, I'll be so happy when I leave it."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." More silence surrounded us for a few minutes, then as I paid the tab, she spoke up once again. "You wanna know what I think?"

"About?"

"You...well mostly you," she said, as I leaned in closer, interested in what she was about to say. "Ethan, you're an amazing person. I haven't known you that long, but I can just tell. You want to do what makes others happy before yourself. Yeah, past mistakes have taken their toll on your life but they haven't brought you down to a serious depression or something harmful."

She placed her other hand on the table and I slowly grasped it as well, still looking into her pretty blue eyes. A smile crept upon both our faces, then she turned it away and continued to speak.

"I know how much you cared for Mel and wanted to establish a very happy, loving family with you, her and your son. I remember you telling me you haven't had a woman around since the death, which makes me worry about Sean Joseph, because he doesn't really have a mother figure in his life."

Now she started to confuse me a bit. I know what she was saying about Sean Joseph not having a mother figure in his life, but she couldn't possibly be hinting that she liked me and wanted to replace Mel...could she?

"I'm going to admit it right now...I like you; more than just this friendship we've had..."

Well my first assumption was right.

"...but I'm not saying that I want to replace Mel."

Wait, what?

"Like I said, I know how much you loved her and cared about her; she's an irreplaceable part of your life. I'm completely fine with that. What I'm saying is that I want to be in your life...or at least give me a chance to hold a bigger role in it. I want to try and be that mother figure for Sean Joseph. I want to be there beside you in the future for all the good times and bad. There's no way I want to see you end up like Ben Roethlisberger in a few years...you know, can't settle down and get accused of rape so many times."

We both laughed at the Big Ben joke, but she was exactly right. I needed someone to be there for me, someone I could turn to, someone to spend the rest of my life with. Whether she would be that girl, I didn't know, but she understood that she wasn't going to be replacing Melyssa but rather, she would be opening a new chapter in my life.

I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips and whispered, "I'll give you that chance." A warming feeling then rushed through my body and as our lips loosened, I smiled and knew that Melyssa guided me to the right one.

 

[Woy]

Dreams Die in Death Valley

#3 Syracuse Orange (10-0) at #2 Clemson Tigers (10-0)

If you had your television on ESPN at all throughout the week, you most likely saw something about the Syracuse/Clemson game this Saturday. It was being hyped as the 'Regular Season National Title Game', which I bet pissed off Alabama because they were still holding the top ranking in the polls. It was probably the most anticipated regular season game since Ohio State/Michigan in 2006.

Predictions were pretty split everywhere I'd look. We had the more talented team overall, they had more star power...we played in a better conference, they were hosting the match-up in one of the toughest places to play; for every advantage one team had, the other had one to equal it. It truly was shaping up to be a classic.

Kirk and Desmond went with us, while Lee decided to put on the Tiger head during College Gameday, obviously getting the approval of the sea of purple. All of the 78,000 Clemson fans would be wearing that color and although it wouldn't be as intimidating as a 'black-out' or 'white-out', it still was going to be a factor.

The time leading up to the game went by slowly and as we walked out onto the field with our arms locked, the boos rained down from the Clemson faithful with their dark purple that sort of blended in with the night sky. As we reached our sidelines, some of us turned around and saw one of the greatest entrances in college football; the touching of Howard's rock followed by running down the hill. A loud roar shook the stadium as the Tigers made their way onto the field, ready to do battle for a shot at the 2013 National Championship Game in Miami.

Brad, Torian and I met Kyle Parker, RoDerick McDowell and Will Brown at mid-field for the coin toss. There was no bad blood or pre-game trash talking between us, so after we won the toss and elected to receive, both sets of captains exchanged some friendly handshakes and went their separate ways to get ready.

"And here's the match-up everyone's been waiting all week for...number three Syracuse versus number two Clemson. Here's the kickoff and this game is under way!"

We came out with a game-plan to get our ground game involved early, riding Averin most of the time and rewarding him with a two yard touchdown to start the game. However, Clemson had the same early game-plan and executed it perfectly, riding their ground game before RoDerick McDowell scored from three yards out.

