American winner takes all

Chapter 215 Let it Go (22)

In the locker room, you can vaguely hear the live music coming from outside. The exciting and cheerful tones are also mixed with the cheers of the audience.

Apparently, it was the Florida fans who came all the way to cheer, not the Alabama fans who also came all the way.

And that cheerful music sounds like a death knell to the ears of the Alabama players in the locker room now.

The difference between heaven and hell may only take half an hour.

"We haven't lost yet..." Eugene looked at the people with lowered eyebrows, and a gloomy look appeared on his consistent poker face.

In fact, he also knows how serious and urgent the current problems in Alabama are.

"In fact, if it weren't for Ethan, we would have failed in the game against Tennessee..." The players sitting on the bench subconsciously whispered.

Like Florida, Alabama currently maintains an undefeated record.

But there is also a gap between complete victory and complete victory.

Alabama faced weak opponents in the first half, but Florida won a few tough battles.

Especially in the confrontation with Tennessee, the game was once behind by a big score. In the end, Florida fought back from the disadvantage and won the game directly.

Of course, Alabama has also encountered several crises this season.

And the way to solve the problem, including the players and coaching staff, is also extremely simple - if you have any questions, please contact Ethan.

It was thanks to Ethan, a buggy player, that Florida defeated several heavyweight opponents such as Tennessee, LSU, and Auburn in the second half of the game.

If it weren't for Ethan, even the previous game against Mississippi State would have been an upset loss.

In fact, everyone knows that there is a gap in strength between this year's Alabama Crimson Tide and Florida, which is gaining momentum.

Besides, everyone can clearly see that Ethan has been restricted now.

The odds of winning are slim.

At this time, Eugene couldn't help but sigh.

"Facing a strong opponent, of course we cannot give up the game. No matter what, we must respect the opponent and the game. Winning or losing is secondary. After all, we have exceeded our goal for this year! We are already the Western Half champions ." Eugene crossed his arms and leaned against the pillar in the locker room, saying with a bit of luck.

"You have done a great job." Eugene looked around at everyone.

The implication is, don't think about winning or losing, just go all out for the rest of the game and show your style.

"What does it mean to have done a great job?" A cold voice suddenly interrupted the discussion between the players and the coach.

Everyone looked back and found that it was Mary, the team leader.

"You are already the champion of the Western Half. You have done a great job! If Bill hears these words, he will jump out of the coffin board and slap you on the head with the coffin board!" She sneered.

The Bill mentioned is naturally "Bill" Bryant, Alabama's former meritorious coach who led the Alabama Crimson Tide to create countless miracles.

Bill (Bear) is just his nickname, his full name should be Paul William "Bear" Bryant.

"Have you forgotten who you are? Have you forgotten what you are carrying? Sean Alexander, tell me where you went on the first day of school?"

Mary looked at the running back coldly.

"It's the Bryant Memorial."

"It seems that you don't remember anything, so tell me what is the last sentence in Bryant's autographed letter displayed in the memorial hall?"

"It's...never give up, never give up." Michael Vaughn, the wide receiver, spoke directly.

"Yes, this is the spirit of the Crimson Tide team, never give up, never give up. Look at the jerseys you are wearing, gentlemen, that is Alabama red, representing the expectations of millions of Alabama people. , represents the long history of the University of Alabama. When you come here, you represent Alabama and the pride of Alabama."

"Alabama will never give up at any time. No matter how strong the opponent is, no matter everything else, we should never have any 'satisfaction'. The so-called satisfaction is just the compromise of the weak to themselves. Accept that you are just a waste. , do you want to continue to be trash?"

"Whether you want it or not, I will not be the leader of a team full of useless players. You guys are insulting Alabama!"

By the end of the sentence, Mary's eyes were wet.

"What really makes me sad is not that Alabama lost the game, but you bunch of wimps who have no fighting spirit!"

"Hey, no one wants to lose the game." Eugene motioned for Ethan to take her away.

Ethan walked over and took Mary away.

The two came outside the locker room.

At this time, Mary couldn't control it anymore and lay in Ethan's arms and cried loudly.

Ethan didn't know what to do for a moment, so he could only hug her and keep patting her back.

And soon, Mary adjusted her mood and raised her head to look at Ethan.

"Sorry, I didn't control my emotions. I will apologize to everyone after the game." She wiped the corners of her eyes and twitched her nose twice.

Then he said with some self-deprecation: "Who cares about the classic Crimson Tide spirit now? The school thinks about making more money, the coach thinks about keeping his job, and the players think about their future. Let me tell you. It’s really childish.”

"I think... the world just needs more naive people like you." Ethan took her hand and returned to the locker room.

Ethan stood in front of everyone again, looked at them, and said loudly: "No matter what, at least one thing Mary said is right, that is, never give up and never give up."

"Maybe the opponent is too strong for us to match, maybe we still have problems of one kind or another, maybe we are not 'qualified' Alabama players, but no matter what, we did not lose."

"On the contrary, we have lost our shackles. We don't care about winning or losing, but the other side does."

"Why can't we do it again if we beat them in the same tournament four years ago?"

"No, we need to do it not just once, but many times."

Ethan then turned to Coach Eugene.

"Since we are obviously not dominant in terms of strength, we actually have more tactical options... Why don't we listen to my arrangements..."

