Player of the Month: October
You would never have known it, but prior to last year, Greg Smith had never played rugby. From the first moment he stepped onto the pitch, he had this “look” that was confident and reassuring, as if he had been playing for years. Greg has been an athlete most of his life. His first love is, of course, running. He began running with his mother while in elementary school to keep her company. Greg comes from an active family that enjoys anything outdoorsy. This includes surfing, camping, sailing and apparently their love of snake wrangling. More on that later.
Greg attended Claremont High School. He graduated and went to Cal Berkley and then to Whittier Law School. He now practices at the Public Counsel Law Center with a focus on representing homeless youth, so Colby has a lawyer once Rooney throws him out. He started playing Rugby when his roommate, or own Dean Damuth, dragged…drug…draggled… took him to a fitness practice. Greg had no intention of playing rugby, but enjoyed the fitness aspect. Eventually, he came to a practice, then another, then another. Next thing you know, he is our starting wing of the 2007 DIII So Cal Championship Team playing in South Carolina. His play earned him a spot on the DIII Blue Griffins where he took his game to a new level and added scrum half to his resume.
Over the past month, Greg has gone from a relatively new player to a leader on and off the pitch. When he decided to approach the coaches about wanting to be a scrum half, I am sure it was not a “off the cuff” decision. Greg is the type that makes thoughtful decisions, no doubt after drawing schematics, listing pros and cons and seeking advice from mentors. He has dedicated himself to learning the ways of the Jedi…and the life of a scrumhalf. He is becoming a real student of the game, no doubt he will soon drop all his clients calls to focus on surfing the web searching for “drop kick techniques, feeding the scrum and hair care products” and with life imitating art, become homeless himself.
Greg counts Frazier, Andy and Dean as his biggest mentors of the game. To his credit, he has been able to tune out all the forwards that have offered their constant advice (mine included) and listened, watched and learned form his mentors; taken their insight into the game and hopefully make himself into a force to be reckoned with. Hell, he was even praised by Angelica. That is like the Pope telling someone they say the Lord's Prayer real well.
Greg has had a rash of injuries that make him look like a real warrior if he were to list them at an after party. He has broken his arm, ankle, nose, 3 fingers, 2 toes and his hand. He dislocated his knee and a finger and separated his shoulder. He also had three concussions and found himself with a 2-½ inch framing nail in his hand…oh and almost had to have his arm amputated. I am pretty sure 98% of those have a funny “Dean story” involved and only his finger may have been a rugby injury?
While praise has been frequent and his play stellar, he still has a lot to learn. Scrumhalf is a position that requires knowledge, guts and leadership. Veterans around the pitch feel that if he continues to work on his passing and “field vision” he will truly become a special player. IF he rests on his Laurels…he is at risk for becoming just another PRFC experiment gone awry. For now, he is May Player of the Month.
Oops,Tanner
did you think I would just let the snake story go? So here is Greg, our ever confident and uber smart prepubescent, not yet a Lawyer, out for a walk hike with his family. Nature was a way of life for the Smith family, so when they ran across a baby rattlesnake, they stopped to observe it. Like all completely normal families, they all walked away, laving young Greg to study the venomous snake. Did he try to grab it? No. Well then...from out of nowhere... a guy on a bike shows up? "hey kid...wanna touch my snake?" Greg argues with this odd ball about the dangers of such behavior, no doubt listing consequences for actions taken and not taken and wondering when the NBC cameras would get there.
Yes, his family is still walking away.
Now, this douche on a bike grabs a stick, picks up the snake and lunges it at our young Greg! Yep. Bit him. Greg was rushed to the hospital where he was given anti-venom. As the venom and anti-venom battle inside his body, his arm swells up to the size of, well a rugby ball. They had to cut incisions in his arm to relieve pressure and he nearly lost his arm. The police canvased the area looking for a snake wielding pedo, but he was never found.
that's an awesome story!
1 comment:
Since Greg's "friend" was on a bicycle, perhaps he could be called a "pedal phile"
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