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capitalcity · 08-03-2006, 10:13 AM

Great read. Bobby will be a terrific addition to Doomsday part deux.

Rookie was destined to begin career in Dallas
By CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
STARLEGRAM STAFF WRITER

LANCASTER, Ohio -- Sitting in his office at Lancaster High School, Rob Carpenter has few remnants from his NFL playing career. There is a small photo of him with Earl Campbell and a couple of the other running backs from his days with the Houston Oilers.

But that's it.

And as far as the poster of him in his New York Giants uniform outside the school gymnasium with other distinguished Lancaster alumni, including former Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern, that was not his doing.

When Carpenter left the NFL, he left those days as an undersized, overachieving fullback behind him for the life of a father, husband, farmer and small-town high school football coach.

By all accounts, if it were left up to him, you would never know he played in the NFL. Of course, that became almost impossible once Bobby, the oldest of four sons, was selected 18th overall by the Cowboys in April's NFL Draft.

A Cowboys team coached by Bill Parcells, who also coached Rob Carpenter with the Giants. The faded memories of a time gone by rush back -- like how Parcells always knew how to push Rob Carpenter's buttons.

"That's one thing he did. He found out quick what made me tick," Rob Carpenter said. "He knew I wanted to come back to Ohio, raise my family, become a high school football coach and have some cows.

"Every time something didn't go right for me, he was like, 'That farm doesn't look too good. You aren't going to have any cows because you aren't going to be around very long.'"

Even though Rob Carpenter was one of Parcells' favorites because he moved the chains and kept the defense rested, he could do nothing right and never got in the last word -- until now.

"Bill always told me I should have been a linebacker -- that was another way he jabbed at me," Rob Carpenter said. "I would have a 100-yard game and go out there in practice and he would say, 'You are a good fullback, but you are out of position. You should have been a linebacker. Who was your coach in high school? Who made you a running back?' Just to shut him up, I told him, 'I will make my kids linebackers and maybe one day you will like them and they will get a chance to play for you.' That was kind of like our joke."

Dream coach, dream job

No one in the Carpenter household was laughing when Bill Parcells retired to go into broadcasting after the 1990 season -- especially 7-year old Bobby. Old enough to remember attending training camp practices with his dad, Bobby idolized Parcells. His poster hung on his wall.

And it was his dream even then to play for the man who had such a huge influence on his father's life and, by connection, his own.

"I still remember the day he got out with the Giants," Rob Carpenter said. "It looked like he was done from coaching. That was a bad week for Bobby. I never really put it all together, but I distinctly remember that. He took that personal because I think he really wanted to play for him."

Bobby Carpenter will tell you that being with the Cowboys is a dream come true. To play in the NFL and learn from Parcells is all he ever wanted.

"I was hoping he would hang around long enough," Bobby Carpenter said. "So this is real special to me. I am going to make the most of it."

"This is what he always wanted," said Bobby's mother, Susie. "He was always a good athlete. I had no idea he would be a first-round draft choice. But I definitely thought he had the capability of being something like that. He works hard and is goal-oriented. We like that he is with Bill Parcells. And he better take care of my Bobby."

Hard work and dedication

Despite his lofty draft status and newly signed $12 million contract, Bobby Carpenter will have to earn his place on the Cowboys. He is a third-team linebacker behind veterans Al Singleton and Rocky Boiman. He also has the humbling chore of fetching Bill Parcells water during practice. He would have it no other way.

"I never thought I was entitled to anything," Bobby Carpenter said. "I never take anything for granted. I want to make sure I work for everything I get."

It's always been that way. He wasn't given any handouts growing up on his family's 30-acre farm in a highly disciplined and highly competitive environment.

He had to earn his right to play football, starting with competitive swimming, soccer and even piano lessons before putting on a helmet for the first time in junior high. His former neighbors and coaches in Lancaster said he was always accountable -- and relentless.

