Exchange Students Tackle Football, English In Oregon
Szu-Yao Su from Taiwan, nicknamed 'Harry,' is the starting quarterback for the Burnt River Bulls. - Szu-Yao Su from Taiwan, nicknamed "Harry," is the starting quarterback for the Burnt River Bulls. (Tom Goldman / NPR)
In the world of high school football, there are small town teams — and then there are the Burnt River Bulls from Unity, Ore.
Burnt River plays in the 8-man football High Desert League — and for most of the season, they've managed to field the bare minimum of eight players.
It keeps them busy and tired. When the teams shift from offense to defense, or defense to offense, the Bulls merely step across the line of scrimmage and take up their new positions.
But numbers aren't the only challenge facing Burnt River this season. Most of the players are still trying to figure out the basics of the game.
United Nations In Helmets And Pads
Scroll down the Bulls' lineup, and all seems typical — at the beginning, at least. There's Caleb Andrews, a senior fullback, from Hereford, Ore. There's Justus Wise, senior halfback, also from Hereford.
(Tom Goldman / NPR)
But after that, the Burnt River lineup turns into a trip around the globe — Kan Bakai Uchkun Uulu, left guard from Kyrgyzstan; Szu-Yao Su, quarterback from Taiwan; Jovan Radakovic, left end from Serbia. Not to mention Ju Hyoung Park, right end from South Korea; Cem Erdogdo, right guard from Germany; and Ban Du, center from China.
Six foreign exchange students have turned the Burnt River Bulls into a virtual United Nations in helmets and pads.
These 15- to 17-year-olds plopped down in the Eastern Oregon town of Unity, population of about 120, for a crash course in rural America. Like a lot of remote areas, Unity brings in exchange students to increase funding for schools — and for the cultural give-and-take with the locals.
(Tom Goldman / NPR)
For the new boys, it has also been a crash course in a sport they had never played.
Better Than Yesterday
At a recent practice, out on the Burnt River football field, coach Wayne Wise shouts encouragement to his team.
(Tom Goldman / NPR)
"Looks a lot better than yesterday," Wise says.
And that could be the team's slogan — "better than yesterday." Starting essentially from scratch, with only two players who knew anything about football, the initial "yesterdays" were brutal. None more so than Burnt River's High Desert League opener.
"They didn't know what to expect the first game," Wise says of his team. "Their mouths dropped open. We tried to explain to them that they were going to get hit — or hit somebody — every play. They weren't going to be up against the blue blocking dummy [that they work on in practice]. And they didn't believe it, I guess, until the whistle blew."
In that opening game against nearby Prairie City, the whistle blew for the last time at the end of the third quarter when officials stopped the game. Burnt River trailed 50-6 at the time; the Bulls, exhausted and aching, were down to five players.
Since then, they've looked at times like a real football team. They just added a ninth player, exchange student Tuan Chau from Vietnam.
Still, it's safe to say the international players haven't mastered the basics yet.
During practice, Justus Wise, the coach's son, makes sure in the huddle that everyone understands what he will say out loud to start the next play. Everyone in the huddle nods and says they understand. But when Wise calls out the signals, one of the players, Ban Du from China, jumps too soon. Everyone groans and drops down to do push-ups as a punishment.
"I forgot," Ban says.
Coach Wise responds: "That's what practice is for."
Even Harder Than Football
The boys have practice after football practice. Back at the dorm, located a few hundred yards from the football field, the foreign exchange students do regular English language drilling with their dorm mother, Darla Derrick.
Several of the boys still struggle with the new words and sounds.
Ju Hyoung Park from South Korea says English is the toughest part of football — even harder than the hitting.
"Almost I can't understand what they say," he says. "What the coach say, what Caleb [Andrews] say. I don't know what should I do. So I ... embarrassed."
But he and his teammates are a lot less embarrassed after last Friday.
A Big Win
Way ahead of schedule, the Bulls won a game last week. They beat a team with 19 players — 14 of whom were exchange students. The final score was 24-0.
Coach Wise, who is a perfect match for this team because he has never coached football before this year, called the turnaround "amazing."
Ban Du put victory into a Chinese context.
"It is the first time we win," he says. "We are together. We are like many chopsticks together — nobody can break it. So ... we are eight people ... [and we] beat the whole team. So I think very proud of us."
Coach Wise cautions against too much enthusiasm. He says at season's end, the Bulls won't collect any trophies. That's why he wants his players to have fun — and be competitive. With the numbers of kids dwindling in the already tiny town, this could be the last year for football in Unity.
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MADELEINE BRAND, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. Im Madeleine Brand.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And Im Robert Siegel.
In the world of high school football, there are small town teams, and then there are the Burnt River Bulls from Unity, Oregon.
Mr. WAYNE WISE (Coach, Burnt River Bulls) Weve had eight on our team all year.
TOM GOLDMAN: And this is 8-man football?
Mr. W. WISE: Yes, thats correct.
GOLDMAN: So that means every guy is playing every down of every game.
Mr. W. WISE: Yes.
