My First Trip with Lumberjack Football

Well let’s see, where do I start. My name is Sam Diaz and I am from a very small town called Clifton, Ariz., located in the Southeastern part of the state. The weather there is usually around 110-113 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer with winters being mildly cold. Prior to our departure early Friday morning to play at Montana State, I was advised to bring warm clothes for the trip. I didn’t think places could get much colder than Flagstaff so I just laughed it off. Little did I know I was in for a huge surprise?

As it got closer to the end of the week, my stomach began to get queasier and I started to get really nervous because I have never flown on a plane. Friday morning came and I found myself in the Athletic Training Room at 5:45 a.m. asking another athletic training student a million questions about flying; I felt like a little kid asking so many questions. Once I got onto the plane, everything hit me and my world began to spin. I felt the breakfast burro from Los Altos turning inside my stomach rapidly. My co-pilot Sam Gordon was doing a great job keeping me informed of what was going on, but she, “somehow,” forgot the most important part. Once we got into the air, the plane turned because it had to change directions instantly so not knowing why it felt like the plane was on its side or upside down got me really scared. All I remember was Head Athletic Trainer Ryan Pinson telling me to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth as he had a big smile on his face.

Every little bump we experienced he would turn around and look at me like something was going wrong, until about the third time when I realized he was just trying to freak me out even more. Once we got to cruise in altitude everything was all good and had no problems thank goodness.

Once we arrived in Montana and I set foot off the plane, I felt the coldest air my skin has ever felt. The snow was falling, the wind was blowing and I was wishing I hadn’t laughed at them when they said to bundle up because it was going to be cold. We did the coldest walk thru imaginable and then headed to the motel for dinner and treatments. We treated our athletes with various treatments and got them ready for the big game. Saturday morning came and before we knew it and we found ourselves taping ankles in the motel lobby and then in the Montana State visitors showers because the locker room was extremely small, which made for a challenging task. Having to tape and spat (taping over cleats) a whole team in a small shower area in a short period of time was tough but was accomplished nonetheless.

As we arrived to the stadium, their diehard fans were out tailgating in 20 degree weather; barbequing, drinking cold liquids from cans, and my favorite, booing us and flashing us hand signs at 11 o’clock a.m. made me realize that it was going to be an exciting game. Throughout the whole game their fans were constantly riding us since their benches were practically on our sideline, so when our guys sealed the deal at the end of the game, there was complete silence in the thousands of fans present who were going nuts the whole time. That was the most exciting part of the whole trip - making the crowd quiet and flying back home on the charter with a win; beating a ranked team makes everything that much more sweet.

Being in the Northern Arizona University Athletic Training Education Program is a great program to be in; but what makes everything even better is the privilege to travel with a team out of town. We all work together on and off the field in keeping our guys healthy so when they get a win, we get a win too. It’s a great feeling and the program allows me to experience this. Having to be certain places on time or taping someone in one minute in front of big crowds so they can get back out there on the next play can be nerve wrecking, but gives off an adrenal rush which is why I do what I do.

However, if it weren’t for the invention of hand and boot warmers which were in each shoe and each glove of mine in Montana, I don’t know what I would have done. The tape would have probably stuck to my hands like the lids stuck on our water coolers.

Hopefully Portland will be warmer than Montana, even though we will be putting up with rain rather than snow. And if its not, it’s still all worth it. That’s why I come here everyday because I love working with these guys and the feeling of success at this level is priceless. The only thing I’m doing different this game is taking Nyquil before the flight so Ryan doesn’t intimidate me again with facial expressions!