We were clueless freshmen. We didn’t know much about college, didn’t know that walking in crowds would make people ‘moo’ at us and definitely didn’t know the competition of the A-League of SU intramural flag football.

Our team was the Weston Trojans, a squad of wide-eyed teenagers. We had skill, but no idea what we were in for. Our team ran a two-receiver set. I was one, and Max Meisel, a fellow freshman, was the other.

Our most memorable game came in the first round of the playoffs against Zeta Psi, who had between 20 and 30 players, a coach and a playbook. We were a nine-player, draw-plays-on-our-shirts-type squad. Max, standing at 5-foot-4, scored a touchdown on a catch and another on an interception. But when it came to the game-winning touchdown as time expired, the ball found my hands. Although Max had a better overall game, I tease him that I was the MVP.

Now juniors, Max has risen to fame, while I still bask in my intramural days. As a walk-on to the Syracuse team, Max was the punt returner last Saturday at Wake Forest (where he fielded two punts, both fair catches), despite his short stature and 149-pound frame. Subconsciously, I’m allowing Max a shot at the big time after I stole the spotlight. But that’s clearly not true.

Max’s success stems from his maniac-like work ethic, regardless of his size. At first it was during flag football.

‘He was really determined,’ said Aaron Horowitz, who quarterbacked the Trojans. ‘He was sending out e-mails about practices.’

For SU, he’d do whatever it took to step on the field. While it didn’t happen all of sophomore year, Max finally got his chance Saturday.

‘I knew if I worked hard I would find my way onto the field,’ Meisel said August 30.

But that took patience and effort.

Max attended Syracuse not only for Newhouse, but to play football, too. Although he led the state of Connecticut in receptions in his senior season at Weston High School, Max wasn’t recruited by the Orange. He still walked onto then-head coach Paul Pasqualoni’s team before freshman year. But he failed his physical because of a torn shoulder ligament. He was told to get surgery, rehab and try out again.

‘Right away when they said I need surgery, I said, ‘I’m fixing myself and I’m coming back cause I want to play that damn badly,” Meisel said.

The injury didn’t hamper everyday life, but he would need the surgery to be able to sustain hard hits. So while waiting to have the operation over Thanksgiving break, Max formed our team to stay with football. Unfortunately, it would be the only year Max would play. Our team fell apart when Max walked-on again in May 2005.

‘I always felt bad for him, that he’d put all the effort in and maybe make the team but he wouldn’t really play,’ said Horowitz.

Max put in the work, rehabbing the shoulder since December ’04. In May, he strolled into head coach Greg Robinson’s office. Robinson told Max that he was too small. Little did Robinson know Max has heard that quite a few times in his life.

‘I said, I just spent the last five months rehabbing so I could try to play football, please give me a shot,’ said Meisel, recalling the conversation with Robinson. ‘And he said ‘OK.”

Max tried to gain attention anyway possible last season. He worked with the scout offense, mimicking an upcoming opponent’s offense for practice. He played on scout special teams. It was far removed from flag football. He took his first hit on the scout offense from Anthony Smith, now on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At first his teammates didn’t take him too seriously, he said. But once the season rolled around, they saw he was serious about helping the team.

‘I think as a walk-on you don’t have any room to slack off or go easy because it’s a privilege to just be on the team,’ Meisel said.

Robinson spotted Max’s everyday effort and rewarded him a spot on the travel roster for Florida State. I thought that might be his best experience. A few days before returning to school this fall, Max called, telling me he had a shot to return punts.

While our flag football victories may have been the pinnacle for our team, it thankfully wasn’t for Max. The rest of us bums will sit on our couches or in the Dome watching him, where Horowitz claims he will appear Saturday with ‘Max’ painted on his chest.

‘I have to say I don’t miss flag football,’ Meisel said. ‘Nothing compares to this.’

It’s alright, Max. We’ll forgive you.