The highlights got stale from there, until McDowell scored once again in the second quarter, giving Clemson a 14-7 lead. A long drive of ours was halted by an interception by Thorpe finalist Will Brown, but after some three-and-outs, we had the ball with one last chance to score before the half.

With 39 seconds left, Brad threw an incompletion to begin the drive, then we hooked up for a 41 yard gain. That was followed by a 16 yard completion to Matt Clay, then another incompletion and finally another hook-up between Brad and I for 27 yards to take the ball down to the two-yard line. Our fullback John Jones punched it in from there and we went into halftime tied at 14.

The third quarter was pretty uneventful, but we scored late on a quarterback sneak to take a 21-14 lead but Clemson answered with a Kyle Parker touchdown pass to start off the fourth. The game seemed like it would be back and forth and that the last team with the ball would win, but we made our first big mistake of the night.

"Swindell hands the ball off to the younger Woy...he follows his blockers and looks for a hole...but it's punched out by Brown! There's a big scramble for the ball and it looks like Clemson will end up with it! What a turn of events!"

Parker found McDowell the very next play on a screen pass for an 11 yard score and suddenly the Tigers had all the momentum, taking a 28-21 lead. With just four minutes left, we were looking for just a chance to send it to overtime, but things started to really turn in our favor.

"Swindell takes the snap, looks to his right and has Woy in single coverage, lofts it up there....it's caught and it's going to be a touchdown! What a play by the Heisman winner and with the extra point, we'll be tied up once again!"

Sure enough, the extra point was good and if we held Clemson out of the scoring column, we'd get our chance to beat them in overtime. However, that wouldn't be the case as the Tigers punted it back after a three-and-out. The first play was scrimmage was a memorable one, something that Syracuse fans would be talking about for a long time.

"Swindell in the gun, motions Woy across, takes the snap and fakes the handoff to Collier...and here's the option. Swindell is going to be brought down for a...oh wait, he got it out! Woy grabs it with one hand and avoids the first tackler! He's got space now...stops in his tracks and avoids another tackler and will be finally brought down after a huge 39 yard gain! What a play by the two seniors!"

A few runs killed some clock, then Evan was allowed in by the Clemson defense with 18 seconds left, giving us a 35-28 lead. The Tigers then brought the kick-off to the 15 and it seemed like they'd need a miracle to tie the game.

"Parker drops back to pass...looks to his left and just lofts a bomb...it's caught by sophomore stud Chaz Shaw! Shaw is to the 40, the 50, the 40, 30, 20, 10, touchdown Clemson! I don't believe it! The prayer was answered and suddenly an extra point will tie this game and most likely send it to overtime!"

Sterling Minor trotted out for the extra point and the Tigers faithful continued to celebrate the unlikely touchdown. That high decibel level dropped to one so low you can hear a pin-drop as Minor shanked the point after and as the onside kick was recovered by us, the tears were flowing down some of the Clemson players' faces because their dreams of a national title was gone because of a fluke play.

We were still alive and just one more win in my final home game at the Carrier Dome would send us to Miami once again; this time for the BCS National Championship.

#3 Syracuse 35
#2 Clemson 34

3 carries, 45 yards, 7 catches, 179 yards, 1 TD

 

[Woy]

Senior Day

Louisville Cardinals (4-6) at #1 Syracuse Orange (11-0)

After a huge win against #2 Clemson, we leaped over Alabama in the polls but it wouldn't matter because with just a win, we'd be playing in Miami for the title in January. And with a mediocre Louisville team coming in on Saturday, some fans already were buying their tickets. We didn't want to get over-confident though, because we've seen crazier stuff happen in the past; like when West Virginia was in the exact same situation and fell to Pittsburgh, ending their hopes for a national title.

Sitting in the Syracuse tunnel for the last time as a player, I looked out to the crowd and noticed it was filled more than any other game. The stands were obviously filled to capacity, but the sidelines were also packed with fans and media members. I guess this really was the hottest ticket in the nation as some media outlets said, seeing it was my last game at the Carrier Dome.

"He's only been here for one year, but we still consider him a permanent member of the Syracuse family. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for your quarterback, number four, formerly from the University of Buffalo...Brad Swindell!"

