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I'm not gonna lie: last week was pretty crazy. In addition to churning out another $20 worth of sportswriting for the S&B, I had a lot going on for football and school. And although outside is now colder than breaking up with someone via text message, I figured it would be another typical 7 days in the great white north (so called not because of snowfall, but because of pasty skin tone).

First, I heard on Sunday that the College had found a new president and was planning on introducing he/she/it on Tuesday or Wednesday. Then we received a vague email from Coach Hawsey that we would have a team meeting at 4:30 on Tuesday. I'll admit I'm not the quickest drop of snot out there, but the rusty wheels began turning in my head. New president. Vague team meeting. I had this feeling before a meeting once, and I left it without a football team and the internal need to start filling out transfer applications.

It's been nearly a year since Colorado College dropped the football program, and even though I had constantly been assured that nothing would ever happen here with Grinnell's gazillion dollar endowment, I still had butterflies when I got a text from Coach Hawsey asking me to stop by his office a half hour before the meeting.

When I saw him, I immediately knew something was wrong. He explained to me that he had decided to leave Grinnell and take an offensive coordinator position at his alma mater, Austin College. Knowing my relatively fragile state concerning program changes, he wanted to tell me about it before he addressed the team as a whole. I still think that was a really classy thing to do, and I believe that he is going to Austin for the right reasons. I'm thankful to him for having brought me first to Colorado College, and then here to Grinnell, where I get to be part of a great bunch of guys. He's built a solid foundation here at Grinnell, and I think he'll be very successful in his new position in Austin.

Coach Pedersen, the former defensive coordinator, was the immediate choice for the interim coach position, and I think he's going to be a great coach to play for. I haven't been coached by him much directly since he didn't heed my wishes to be the only 265 pound defensive back in the conference. But since he was a 2-time All-American here at Grinnell, he knows the program and he knows the school. I'm behind him totally, and the entire team is looking forward to playing for him this season.

The next day, the new president was announced. I don't know much about him, but all I wanted to know was if he supported intercollegiate athletes (unlike a Colorado College president who is aptly named "Dick").

Wednesday was also Ash Wednesday, or "What Is On That Person's Forehead, Oh Right It's Ash Wednesday" Day. This year I've decided to give up both sugar and soda (or as the adorable midwesterners call it, "pop"). I've been trying to eat healthy on a consistent basis, considering that the football mileage I've already put on my body makes my legs pop when I walk. I need vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to keep my knee from dislocating mid-squat.

Somehow Damon Fernandez does not require the same level of nutrition as me. Every time I see him in the dining hall, it's pizza, burgers, fries, and soda (or as the simpleminded Texans call it, "Coke" ... yes, all soda is Coke to them). He estimates that grease occupies a good portion of the fluid in his blood vessels. He can somehow compete at a high level while consuming what most people consider rocket fuel.

So I intend to go forth and eat spinach while continuing to work hard in the weight room and the classroom. We only have 3 coaches right now, so extra responsibility falls to the players (I'm praying we don't let McLeran make too many decisions). More than anything, I'm focusing on improving our bond as a team. The closer we are off the field, the better we will be on it.