A football player again - 10 years later
Brad Muse is a tight end on a mission for new semi-pro team
By Dwight Otwell Editor

Why would a 30-year-old man with a job, wife and four kids want to undergo the torture of getting into top physical shape so that he can be plowed into by huge men?

Brad Muse, of Peachtree, is doing just that as a tight end for the region's new semipro football team, the Cherokee Eagles.

"For a guy my age, it is a chance to try to compete against these young guys," the six foot three, 230 pound football player said. "There are a bunch of good guys on this team and everyone has a good heart. I thank Nate (O'Neal) for getting this started. It is big for some of us. It means everything to throw the pads on again."

Muse played tight end and defensive end for Copper Basin and graduated in 1995. He was offered a scholarship to Middle Tennessee State University but he had always been a fan of the University of Tennessee. So he was a walk-on at Tennessee, where he was with the team as a tight end and dressed out for two years but he never played in a game.

"I practiced with a bunch of killer dudes," he said.

He and Danny Woody, who helped get the team started, go way back and Brad saw Danny at the doctor's office. Danny told him about the new team and Brad decided to give it a try. It has been 10 years since Brad has played football.

"I thought I kept myself in shape until I got here," he said. "I was working out (lifting weights) in the gym in the morning before I took the kids to school. But I did no running.When you are 30, it is hard to get back in shape. But everyone here my age has seen a 75 percent turnaround from where we started. Getting back into shape was the hardest thing for me."

Brad is both a blocking and receiving back. He will block most of the time but at times he will be in the slot.

"We are out here to win," Brad said. The first game for the Eagles was Sunday against the Asheville Bears. The Cherokee County team almost won the game, losing a close 19-12 contest.

"No one on this team is scared of anyone we are going to play. Once we start playing, then they are going to be scared of us. We have a lot of hard hitters. We have nothing to lose (being the first year for the team) and they (other teams) have everything to lose. We feel like we can win."

The Eagles are staring in the middle of the season for the semi-pro teams in the region.

When asked about his chances of playing at a higher level, Brad said, "Wherever the good Lord takes me - if it is somewhere past this, that is good. If it is not meant to be, I am fine where am right now."

Nathan O'Neal started the team and is a player/coach although Ronnie Townsend is now the head coach. O'Neal said there are about 50 players on the team. Although it was originally thought that the team would play only four games in its initial season,it appears that there will be 10 games, five at home and five away.

The first home game will be Saturday, August 11 at Andrews High School football stadium at 4 p.m. Admission tickets will be $7.