We’re No. 2! The origin story of the Takeaway Pencil

First issues first. It is the Takeaway Pencil, not the Turnover Pencil.

At Akron, this is a crucial distinction.

“See while you get a turnover, it is nearly just like the offense is supplying you with the ball,” Zips cornerback Jordyn Riley mentioned. “Us as a protection, we prefer to create takeaways.”

The implication the offense had something to do with it’s swept apart. If an offensive participant made an error, it is as a result of an Akron defensive participant compelled him into it. Finish of story.

That is the thought, not less than, and that is how Riley ended up as the primary recipient of Akron’s Takeaway Pencil, the latest in-game trophy to make its mark on faculty soccer.

Riley went into man protection deep down the appropriate sideline in Saturday’s 31-20 loss to UAB, jumped up and intercepted a move earlier than getting tackled after a brief return. He knew what it meant: The Takeaway Pencil, which did not debut towards Illinois the week earlier than, can be ready for him on the sideline.

Cornerback Jordyn Riley was the primary recipient of the Takeaway Pencil, the brainchild of coach Oscar Rodriguez. Courtesy College of Akron

“At that second I am like, ‘OK, it is actual now. I’ve obtained the pencil. I am the primary one to get the pencil. OK, I gotta present it off,'” he mentioned. “I’ve obtained to unleash the pencil to all people.

“So, I get that pencil, I rise up on a bench and present the gang. And the gang was going loopy, which I truly did not count on to get at first, however they beloved it.”

So did everybody else.

Since Miami launched the Turnover Chain to the world in 2017, all these symbolic rewards have popped up everywhere in the nation. Boise State has a throne. Florida State had a backpack. Oregon State has — we child you not — a chainsaw. There have been chalices and crowns and Ric Aptitude-style robes.

However a pencil?

Riley’s first response to studying of its existence was shared by lots of people.

“At first, we’re taking a look at this No. 2 pencil. ‘I’m wondering what this implies?'” he mentioned. “It may very well be teachers? We did not know.”

For Akron secondary coach Oscar Rodriguez, it was way more than that.

A two-time most cancers survivor, Rodriguez was a given a 7-to-15% probability for survival after a relapse of testicular most cancers in 2014. Getting via that, he mentioned, left him as extra of a deep thinker. Even the best issues matter.

“I advised [my wife] to seek out me the most important No. 2 pencil she may discover. And she or he had it made. It is an actual No. 2 pencil. It is fabricated from wooden, you’ll be able to write with it.”

Akron assistant Oscar Rodriguez

So when he arrived as a part of new head coach Tom Arth’s workers at Akron previous to this season — his first crack at teaching on the FBS degree — it represented a big second in his life. Since 2005, Rodriguez has taken a circuitous route via the teaching career, with stops at the highschool, junior faculty, NAIA, Division II, Division III and FCS ranges. He was the Division III nationwide assistant coach of the 12 months in 2017 at La Verne (California) and was on Arth’s workers at Chattanooga a 12 months in the past.

The problem they’ve at Akron is apparent. Since leaping from what’s now FCS to the FBS degree in 1987, this system has simply eight profitable seasons, has received eight video games simply as soon as and is certainly one of 21 FBS applications to have by no means appeared within the AP Prime 25 ballot.

Arth’s workers got here in figuring out a powerful basis was a requirement. And to construct that successfully, the coaches reasoned it was essential to get buy-in from the older gamers, not simply those who might be round past this season. That is the place the pencil concept began to take kind.

“Any time a program is constructed, no one ever talks concerning the basis that was in-built 12 months 1,” Rodriguez mentioned. “All people needs to speak about 12 months 2, 12 months three, 12 months four when every part’s actually good, hitting on all cylinders at a excessive degree.

“We’re writing the story. And we’re maintaining it as a result of in two, three, 4 years from now once we construct this factor like we all know we’ll construct it, we’re going to have the ability to look again at these guys as the rationale. I feel it is essential to keep in mind that.”

Throughout coaching camp, Rodriguez broke out a custom-made pocket book for the defensive gamers. On the entrance it mentioned, “Our Story, #OURWAY, Akron Soccer 2019.” To accompany it, he had a stamp made that might be capable of imprint “our story, the date and ‘Dawgs Gotta Eat.'” When gamers produced in apply — sacks, interceptions, compelled fumbles, tackles for loss, fumble recovered — they’d stamp the ebook and signal their names.

The ebook served its personal goal, but it surely was additionally a part of a rising theme.

With Akron intent on writing its personal story, Rodriguez discovered there have been different methods a pencil would match, symbolically, past its major perform. An eraser, for instance, was good for protection.

“It is a No. 2 pencil, it is about as foundational as something may be,” Arth mentioned. “If you speak about our program and what our basis is, it is constructed on fundamentals, it is constructed on method — and a pencil is a good illustration of that.”

For a takeaway incentive, it simply labored.

And for that, Rodriguez went to his spouse, Lauren.

“I advised her to seek out me the most important No. 2 pencil she may discover,” he mentioned. “And she or he had it made. It is an actual No. 2 pencil. It is fabricated from wooden, you’ll be able to write with it. I used to be blown away. There is a purpose I married her. She made my imaginative and prescient come to life.”

The pencil is 44 inches lengthy and 1.6 inches in diameter and price about $50. Earlier than the primary week of the season, it was lastly unveiled to the staff and its symbolism defined. It rapidly grew to become an essential a part of this system. If a participant forces a takeaway, he will get to signal the pencil instantly, and on the finish of the season, the one who signed it essentially the most will get to maintain it.

The overwhelmingly constructive public response to its public debut on Saturday has been validating, Rodriguez mentioned. He knew it was prone to generate some buzz, however the consideration has exceeded any actual expectation he had.

At Zero-2, the workers additionally is aware of Zips nonetheless have a protracted approach to go — and that features how the pencil is dealt with on the sideline.

Simply after Riley signed it on Saturday, tv cameras additionally caught him practically poke the attention of a teammate by chance. Although it was a transparent violation of the long-established, unwritten code of pencil-holding etiquette, Arth mentioned he wasn’t involved about future points.

“Takeaways occur when method meets consciousness, and I feel our guys have fairly good consciousness on the defensive aspect of the ball,” he mentioned, combating again a smile. “So I do not assume we needs to be fearful an excessive amount of about that.”