"I remember him carrying tree logs to work out with," said Jack Greathouse, the former Lancaster basketball coach who has a farm behind the Carpenters'. "He is running with it up and down the hills in the back yard. This kid is a worker."

Bobby Carpenter, 23, worked hard because he didn't want anybody saying he was given anything because of who his parents were -- whether he was swimming for his mom, the club and high school coach in Lancaster, or playing football for his dad.

He and his brothers Jonathan (20), George (17) and Nathan (14) also learned to work hard because they had to. With no cable TV or satellite dish in the house -- at least not until April when DirecTV was installed for the NFL Draft -- finding something to do outside was a way of life in the Carpenter household.

Shooting pool and legendary mud fights at the creek were typical when the boys weren't working out or doing their chores, such as chopping wood and mowing yards.

"They never had cable TV," said Greg Stickel, another neighbor and assistant principal at Lancaster High School. "If one gets in your house they will be glued to the television because they never get a chance to see it. That is amazing in this day and age. It has forced the boys to be outside working. It has created a work ethic they all have, especially Bobby."

Of course it was no big deal to Bobby because his favorite kind of television since he started playing sports in the fourth grade was watching game tape to make himself -- and his teammates -- better.

"He would critique himself and his teammates, then he would watch his opponents," Rob Carpenter said. "This was all on his own. He educated himself. He knew everybody's position on every team he played on."

Said Matt McPhail, Bobby's former high school defensive coordinator: "He watched a lot of tape. Lord only knows how much tape he watched at home. He even came in Sundays to watch tape with the coaches. By the time Bobby was a senior, not only did he know his position, but he knew every other position."

"He knew why we were doing what we were doing. He knew philosophies behind the blitzes. He was demanding then. But he was a joy to coach."

Destiny calls

The Cowboys said they drafted Bobby Carpenter because he was the most ready of the players available. At 6-foot-2, 257 pounds, he had the size the Cowboys were seeking for their strongside outside linebacker position. He was also well-versed in the duties of the team's 3-4 defense from his days at Ohio State.

Bill Parcells, who saw Bobby grow via yearly Christmas cards from Susie, said the only connection the selection had to do with his prior relationship with Rob was that he knew he had been raised properly.

"I just knew that the kid would have been in a home that you're going to have to toe the line and do the right thing," Parcells said. "I just kind of knew that. That's all you need to know."

But what else would you expect from a player schooled in the Parcells' way? This is where he was supposed to be.

Dad never pushed him toward football, and it was never Rob's dream for Bobby to play for Parcells. But he respected his former coach for always doing the right thing and being a great influence on his life. How could he not pass those lessons down to his sons?

Add his wife's competitive fire, sharp tongue and gene pool -- Susie grew up with six brothers, the tallest of which stands 6-4, raised four boys and was the toughest woman he's ever known -- and Rob Carpenter said he knew long ago he was raising a mini-Parcells.

"The best story I can tell is we were playing our archrival in Bobby's senior year and we were down going into the fourth quarter," Rob Carpenter said. "Our players were sitting on the bench, dejected. Bobby, on his own, grabbed two water bottles. He walked up and down the sideline squirting water in everybody's face, saying, 'Get your head up and get back in the game. Somebody is going to make a play.' On the next series, Bobby intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown."

"Bobby has always been that way," Rob said. "If you are not performing in the manner he knows you can, he will ride you. He is going to be on you. In a lot of ways, Bobby is like Bill."

Fittingly, just like Bill.

Rob doesn't know if Bobby playing for the Cowboys is destiny. But he always knew his son, who was born in Houston, would return to Texas one day. Whether it began as a joke or a dream, what's certain is that Bobby Carpenter has been groomed for this moment. The prodigal player has come home.

"I don't know if it was destiny, but I am sure glad it happened," Bobby said. "This is what I always wanted. And I believe everything happens for a reason."

