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Show I DECEMBER 30, 1982 diary of a defensive lineman Another Year At The Holiday Bowl For Brandon Flint As CC I walked in the tunnel to the locker room, Ohio States fine linebacker, Glen Cobb, came up to me and said, You guys are a lot better than what you showed tonight and I wanted you to know it. It was a little consolation, but not much. 55 Brandon Flint By KEITH DUNCAN Journal Sports (Editors Note: BY'Us talented junior defensive tack le, Brandon Flint, did a few sports fans a favor by keeping a journal of the days events up and through the 1982 Holiday Bow l in Provo and San Diego. He kept the journal as a special request from the Clipper Publishing Sports Department. The following layout is a brief view of Brandons thoughts on the football finale.) - LAYTON All the way from Midget A" to a battle with the big boys from Georgia and Ohio State, Laytons Brandon Flint has certainly had a stomach full. The former Layton Little League grad and eventually a former Layton High gridiron hero, just returned home from his fourth consecutive Holiday Bowl with plenty to tell about. Though not a journalism major and no immediate intentions on switching, Flint captured some of his thoughts and the day by day events that led up to the 1982 Holiday Bowl extravaganza. The December 82 trip left plenty to remember, like an agonizing injury that nearly spelled him ouh of the battle, a genuine meeting with one of Americas finest football teams and more royal treatment than in any other San Diego visit hed been on. Live the days before the Holiday Bowl and the grand day itself again in the following paragraphs kept by Brandon himself. WEEK OF PRACTICE BEFORE HOLIDAY BOWL DEPARTURE We had four days of practice before leaving to San Diego. It was on Tuesday of that week that we were going through a drill that I sustained my injury. The ballcarrier was going between me and Mike Morgan, but as I tackled him, Morgan came up and hit me in the thigh. It created a deep, deep bruise with blood clots that made it so sore I could hardly put weight on it. GOING INTO this bowl game, we felt confident we could win. We were relaxed I suppose, with not a lot of pressure on us. But at the same time we had respect for Ohio State. scalpels I knew it was more serious. He started cutting on me an began the minor surgery right there in the dressing room. They made an incision about .tw'o inches long and had hoped to squeeze a hematoma out, but nothing came out. The doctor put his finger in the muscle and was probing around. It hurt like crazy, almost like killing me. I cant write what I said while he was doing it. When he was done, they put six stitches in my leg and I hobbled out to practice. People began asking me if I was going to play. I just had to tell them I was going to, if I could run. If I could run at all and get my stance down, then I knew I could play. How much Id play would be another matter. After practice w'e went to the stadium and had our pictures taken for a plaque. From there we went to play miniature golf, video games and all the like, which was free. Coach Hall got thrown in the pool that evening, everybody just having a great time. When we came back to the hotel, they had a grand buffet dinner for us. We got filled and ended the night watching Monday Night Football. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14 For the second straight day I didnt practice because of my leg. It was really hurting, but I still tried to stretch it, trying to get it ready for angle Friday. I couldnt even get a out of it. Everywhere we went, service was first class. In fact this Holiday Bowl might have been better than all the others in that regard. At 6:30 we visited Sea World and other exhibits. We had an awards dinner that evening afterwhich both teams were introduced with each player receiving a mug, a plaque and a Holiday Bowl ring. For dinner we had barbe-qu- e spare ribs and chicken. It was a pretty fun evening. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15 We finally got to sleep in today and it felt good. Again I didnt get to practice which was really getting to me. This may have been the first time this season found myself getting really depressed, mainly because I didnt know if Id get to play or not. I had some treatment before practice and went out to jog, but had to stop because the pain was so terrible. That really got me depressed. I began thinking to myself about not playing Friday night and sitting on the sidelines. To me that would be worse than not being there at all. We visited the ship after practice. Its an annual tour of the aircraft carrier. The luncheon was better than ever before but as usual there was a race to the bus after we were done because we knew the tour of the ship would be as boring as the time before. Afterall, Id seen the thing three times now. