Earlier this year, a small group of former Jefferson City football players came up with a good idea.
It was to reward one senior player a $1,000 college scholarship, every year for four years.
Call this a $4,000 thank you for being all you could be.
And for doing it in the right way.
This is for the guy who gave 120 percent on every drill of every practice and every play of every game. This is for the guy who ran through a brick wall for his coaches and his team.
Okay, neither of those things are actually possible.
Brick walls are really hard and really sturdy. Even if you give it 120 percent --- which is 20 percent more than you can actually give --- you're not going to run through it.
But you get the point --- being the absolute best you could be for yourself, your teammates, your coaches, your school, your community.
What a good idea. But what to name it?
This was a good idea followed by an easy choice.
"It was a no-brainer," said Jason Jett, a part of that small group. "There was no question; it was rather obvious."
The Pete Adkins Scholarship Fund will start with the graduating class of 2013.
"I thought it was nice that those guys were thinking this way, but it certainly wasn't necessary to name it after me," Adkins said. "I told them they didn't need to do it and I asked them if I had a choice.
"They said no."
This scholarship won't necessarily honor the best player on the team.
"It's not going to go to the studs or the stars, guys who are going to get a scholarship, anyway," Adkins said. "It's going to go some of these kids who have worked hard and overachieved.
"It will be nice if the money's there to help some of these athletes out. That's what it's all about, to help some of these kids and give them some aid.
"We'll definitely try to pick very deserving candidates."
The candidates will be nominated by the senior team members.
"We thought nobody would know character better than the guys who are playing with them," said Jett, who hatched the idea with Mike Burbank, Chris Zach and Joey Lopez. "We'll also get input from the varsity coaching staff.
"Then it will go to a committee, which will make the final decision."
On this year's schedule, this column is wedged between two of Adkins' signature moments in his storied career --- winning the Homecoming game and beating Rockhurst.
Adkins rolled up 354 wins in 37 years with the Jays (405 wins overall) and was 37-0 in Homecoming games
"We took a lot of pride in that," Adkins said. "That's what Homecoming's all about, kicking somebody's butt."
Smile here.
The Jays beat Rockhurst last year to snap a 13-game losing streak to the Hawklets. Adkins' teams, however, won their last six games against the Hawklets and eight of the last nine.
"That game always brought out the best in us and I think it brought the best out of them," said Adkins, who retired after winning his ninth state championship following the 1994 season.
"It made better coaches out of us, to prepare for teams like that. That would make or break your coaching staff, preparing for ball games like that.
"You get better when you have to prepare for good competition, working 15 hours a day getting ready to play a team like that."
Adkins' teams had more than their share of overachieving players, guys who would take their best shot at that brick wall.
That's what this scholarship is all about. Four years down the road, the fund will be giving $4,000 a year to these worthy recipients.
For more information about the scholarship fund, call 573-353-8752, email info@peteadkinssholarship.com, or visit peteadkinsscholarship.com. You can also mail your donations to The Pete Adkins Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 95, Jefferson City, Mo., 65102.
"I think this is long overdue, Jett said. "We want to get a large enough bank roll for this that it can go on for decades and decades."
For Pete's sake --- and these players' sake--- it should.
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