SIEGEL: Thats Burnt River coach, Wayne Wise with NPRs Tom Goldman. And numbers arent the only challenge facing Wise this season. Its also the fact that most of his players are still trying to figure out the basics of the game.
Today, as part of our high school football series, Friday Night Lives, the improbable story of the Burnt River Bulls.
GOLDMAN: Meet the team. Caleb Andrews, fullback, Hereford, Oregon. Justus Wise, halfback, Hereford, Oregon. So much for the easy part of the line up.
Mr. KAN BAKAI UCHKUN UULU (Left Guard, Burnt River Bulls): Uchkun Uulu Kan Bakai, left guard from Kyrgyzstan.
Mr SZU-YAO SU (Quarterback, Burnt River Bulls) Su Szu-Yao, quarterback from Taiwan.
Mr. JOVAN RADAKOVIC (Left End, Burnt River Bulls): Jovan Radakovic, left end, Serbia.
Mr. JU HYOUNG PARK (Right End, Burnt River Bulls): Ju Hyoung Park, right end from South Korea.
Mr. CEM ERDOGDO (Right Guard, Burnt River Bulls): Cem Erdogdo, right guard, Bremen, Germany.
Mr. BAN DU (Center, Burnt River Bulls): Ban Du, center from China.
GOLDMAN: Six exchange students have turned the Burnt River Bulls into a virtual U.N. in helmets and pads. These 15- to 17-year-olds plopped down in the Eastern Oregon town of Unity, population of about 120, for a crash course in rural America.
Like a lot of remote areas, Unity brings in exchange students to increase funding for schools, and for the cultural give-and-take with the locals. For the new boys, its also been a crash course in a sport they had never played.
(Soundbite of shouting)
Mr. W. WISE: That all looks pretty good. Looks a lot better than yesterday. Really good.
GOLDMAN: Better than yesterday, that could be a nice slogan for this team. The initial yesterdays were brutal. None more so says coach Wayne Wise than the Bulls High Desert League opener.
Mr. W. WISE: They didnt know what to expect the first game. Their mouths dropped open. And me and (unintelligible) just both tried to explain to them that they were going to get hit or hit somebody. Every play they werent going to be up against the blue blocking dummy. And they just didnt believe it, I guess, until the whistle blow.
GOLDMAN: It blew for the last time at the end of the third quarter when officials stopped the game. Burnt River trailed 50-6. The Bulls, exhausted and aching, were down to five players.
(Soundbite of whistle)
GOLDMAN: This week, practicing amidst sprinklers will work around them, Coach Wise said. The Bulls ran some offensive plays against no defense, thats all they can do with now nine players. They added a new guy this week.
Mr. GOLIAN TUNG GURAT(ph) (Burnt River Bulls): Golian Tung Gurat from Vietnam.
GOLDMAN: At times, they look like a real football team, though its safe to say they havent mastered the basics yet. Here, Justus Wise, the coachs son, tries to make sure everyone in the huddle understands the play will start when he shouts out the second.
Mr. JUSTUS WISE: Hut. 32.
Unidentified Man #1: Okay.
Mr. J. WISE: On two.
Unidentified Man #1: Okay.
Unidentified Man #2: On two.
Unidentified Man #3: On two.
Mr. J. WISE: You know what that means?
Unidentified Man #3: Yes, on two. Yeah.
Mr. J. WISE: Right. River, ready?
BURNT RIVER BULLS TEAM: Right.
GOLDMAN: They leave the huddle and set to play with Wise still not sure that Chinese center Ban Du knows when to hike the ball.
Mr. W. WISE: Hut, down. (Unintelligible) count, set, put.
BURNT RIVER BULLS TEAM: (Unintelligible).
Mr. W. WISE: Yeah.
Mr. W. WISE: Thats right, weve done it. I said remember the count.
GOLDMAN: Ban Du forgot. But says Coach Wise, thats what practice is for.
BURNT RIVER BULLS TEAM: Congratulations.
Ms. Darla Derrick (Dorm Mother, Burnt River Bulls Team): Congratulations. How many?
Unidentified Man #4: Four.
Unidentified Man #5: Five.
GOLDMAN: There is practice after practice. Back at the boys dorm, a few 100 yards from the football field, they do their English language drilling with dorm mother, Darla Derrick. For several, including Ju Hyoung Park from South Korea, English is the toughest part of football - even more than hitting.
Mr. PARK: Almost I cant understand what they say, the coach say, and Caleb say. So, I dont know what should I do. So I embarrassed.
GOLDMAN: A lot less though after last Friday. Way ahead of schedule, the Bulls won. They beat a team with 19 players 14 of them exchange students, 24 to nothing. Wayne Wise, a perfect match for this team because hes never coached football before this year, called the turnaround, amazing. Ban Du put victory into a Chinese context.
Mr. DU: We are together. We are like many chopsticks together nobody can break it. So we are eight people, beat the whole team. So I think very proud of us.
GOLDMAN: Coach Wayne Wise says at seasons end, the Bulls wont be collecting any trophies, which is why he wants them to have fun and be competitive. With the numbers of kids dwindling in the already tiny town, this could be the last year for football in Unity. If so, what a way to go out.
Tom Goldman, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