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16 We had the morning to ourselves and at 11:30 a.m. we went to the Kiwanis luncheon. To prove how much better the service was this time, we had tables and good food this year instead of box lunches and our laps as tables. We sat at different tables and mingled with Ohio States players and other dignitaries. I sat by Coach (Chuck) Stobart and his wife. Hes a nice guy. His wife really got into Ohio States band since shes from that area. Our battle with Utah was a pretty heated one this past season. The Utes were a much better team than their record indicated. Hope it always boils down to Utah and BYU to see who goes I SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12 We left Salt Lake at 2:50 p.m. on a charter flight, a flight that was fairly smooth with a very shaky landing. After arriving we went directly to the hotel. At 6 p.m. the Holiday Bowl Committee gave us a welcoming ceremony at poolside. Its a pretty festive thing the first day with bands playing, people singing and everything else going on. After wed heard some speeches, seen figures of Sea World dance around and received a sweater, it was time to hit the sack. MONDAY, DECEMBER 13 We were up by 7 a.m., had a team meeting at 7:15 a.m. and were in practice by 8. Most of our practices would be fairly early so we could have the rest of the day to ourselves. At practice 1 asked coach if I should practice because of the badly bruised thigh. He said, no. but to get treatment. While in the training room, the trainer thought we could just drain the area, but as it turned out, it got a lot more complicated. Dr. Brent Prattley (team physician) was called in and he immediaely deadened the area. In ankle drained high school I once had to get an to be the was this going and of blood thought out the Dr. brought once Prattley but same, - 25 On Your Gas Consumption of Your Furnace The Furnace Brain Moderate At, A, A your Answer , ,,' W UH is to the Holiday Bowl. Practice started at 8 p.m. and we went in sweats. I finally got to piactice. It still hurt to jog and I thought to my self, Who is going to be jogging in the game? got down in my stance and sprinted for 20 yards and it felt a lot better than jogging. I began feeling confident after that, that Id get to play tomorrow night. During the year, every game counted that we played and I played most of them hurt. As the countdown of hours came before the game, it was going to have to be something pretty significant to keep me out. figured in this case that I had all summer to recuperate, so what the heck, just go for it. CALL 546-023- ! t$ ' AAV y. T ' S ' W't, "'A , V , ' , M l"s defensive henchmen. Biandon Mint, out of B one went out to warm-u- p but me. had to get more treatment and get my leg all padded up. w'as getting excited and felt I was ready to play. Finally kickoff time came and I could sense the feeling of hitting someone for the first time in a week and a half. I felt we played well in the first half but committed too many turnovers the second half. A good team like Ohio State will capitalize on mistakes, and they did. Late in the third quarter I hurt my leg and was through for the 1 1 1 1 1 220 Clearfield 1 WEBER AGENCY Cashier Municipal Pool E guys It will be hard to replace them. As I walked in the tunnel to the lockerroom. Ohio State's fine linebacker. Glen Cobb, came up to me and said. You guys are a lot better than what you showed tonight and wanted you to know it." It was a little consolation, hut not much. I would have to say that Ohio State was the finest team we played all year. The things that make them so great are their blocking schemes and the plays they run. They are a w ell coached football team. Georgia was tough too and so was Utah in that department. It's been a fun year, one that won't forget. And I'm really looking forward to next year. 1 Ext. 934 So. 1000 1 I started thinking about the seniors and how fun it has been playing with them. I thought about Chuck (Ehin) and Mike Morgan, two of my best friends. We had been close our entire careers. Off the field were were teasers but on the field it was dead serious. I made a couple of good plays in the game. got through the line once and tackled someone for a loss on a reverse play. Plays like that FRIDAY, DEC EMBER 17 Gle&ijfield 1 night. Game day was finally here. After breakfast at 9:30, we were free till 2:45 for a defensive team meeting. At 3 we had lunch and afterwards sat around the pool and relaxed. We finally took off for the stadium. Every Pool Mgr. Ext. 219 boost your confidence and make you play harder. felt bad that we didn't make a better showcould think of as we ing. The only thing walked off the field, was nevt year, my senior year. Fm going to miss Chuck and Mike. I've never been closer to anyone than those two 1 96 N. MAIN 544-42- LAYTON. UTAH 17 P15S80R13 Plus $1.51 F.E.T. Reg. 554. 78-1- Sova'Ita'Ho Ktsobn wrfacM nine 773-330- 773-330- 6 J0TCJ Next Training Session All Scouts ages - - All skills Boy - Girl - A1 Swtsu redials Sknw toae dwyed far &y, wt. Potyaetor body pd and tfearpton baft All loti you info tvae to 35 pa far war Cub Register Now!! LEARN TO SWIM t( The Life you save may be your own 3 Sava 17 on Runabout bioa boltoal blackwall. wwwy me FOarglaa body UkVM tv meetov non pbf conUrmttow rofang MOUNTING AND BALANCE DONE IN STORE LIMITED QUANTITY ON SNOW TIRES 7 In Price New Electronic Device by General Fillers , the threat of a sack by one of Layton, got his sharemf quarterback licks and tells his story in the Holiday Bowl. JAN. !AVI20 is , The fear of all good quarterbacks Oolyn tord |