And Ethan's next narrative can be called a desperate move. "This..." Not only Eugene, but also Woody and other members of the coaching staff felt that this idea was a bit too risky.

"I agree with Ethan's idea!" Mary, who followed Ethan back to the locker room, also said at this time.

"Since you will lose no matter what, why not try a new idea." Sean Alexander also said at this time.

"I also think this is a good choice. The opponent should not expect our new arrangement, which will have an unexpected effect..."

"I believe Ethan has the ability to achieve all this..."

More and more Alabama players are choosing this moment to raise their hands in approval.

Eugene and secondary head coach Curley looked at me and I looked at you, and for a moment they didn’t know how to respond.

"Let these young men give it a try." An unexpected voice suddenly joined in, and it sounded like it came from an old man.

Everyone looked at me and I looked at you, but they didn't notice who was speaking.

"It's that! It's that portrait!"

One of the team members suddenly pointed at the portrait on the wall and said.

It was a portrait of Bill Bryant. According to the Alabama team's routine tradition, whenever there is a bowl game or an important game, such a portrait will be hung in the locker room.

Ethan turned his head and looked at the old man wearing the iconic black and white checkered bowler hat in the portrait with bright eyes, as if he was watching everything happening in the locker room.

Even the team members who were closer to the portrait subconsciously chose to get out of the way.

"What portrait? I'm here!" The voice came from the opposite position.

Everyone then looked back and saw that it was the president of the University of Alabama in the corner.

He had just entered the locker room when Ethan was making an impassioned speech. Everyone's attention was completely attracted by Ethan, and no one noticed that the principal came in person at this time.

Many people hurriedly covered their chests at this time. I have to say that the scene just now was still a little scary.

"I fully support Ethan's opinion. This may be the best solution." The principal stepped forward and said in front of everyone.

At this critical moment, the principal’s words undoubtedly played a decisive role.

After being disturbed by this "supernatural incident", everyone gradually relaxed.

Eugene no longer hesitated and looked at Ethan.

"Ethan O'Connor, this time I put the fate of the entire team in your hands!"

·
"Thanks to the two college bands and performers at Alabama and Florida for bringing us wonderful performances, the beauty of the Crimsonettes is impressive..."

“Now both teams are back on the field, with the University of Florida attacking first.”

After a not-so-successful offense, Florida punted.

"Now the special teams from both sides enter the game field, wait...how do I see Ethan O'Connor is also in the special teams?" Keith found an obvious difference from the first half.

Ethan directly entered the special service team this time.

“In previous games, Ethan also entered the special team, but he only served as a returner, but this time it was completely different. He seemed to be a defensive member of the special team... He stood in the first row. !" Keith quickly pointed out the key point.

"This reminds me of my high school days..." Bob Grice, another commentator, also said at this time.

"In high school, Ethan once played multiple positions on the field, including forwards and tight ends. We all thought that Ethan would no longer play another position after college as his competition and level improved. Now it seems that the University of Alabama has prepared special tactics for this game."

In high school, the strengths of different schools vary greatly. Not to mention Ethan, there are many other talented young players who can often play different positions on the field.

But when it comes to college-level football confrontations, such things become rare, and when it comes to the NFL, such guest appearances become almost impossible...

Of course, there will also be quarterbacks in the NFL who suddenly stand in other positions, but that is more of a "quarterback-less tactic" and a type of tactic, which is essentially different from completely changing positions.

The reason is also very simple. In college and the NFL, the differences between different positions have increased exponentially compared to high school.

Changing the position rashly will not only be ineffective, but will also disrupt the original layout. In other words, the gain outweighs the loss. Over time, no one will change the position rashly.

Alabama's temporary change of position also made Florida more energetic. The special teams team on the field held an emergency meeting, and the Florida coach on the sidelines also muttered into the headset microphone. A lot of them, speaking very fast.

As for Alabama, they have been forced to this point, and now they naturally have [-]% trust in Ethan.

Mary was also standing on the sidelines at this time. Before, she stayed more near the bench. Now she stared at everything in front of her with wide eyes.

The special team's discussion lasted for a very long time. If the referee hadn't reminded us of the final time, the discussion would have continued.

From the expressions of the dispersed team members, Ethan could also see the solemnity and slight confusion of these people.

There is a high probability that they will not be able to think of the specific tactics that Alabama will use later...

Following the referee's signal, the center threw the ball far away to the punter who was lagging behind.

Punts, free kicks, and PATs constitute the kicking elements on the football field.

The latter two are actually the same. PAT is a kind of free kick with a fixed kicking place.

But there is a clear difference between punting and the two.

The most obvious difference is that there is no kicker in the punt, only one punter. From receiving the ball to kicking off, the ball cannot land on the ground.

As for the entire special team, it is not just the football players who are playing a role, but everyone else is there. In fact, whether it is protection or charge, everyone has specific tactical arrangements.

Of course, this kind of tactical arrangement may not be as difficult and "important" compared to normal offensive and defensive tactics, but it cannot be denied that sometimes the special tactics of the special team often have miraculous effects...

The moment the center kicked off, many players, including Ethan, did not choose to contact the opponent's players in a straight line.

But...

He rushed directly towards the punter!
(End of this chapter)