This Doctor is answering the call of duty

Philip Simmons High School student-athlete and senior Chris Doctor is always ready to accept challenges; like the time an Iron Horse wrestling coach challenged him to attend and participate in a single practice.

 

“He talked bad about football,” said Doctor, a 5-10, 220-pound lineman for coach Eric Bendig’s squad. “He said I wouldn’t last a practice if I showed up and went through the workouts. He said I couldn’t take it.”

 

Doctor showed up, and is now a fixture on the wrestling team.

 

Doctor is focused, intelligent and willing to do the work to succeed. That’s just what he needs as he proceeds through his senior year and beyond after graduation. He’s already signed up for delayed entry into the U.S. Marines.

 

If you think going through high school football practice during the dog days of August is tough, that’s just half of the equation. He also does physical training with the Marine recruiters.

 

“I always thought of going into the military,” Doctor said. “At first, I didn’t think of it as my first option. I thought of it as Option B. I had family members in the military, especially the Air Force, so I looked at what every branch had to offer. I went with the Marines.”

It’s a decision that Bendig applauds.

 

“He knows what he wants to do, what he wants to achieve in life,” Bendig said. “He knows the path he needs to take. Too many kids, today, think college is the only option. But it’s not. Here’s a really mature kid who comes from a good home. His mother, Mary, is a single parent who has instilled the right values in her son.”

 

Doctor and Bendig are neighbors, so that means Doctor never has an excuse to be late or miss practice since he often rides with his coach.

 

The talk on the way to practice involves more than football. But when pigskin and the gridiron are the topics, Doctor has a lot to look back on and a lot to look forward to.

 

Doctor always wanted to be a receiver “because it was a cool position where you could get the ball and make things happen, score a touchdown.”

 

But there was one problem. He was a receiver at heart, but his body was one of a lineman. He didn’t have the moves or the speed to bask in the glory of catching a long pass for a TD, or turning a short pass into a big gain.

 

But fast forward to this fall, and Doctor is a critical part of the team. He’s one of five players on the offensive line who started every game of last fall’s abbreviated schedule.

 

This year, the team has dreams of a Region 6-AA championship and a game or two (or three) in the playoffs.

 

“We’ve grown up a lot,” Doctor said. “We’ve definitely made progress by leaps and bounds. I’m proud to be part of this team. Now, we are ready for the final test. This is my last year. I wish I was here longer, but that’s not going to happen. I just want to get a ring before I graduate.”