08-03-2006, 10:13 AM	#52
capitalcity Diamond Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Hippie Hollow Posts: 3,128	Great read. Bobby will be a terrific addition to Doomsday part deux. Rookie was destined to begin career in Dallas By CLARENCE E. HILL JR. STARLEGRAM STAFF WRITER LANCASTER, Ohio -- Sitting in his office at Lancaster High School, Rob Carpenter has few remnants from his NFL playing career. There is a small photo of him with Earl Campbell and a couple of the other running backs from his days with the Houston Oilers. But that's it. And as far as the poster of him in his New York Giants uniform outside the school gymnasium with other distinguished Lancaster alumni, including former Ohio State quarterback Rex Kern, that was not his doing. When Carpenter left the NFL, he left those days as an undersized, overachieving fullback behind him for the life of a father, husband, farmer and small-town high school football coach. By all accounts, if it were left up to him, you would never know he played in the NFL. Of course, that became almost impossible once Bobby, the oldest of four sons, was selected 18th overall by the Cowboys in April's NFL Draft. A Cowboys team coached by Bill Parcells, who also coached Rob Carpenter with the Giants. The faded memories of a time gone by rush back -- like how Parcells always knew how to push Rob Carpenter's buttons. "That's one thing he did. He found out quick what made me tick," Rob Carpenter said. "He knew I wanted to come back to Ohio, raise my family, become a high school football coach and have some cows. "Every time something didn't go right for me, he was like, 'That farm doesn't look too good. You aren't going to have any cows because you aren't going to be around very long.'" Even though Rob Carpenter was one of Parcells' favorites because he moved the chains and kept the defense rested, he could do nothing right and never got in the last word -- until now. "Bill always told me I should have been a linebacker -- that was another way he jabbed at me," Rob Carpenter said. "I would have a 100-yard game and go out there in practice and he would say, 'You are a good fullback, but you are out of position. You should have been a linebacker. Who was your coach in high school? Who made you a running back?' Just to shut him up, I told him, 'I will make my kids linebackers and maybe one day you will like them and they will get a chance to play for you.' That was kind of like our joke." Dream coach, dream job No one in the Carpenter household was laughing when Bill Parcells retired to go into broadcasting after the 1990 season -- especially 7-year old Bobby. Old enough to remember attending training camp practices with his dad, Bobby idolized Parcells. His poster hung on his wall. And it was his dream even then to play for the man who had such a huge influence on his father's life and, by connection, his own. "I still remember the day he got out with the Giants," Rob Carpenter said. "It looked like he was done from coaching. That was a bad week for Bobby. I never really put it all together, but I distinctly remember that. He took that personal because I think he really wanted to play for him." Bobby Carpenter will tell you that being with the Cowboys is a dream come true. To play in the NFL and learn from Parcells is all he ever wanted. "I was hoping he would hang around long enough," Bobby Carpenter said. "So this is real special to me. I am going to make the most of it." "This is what he always wanted," said Bobby's mother, Susie. "He was always a good athlete. I had no idea he would be a first-round draft choice. But I definitely thought he had the capability of being something like that. He works hard and is goal-oriented. We like that he is with Bill Parcells. And he better take care of my Bobby." Hard work and dedication Despite his lofty draft status and newly signed $12 million contract, Bobby Carpenter will have to earn his place on the Cowboys. He is a third-team linebacker behind veterans Al Singleton and Rocky Boiman. He also has the humbling chore of fetching Bill Parcells water during practice. He would have it no other way. "I never thought I was entitled to anything," Bobby Carpenter said. "I never take anything for granted. I want to make sure I work for everything I get." It's always been that way. He wasn't given any handouts growing up on his family's 30-acre farm in a highly disciplined and highly competitive environment. He had to earn his right to play football, starting with competitive swimming, soccer and even piano lessons before putting on a helmet for the first time in junior high. His former neighbors and coaches in Lancaster said he was always accountable -- and relentless. "I