Brad walked out with his parents to a load cheer and received his framed jersey and other miscellaneous items. After speaking for a few minutes, he walked to the sidelines to stand with the rest of the seniors and suddenly everyone stood up. I looked at my proud parents, one standing on each side of me, and gripped their hands tight as I started my walk out.

"And finally...here he is. Coming in as the biggest recruit in recent Syracuse history, this man lived up to and exceeded all expectations. Soon to be a three-time All-American, two-time Biletnikoff winner and two-time Maxwell winner...plus you know he's going to win his second Heisman in a few weeks...no one will wear the number 15 again...please give a loud welcome to the greatest player in Syracuse football history, wide receiver...Ethan Woy!"

The standing ovation lasted for a good ten minutes and as I got my plaque and framed jersey, we all watched as my number 15 banner was lifted up to the rafters above. Then as we all enjoyed the spectacle, a few people walked up towards me, one holding a mic in his hand.

"Everyone please welcome former Syracuse greats Jim Brown, Donovan McNabb and Marvin Harrison!"

The three shook my parents and I's hands, then Donovan spoke up. "Ethan, as alumni of Syracuse University, we're extremely proud of you for setting all sorts of records and taking this program to a completely different level. It's an honor for all of us to give you this plaque as the greatest athlete in Syracuse history. Congratulations."

Jim handed me the plaque and I received an even louder ovation from everyone, including my teammates. I took a bow and as the cheering eventually faded away, I had my stuff taken to the locker-room as we got ready for the actual game.

We were clicking right off the bat, taking the ball from the start and coming out with an 11 play drive that ended in a touchdown run by Averin. Louisville punted it back to us after five plays, then Brad and I hooked up on a 50 yard touchdown to quickly make it 14-0. Brad threw another touchdown, this time to freshman tight end Matt Clay on our third drive, and on our fourth drive, I left the Carrier Dome with a bang.

"Swindell drops back, looks to the right, pump-fakes and got the corner to bite! He throws to a wide-open Woy and it'll be an easy touchdown! Syracuse continues their dominance, leading 28-0, and that might be the last play we see Woy in uniform here at the Loud House."

That was my final play, as I came out in street clothes for the second half because Coach Marrone decided to pull the starters. Charley finally got some time and was impressive in the final 30 minutes, throwing for a touchdown, but Evan got most of the attention with 16 carries and responded with his first 100 yard day.

Miami, here we come.

#1 Syracuse 45
Louisville 10

2 carries, 32 yards, 10 catches, 204 yards, 2 TD

 

[Woy]

Griffin, Tebow...Meet Mr. Woy

Locking in our spot to Miami, we awaited our opponent and watched a fun few weeks of college football unfold. Alabama defeated rival Auburn to clinch their spot in the SEC championship where they would face Georgia, and their win moved them up to the top spot in the polls ahead of us. Texas A&M and Boise State were each sitting at 11-1 behind us in the polls, hoping to take advantage of a possible Crimson Tide loss. However, that didn't happen, as Alabama easily defeated the Bulldogs, 38-13, and Texas A&M was upset by Nebraska, 32-17. Alabama/Syracuse was already being hyped as much as the epic game between USC/Texas almost 10 years ago.

Before that, I made a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation again. But unlike last year, I had someone to join me in the Big Apple as Brad got invited as a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award and the Heisman. Along with us, two more quarterbacks in Clemson's Kyle Parker and Alabama's Star Jackson were invited. They all knew it was mine to lose though.

"Your 2012 Maxwell Award winner is...senior receiver from Syracuse, Ethan Woy!"

"The winner of the 2012 Fred Biletnikoff Award is Syracuse's Ethan Woy! What a surprise."

After going back to the hotel with my hands full, I arrived at Radio City Music Hall with Brad to meet the other two finalists. Kyle, I already knew from the Clemson game, but I didn't know Star.

"What's good fellas?" I greeted the other two players as we walked into the room.

"Ready to lose your trophy tonight?" Kyle asked me, jokingly. Unlike last year, everyone knew that it was my trophy to lose and that I would possibly set a record for the biggest margin of victory.

"You wish," I replied. "Glad to see you guys beat Tech though...I'll be rooting for you in the Orange Bowl."

