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	December 25, 2008

Well, things didn't turn out quite how we wanted them to. We battled hard but fell short of victory against the Missouri Tigers. It still hurts, but with time I hope it will sting a little less.

2008 has been the best year of my life so far. From a football standpoint, everything seemed to go right. The whole team worked harder then ever before. Everyone on the team really believed in Coach Fitzgerald's philosophy of what we needed to do to be a great team. We went 9-3 during the regular season and lost in overtime in the Alamo Bowl. The friends and relationships I have made this year will never be lost. I got extremely close to so many different people on the team and know that they will always be there for me while I will always be there for them. I know many of us will remain friends forever.

I also learned a lot this year. I learned football lessons and life lessons. I learned what it takes to achieve a winning season and also learned how important every aspect of your preparation is. I learned that hard work pays off and learned that if you remain true to who you are, things will work out. I am thankful to the offensive line and Coach Ingalls. They took me under their wing and believed in me. This year I saw people work harder then ever before. I saw players believe and invest in a Wildcat philosophy that means everything to the football program and Northwestern University. The team this year had both highs and lows but remained steady and never faltered from our values.

After the game, it hit me hard. I will never have the opportunity to play college football again. Both Northwestern University and the Northwestern football program mean everything to me. The people, the belief system, and what Northwestern stands for is what makes Northwestern such a special place. If I could do it all over again, I would do the same. I know that Coach Fitz and Coach Ingalls have molded me into the best football player I could be, and the best man I could be. I will miss Northwestern with my whole heart. I have spent so much time and invested so much in earning a degree and being the best football player I could be that I can't really fathom that it's over. I know I will always remain a member of the Northwestern Wildcat family and also know that I will bleed purple till I die.

Although my career is over, I do understand that life does go on. I can't wait for next year to come. I will work hard for the next part of the journey they call life. I have so much respect for Coach Fitzgerald and the job that he has done that next season can't get here soon enough. Coach Fitz has been such an inspiration in my life that I can't imagine what its going to be like without him in it. I know I can turn to him whenever I need to. Although the Camp Kenosha, the 5 a.m. wake-ups, and the Spring Ball practices felt like they would never end, they did, and they ended way too fast. It is interesting the way life goes. It seems we are always waiting for things to end, however when they do, we are never really ready. I've learned to enjoy each moment and appreciate life for what it is. Time goes bye much too quickly.

I want to thank everyone for reading my blog and supporting me. It was a pleasure to blog about the Wildcat Alamo Bowl experience. It was also great to see so much purple in San Antonio. When I looked upon the stands and saw the parents and fans a rush of pure confidence rushed through my veins. Thanks for always supporting us. You will never know how much that means. On the way home in the airport a former Northwestern O lineman #61 went out of his way to support me and the NU team. It's great to see that the purple pride never dies. All NU players, young and older, will never stop supporting one another. Thanks for reading, and as always GO CATS!

Keegan "Tuna" Kennedy

Blog #16 December 27, 2008

Today has been the best day in San Antonio so far. Not only did I participate in my last practice as a Northwestern Wildcat (which is a bittersweet feeling), but as a team we took one step closer to getting to the game. Other highlights of the day included a big arrival day for the Wildcat nation, a great time at the pep rally, and finally a talent show I will never forget. Lets start with the pep rally. The football team walked down to the Riverwalk at 6 p.m. to load the barges. As we loaded the barges, the Northwestern band began playing our fight song. The band was two barges ahead of us and led the way up and down the river walk. The Riverwalk was packed with people. There were Northwestern fans, Missouri fans and then tourists who were just having a good time. As we rode down the river, each barge filled with players had a great time. Chants like "Go U, NU" were yelled at the top of our lungs. Everyone was really excited about the `Cats around the river walk and from my perspective it seemed everyone who wasn't clearly identified by being a `Cats or Tiger fan was pulling for us. After we drifted down the river walk we ended up at an outside stadium where Coach Fitz and the captains got us pumped up. The stadium was filled with both Northwestern and Mizzou fans, however the Northwestern fans seemed to outnumber the Missouri ones.

After the pep rally we headed to the La Villita where we enjoyed Rudy's Bar-B-Q and both a trivia contest and talent show. We started with the trivia contest. For some reason we didn't compete against the Missouri Tigers. Now, I don't know if the people who ran the event were scared that we were going to dominate the trivia contest or what, but we ended up competing against each other. James Nussbaum won the contest with Kurt Mattes at a close second and Tyrell Sutton in dead last. After the contest it was time for the talent portion. The talent portion was extremely funny. The Missouri Tigers partook in an ventriloquist skit as well as a dancing skit. The Wildcats had Kevin Watt do an impression from "Men In Black," Todd Dockery and Carl Fisher play the piano and sing a song, and had Niko Mafuli, Corey Wooton and Marshall Thomas perform the Techno Viking. If you do not know what the Techno Viking is, immediately youtube . it and then imagine those three guys performing it.

However, the best part of the night was at the end of the talent show. CJ decided to have a dance off against Missouri. The dance is called "The dougie" (I think that's how you spell it). "The dougie" is a Houston based rap song and dance that describes someone who is looking good. Five NU players vs. five Mizzou players was the competition. It was one of the funniest things I have seen in my life. Not only did every player have a different interpretation of the dance, but each player tried to out do the one before. The star of the show was Chuck Porcelli. Chuck Porcelli is a 6-7, 310-pound offensive tackle. Not only did Chuck Porcelli go up on stage and perform the dance "the dougie," but he did it with remarkable balance and swiftness.

After the talent show ended, we headed back to the hotel where everyone has just been relaxing. It is time to lock in and start getting ready for the game. Everyone has had a lot of fun in San Antonio. For those of you who are here cheering us on, thank you. For those of you who couldn't make, be here in spirit. And for those of you who are stuck in O'Hare or Midway because of the terrible weather, God Bless your souls. Thanks for reading and Go Cats!

Keegan "Tuna" Kennedy