remember him carrying tree logs to work out with," said Jack Greathouse, the former Lancaster basketball coach who has a farm behind the Carpenters'. "He is running with it up and down the hills in the back yard. This kid is a worker." Bobby Carpenter, 23, worked hard because he didn't want anybody saying he was given anything because of who his parents were -- whether he was swimming for his mom, the club and high school coach in Lancaster, or playing football for his dad. He and his brothers Jonathan (20), George (17) and Nathan (14) also learned to work hard because they had to. With no cable TV or satellite dish in the house -- at least not until April when DirecTV was installed for the NFL Draft -- finding something to do outside was a way of life in the Carpenter household. Shooting pool and legendary mud fights at the creek were typical when the boys weren't working out or doing their chores, such as chopping wood and mowing yards. "They never had cable TV," said Greg Stickel, another neighbor and assistant principal at Lancaster High School. "If one gets in your house they will be glued to the television because they never get a chance to see it. That is amazing in this day and age. It has forced the boys to be outside working. It has created a work ethic they all have, especially Bobby." Of course it was no big deal to Bobby because his favorite kind of television since he started playing sports in the fourth grade was watching game tape to make himself -- and his teammates -- better. "He would critique himself and his teammates, then he would watch his opponents," Rob Carpenter said. "This was all on his own. He educated himself. He knew everybody's position on every team he played on." Said Matt McPhail, Bobby's former high school defensive coordinator: "He watched a lot of tape. Lord only knows how much tape he watched at home. He even came in Sundays to watch tape with the coaches. By the time Bobby was a senior, not only did he know his position, but he knew every other position." "He knew why we were doing what we were doing. He knew philosophies behind the blitzes. He was demanding then. But he was a joy to coach." Destiny calls The Cowboys said they drafted Bobby Carpenter because he was the most ready of the players available. At 6-foot-2, 257 pounds, he had the size the Cowboys were seeking for their strongside outside linebacker position. He was also well-versed in the duties of the team's 3-4 defense from his days at Ohio State. Bill Parcells, who saw Bobby grow via yearly Christmas cards from Susie, said the only connection the selection had to do with his prior relationship with Rob was that he knew he had been raised properly. "I just knew that the kid would have been in a home that you're going to have to toe the line and do the right thing," Parcells said. "I just kind of knew that. That's all you need to know." But what else would you expect from a player schooled in the Parcells' way? This is where he was supposed to be. Dad never pushed him toward football, and it was never Rob's dream for Bobby to play for Parcells. But he respected his former coach for always doing the right thing and being a great influence on his life. How could he not pass those lessons down to his sons? Add his wife's competitive fire, sharp tongue and gene pool -- Susie grew up with six brothers, the tallest of which stands 6-4, raised four boys and was the toughest woman he's ever known -- and Rob Carpenter said he knew long ago he was raising a mini-Parcells. "The best story I can tell is we were playing our archrival in Bobby's senior year and we were down going into the fourth quarter," Rob Carpenter said. "Our players were sitting on the bench, dejected. Bobby, on his own, grabbed two water bottles. He walked up and down the sideline squirting water in everybody's face, saying, 'Get your head up and get back in the game. Somebody is going to make a play.' On the next series, Bobby intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown." "Bobby has always been that way," Rob said. "If you are not performing in the manner he knows you can, he will ride you. He is going to be on you. In a lot of ways, Bobby is like Bill." Fittingly, just like Bill. Rob doesn't know if Bobby playing for the Cowboys is destiny. But he always knew his son, who was born in Houston, would return to Texas one day. Whether it began as a joke or a dream, what's certain is that Bobby Carpenter has been groomed for this moment. The prodigal player has come home. "I don't know if it was destiny, but I am sure glad it happened," Bobby said. "This is what I always wanted. And I believe everything happens for a reason." __________________ Back up in your ass with the resurrection.