Rick Reilly introduces us to Marvin and Matt:
Two boys, both true freshmen, stand at a USC football practice. Both are close to 6-foot-3. Both are 19 years old.
Marvin, a computer science major, is from Brooklyn. Matt, a communication major, is from Newport Beach, Calif.
Marvin likes Will Ferrell movies. Matt knows Will Ferrell. "He came up to me on the field after the Ohio State game. He said, 'Dude, you scared me!'"
Marvin complains, "I never have any time." He is taking 20 credits and is a member of a fraternity. Matt complains, "I don't have much time to do stuff." He is taking only 12 credits, but he's on the football team and is always having to bother with Brent Musburger and CBS News and Reuters.
Marvin has a Facebook page. Matt has had three Facebook pages, none of which were his. They were all fakes. "It's kinda crazy," Matt admits.
Marvin looks at his phone a lot. Matt looks at other people's phones a lot. "Everybody wants a picture," he says. "A few people pretend they're texting but they're holding the phones up in front of their face, so you know they're taking a picture. That's kind of weird. I get a lot of weird looks in the cafeteria, too, I guess. People try to come up and buy my lunch, but I won't let them."
Nobody has tried to buy Marvin's lunch yet.
When they're home, neither Marvin nor Matt like to get up. "I like to sleep until anywhere from 11 to 1," Marvin says. Says Matt's dad, Les, "Matt never gets riled up about anything, except when we make him get up. He's a pro sleeper."
On Fridays before home games, Marvin likes to go to the Heritage Hall pep rallies to yell and sing and chant players' names. On Fridays, Matt likes to go to the Heritage Hall pep rallies to yell and sing and hear the students chant his name.
On Friday nights, Marvin usually has to go work at his frat's parties, guarding the stairs so people don't go up. On Friday nights, Matt usually has to go the downtown L.A. Marriott to study game film and get ready to star in a game that will be seen by 90,000 people live and millions more on national TV and can make or break hundreds of thousands of dollars in alumni donations.
Neither gets paid.
On Saturdays, Marvin has to do chores at the frat. On Saturdays, Matt has to do chores for the football team. Like beat Ohio State and Notre Dame. On the road.
