Ball State University senior captain Cortlan Booker darted past Eddie Burk, who was leaning on a couch talking to a reporter in Fisher Football Training Complex.
"Shut up, Eddie," Booker said quickly.
Burk glanced at Booker, and then looked back at the reporter.
"Cortlan Booker is a piece of trash," Burk said with a laugh. "Make sure you put that in there."
Booker shot a playful uppercut at Burk's kidney, and the two shared a laugh. Both knew there will soon come a time when they will look back on moments like these and view them as fond memories.
The two defensive starters, along with nine other seniors on the Cardinals' roster, will play their final home football game together when Ball State plays host to the University of Toledo.
Burk explained how much it means to him to be a part of this year's senior class.
"I have so many brothers in this locker room," he said. "Those are the guys I came in with, and those are the guys I'm going to leave here with. Those are the guys I've dripped the most blood with, sweat the most sweat with and shared the most tears with. Those are the guys who've been in the program, have the experience, have been through the grind and know what it takes to be an elite team in this conference. So to part ways with these guys, it's going to be a big part of me leaving."
This year's seniors were the first group Ball State coach Brady Hoke recruited when he inherited the program in 2003. With that group leading the way, the expectations for the Ball State University football program have increased in the past couple years.
During the past four seasons, the team has played 12 opponents from the BCS. Though the Cardinals lost all 12, this year's seniors led the team to an overtime victory at the Naval Academy.
Hoke said he will remember this year's class as a group that never backed down from a challenge.
"Every senior class has its own identity," Hoke said. "No other Ball State senior class has played the schedules they've been asked to play. They've met a lot of those challenges and have come very close to kicking the door down numerous times. There's no question they've helped to improve the Ball State football program."
Throughout the year, the younger players on Ball State's roster have expressed their desire to make this a special season so the seniors can finish their careers on a good note. Booker said he's going to relish his last experience playing at home with all of his teammates together.
"We have some seniors in some key positions on this football team, and we have some younger players that have expressed that they play to win championships for their seniors," Booker said. "I feel like it's going to be a great bond in [the Toledo] game because the feeling is there. Everybody knows it's your last home game."
The Cardinals' 11 seniors have seen their share of adversity while at Ball State. In 2004, their freshman season, the Cardinals won two games and finished last in the Mid-American Conference West Division. Many of the seniors were also involved in the textbook scandal that shook Ball State's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in 2005.
The seniors have also been a part of many positives for the football program. They were the first senior class to receive the benefits of Scheumann Stadium's new renovations, and each year the Cardinals have won more games and improved their final divisional finish. A Ball State win on senior night would go a long way toward helping the Cardinals earn their first bowl invitation and winning record since 1996.
With everything this group has gone through during the past four years, Burk said a victory in the Toledo game would be one of his fondest memories as a Cardinal.
"A win would probably be the biggest accomplishment I have had at Ball State," Burk said. "A win would show that we kept fighting because I'm sure a lot of people counted us out. I think my guys are going to come in focused and ready, and to get that win on a special night would be huge."
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