"Yeah, it makes up for the tough loss against you guys, that's for sure."

"And how about my competition in the title game?" I turned to Star, who was grabbing some punch from the table. "You ready?"

"Always ready, son," he replied before shaking my hand. "It's definitely going to be a great one, but I'm pretty sure we'll come out on top."

"We'll just have to wait and see," I chuckled.

...

"And your 2012 Heisman Trophy winner will join Archie Griffin and Tim Tebow as the only two-time winners of the award...senior receiver from Syracuse, Ethan Woy!"

I shook all my competitors' hands, unlike the little scuffle with Terrelle Pryor last year, and hugged my parents before walking up to accept my award.

"It's an honor just to win this once," I stated, arms locked on the bronze beauty. "But I'm so thrilled to take home another one of these. I want to thank God, my family, my teammates, coaching staff, friends and everyone who has been there for me over this last season. It's been an extremely tough one for me emotionally and I know if I was any other team or was surrounded by any other people, then I wouldn't have been able to make it. I dedicate this to my fallen soldier, the love of my life, Melyssa. Thank you all and God bless."

After talking and getting some pictures with Griffin and Tebow, the rest of the finalists and I went into the back where they were hosting the after-party, where my favorite artist J. Cole was performing.

Hopefully my result over Jackson in the voting would resemble the result of the BCS National Championship in less than a month.

 

[Woy]

Curtains Close

#2 Syracuse Orange (12-0) vs. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0)

Sitting in the locker-room of Sun Life Stadium, I stared in the mirror of the locker in front of me and smiled. There wasn't an ounce of nervousness in my body. After all the hell I've been through during my four years at Syracuse, I was extremely thankful to be in this type of position to end my career. Win or lose, I was going to go out with a bang.

"Guys, we've made it. Look to the person on the left and right of you and remember all the times we've had together as a team. We fucking deserve this, we really do. A lot of the perception of this game is that Alabama will smoke us because they play in the almighty SEC. I laugh at that bullshit, look at the teams we've beaten! USC, Clemson, Notre Dame, West Virginia...Bama's schedule doesn't even compare."

I got up from the bench and slowly walked to the center of the locker-room, all eyes locked on me just like they've been my whole career. I cleared my throat and looked back at 85 men wearing all orange, then resumed my speech.

"We've been through a lot, especially this senior class. This team has gone from Big East cellar-dweller to national power throughout our time here. I want to let you know that I love each and every one of you and couldn't ask for better teammates. But enough of that corny shit. Go out there tonight and give it all, don't play for the name on the back of your jersey but play for every single student, faculty member and alumni of Syracuse University. This is our time fellas! Now, who we are!?"

"SU!"

"And what we do?"

"Stomp on you!"

"I said, what we do?"

"Stomp on you!"

"Break it down baby! One, two, three..."

"SU will rock you!"

...

Thousands of flash-bulbs went off as Adam Gray lined up for the opening kickoff. I stood on the sideline and watched Adam boot the ball out of the end zone, officially starting the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.

O'Brien winning quarterback Star Jackson took the field, along with All-SEC runningback Trent Richardson but our defense was ready for their explosiveness. Richardson took two carries for only four yards total, then our stud freshman defensive tackle Ryan Markey brought down Jackson for a 10 yard loss, forcing them to punt after their first drive.

We were much better on our opening drive, slowly but consistently moving the ball. Averin got the first carry for three yards, then after an incompletion, Brad hit Matt on a 10 yard gain. After missing me with a low throw, Brad hit me for eight yards on a hitch, then Evan came into the game and took a hand-off for six yards. Robbie then caught a pass on a wide-open seam route and rumbled 30 yards downfield, which set up the first score of the night.

"Swindell motions Woy...fakes the hand-off to Collier and it'll be the option...he pitches it to the Heisman winner and he's got a little hole! Touchdown Syracuse! The Heisman winner strikes again, scoring early in this first quarter to give the Orange a 6-0 lead!"

However, Alabama came back behind the legs of Richardson. Three, eight, and 11 yard runs coupled by a personal foul penalty moved the Crimson Tide into scoring position. Then a Jackson quarterback draw gained 13 yards, before Richardson took two more hand-offs and got into the end zone, sending the game into the second quarter with the score knotted up at seven.

"Swindell drops back to pass, looks to his right, fires in Woy's direction...it's picked off by Nico Johnson! Johnson's to the 40, the 30, the 20 and is brought down at the 16-yard line! What a shift in momentum!"

The second quarter obviously started horrible for us, with Brad almost throwing a pick-six on the opening play. Three plays later, Richardson was celebrating with the mascot in the end zone as Alabama took a 14-7 lead. Things got stale after that, as both teams traded three-and-outs, but we had one last opportunity before halftime and made the most of it.

"Third down and goal from the 15 with just 11 seconds left before halftime. Swindell takes the snap and drops back...fires a screen to Woy...Woy makes a move on the corner and only has to get by the safety! He drags him into the end zone for another Syracuse touchdown!"

Coming out for the third quarter, we received the kickoff and went right to work. We started running the ball with Evan instead of Averin and although he got one yard on his first carry, his big break was still to come. A false start moved the ball back 10 yards, but Justin Roberts gained those yards back with a deep slant. Then on third and nine, Evan made the play of his career and really shifted all the momentum in our corner.

"Swindell drops back to pass...looks like he's going to set up the screen to the younger Woy. Evan catches it and has blockers in front of him...makes one man miss, he might have something here! To the 50, the 40, the 30, 20, 10...touchdown Syracuse! The Woys are putting a hurting on the Crimson Tide defense, both of them combining for all three touchdowns!"

Alabama went three-and-out once again and we got the ball back at our own 28-yard line. Brad scrambled twice for six and eight yards, then found me on an out pattern for 11 yards. A timeout was called by Alabama because of an injury to one of their defensive lineman, which set the stage for the play of the year and one that any college football fan would remember for a long time.

"First down and 10, ball is on the Alabama 48-yard line. Swindell is in the gun, four receivers spread out. Here's the snap...Alabama's bringing the heat but Swindell will scramble to his right...here comes the defensive end...he side-steps him and throws up a prayer! Woy looks for it, leaps up and grabs it with the corner on his back! It looks like he's going to be downed at the two...no, wait! He's going to drag him into the end zone, touchdown Syracuse! What a play by Mr. Heisman and his best friend and that gives the Orange a two score lead!"

Alabama tacked on a field goal to end the third quarter, but the momentum was still completely in our favor. We started the fourth quarter with a six play drive, but punted it back to the Crimson Tide after falling just short of field goal range. Alabama fell victim to another three-and-out and we took the ball on a long, ten play drive which ended in a field goal.

The hats and shirts started to come out and with one minute left, Brad and I found the Gatorade coolers and the coaches, dumping them as Richardson ran in for another touchdown. The coaches seemed pissed because it was just a one score game, but we insisted it was over.

"Hang on a second folks, we're not done yet! Alabama recovers the onside kick and has 51 seconds to score another touchdown and send it to overtime!"

I swear I received the longest death stare from Coach Marrone when the Crimson Tide offensive excitedly trotted back onto the field. Things just got worse as Star Jackson led them down to the 24 yard line of ours and with one second left, all their title hopes relied on one last miracle.

"Jackson takes the snap...looks to his left...throws it...it's batted down at the line by Markey! The former Big East bottom-feeder has reached the pinnacle of college football as Syracuse wins the National Championship!"

I gave Coach Marrone a big hug as he whispered, "you're lucky," then ran onto the field with the rest of my teammates to celebrate. I found Star and Trent, told them to keep their heads up as Evan threw a shirt over my shoulder and put a hat on my head. After celebrating a little more, the BCS representatives finally showed up with the trophy.

"Congratulations, Coach Doug Marrone and the Syracuse Orange! You were the best team all year and capped it off with a fantastic win over Alabama tonight. And now, it's time to present the Chevrolet Player of the Game Award and it's no surprise. He came back after winning the Orange Bowl MVP last year and capped his historic career with 11 catches and three total touchdowns. Ladies and gentlemen, Ethan Woy!"

I held that trophy high and proud, a tear falling down my face as I soaked in the moment. Just like last year, chants of "Heisman" and "Spider-Man" filled the stadium, but instead of ending my collegiate career on a BCS bowl game win like I thought I would, the curtains closed on it in the best way possible; as a national champion.

#2 Syracuse 31
#1 Alabama 24

3 carries, 8 yards, 11 catches, 178 yards, 3 TD (1 rush)

 

[Woy]

Finale (Part 1)

Just like last season when I decided to come out, I was the projected number one pick. However, Cleveland missed out because they went 5-11 behind Colt McCoy and currently had the fifth overall pick. Instead, Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams held the first selection and with no weapons still at the former Oklahoma quarterback's disposal, they were certain to take me.

The combine just added to my credentials, as my 4.35 40-yard dash and 40 inch vertical jump had scouts' jaws dropping. I decided not to run or jump at Syracuse's Pro Day, but instead I caught passes from Brad the entire time, showcasing both my hands and route-running ability, but also his big arm and accuracy. Despite his size, there were projections of him being picked as high as the early second.

Trade rumors grabbed everyone's attention during the week of the NFL Draft, as an unnamed team was considering trading two first rounders, a second, and a receiver to St. Louis, just for the number one overall pick. ESPN or any other media outlets wouldn't release the mystery team, but I know they didn't try to get in touch with me, so I was just as clueless...excited, but clueless.

...

"Welcome to the 2013 NFL Draft. The St. Louis Rams are now on the clock."

Minutes passed and it started to seem more and more that the Rams were just bluffing and that they would actually take me, so when I saw Roger Goodell walk up to the podium, I started to imagine myself in a St. Louis uniform.

"And with the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams have traded their selection..."

There were some gasps around the arena and as I leaned forward to pay more attention, my phone started to vibrate so I picked it up.

"Ethan, are you ready to become a Tennessee Titan?"

Goosebumps shot up my spine as I listened to Bryan Adams, the owner of the Titans, welcome me to the team. I replied with, "absolutely," then he said he'd talk to me soon and hung up the phone as Goodell finished the selection.

"...to the Tennessee Titans. And with the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Titans select...Ethan Woy, wide receiver, Syracuse University."

I hugged my family and friends that were in the green room with me, then walked out to the applause of thousands before receiving the generic #1 jersey and hat. Smiling during the pictures, Goodell whispered, "you're going to be a star, kid" in my ear and I just nodded my head, happy that I already had his approval.

...

"Let's see what the rook's got," Vince whispered to Chris before they both walked into the huddle. It was training camp and I was placed on the first team offense from the beginning since I was replacing Kenny Britt, who was in the draft-day trade, but with media and fans surrounding the practice field, I never made an early impression.

"Red 15, red 15, set...go!"

The ball was snapped and Vince faked the hand-off to Chris. The defense didn't really bite and as I tried to get away from Cortland, Vince lofted it high in my direction. I thought it would be out of my reach, but I sprung up with one hand...

...and brought it down, keeping both feet in bounds as the crowd and sidelines roared in approval.

"Yeah, he legit," Chris chuckled as the offensive players congratulated me when I made it back to the huddle.

...

"The kick is up...and it's good! Nate Kaeding boots home the 35-yard field goal and the Chargers have finally gotten over the hump and will represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVIII!"

Despite the heartbreak in the AFC Championship Game, I had a very successful rookie season. As Vince's number one target, I had 65 catches, 1023 yards and nine touchdowns while winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. With a nice core nucleus of Vince, Chris, and I representing the offense and Derrick, Stephen, and Cortland representing the defense, we would be Super Bowl contenders for years to come.

However, I had bigger things going in my life after my rookie year...

 

[Fox1994]

I'm confused as to whether or not you actually played with him on Madden...

And I completely forgot Evan was on the team. In fact, I don't think I ever knew. Very exciting ending, amigo. Looking forward to the final to the finale. XD

:acid:

 

[Woy]

I'm confused as to whether or not you actually played with him on Madden...

And I completely forgot Evan was on the team. In fact, I don't think I ever knew. Very exciting ending, amigo. Looking forward to the final to the finale. XD

:acid:

Nah, I didn't play this in Madden...didn't have the time.

I'll have the second part of the finale now, then the final part of it will be posted tomorrow hopefully.