Finding yourself on the wrong side of 1100 pounds of stampeding man-child may be your worst nightmare. For scout team football players at Palo Alto High School, this nightmare defines their daily life at practice. Bloodied, battered or bruised, these weekday warriors consistently show up to practice, fully aware of the inevitable pain that is coming their way.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a scout team is composed of the backups of a football team. These practice squads are obligated to go game speed against the bigger, better, and beefier members of the first team. Undersized and out-matched, these players go up against the starters every day of the week. Needless to say, it takes a brave man to strap up everyday knowing his impending doom.

Despite their commendable efforts during the week, many of the members of the scout team see little return on their investment when the Friday night lights shine down onto the field.

Why do they continue to endure so much pain during the week, if they aren’t rewarded during the game?

The answer is simple. While their stat sheets may be peppered with goose eggs, the scout team is a vital part of any football team.

“It’s a team sport, not an individual sport,” scout team player Andrew Frick (’14) said, “Like a coach once told me, if you’re selfish that’s not helping the team; its hurting the team. You need to accept your position whatever it is and go out there and play hard every play.”

Frick, despite his role on the scout team, continues to improve both himself and the starters through his selfless hustle and commitment to his team.

Every practice, Frick’s assignment on scout defense is to get the offensive linemen better. “Me going hard helps the starters get better and the team, as a whole, get better,” Frick said.

While he may get tenderized with more fervor than a fillet mignon at Outback Steakhouse, Frick’s unwavering commitment to his team does not go unnoticed by both coaches and starters alike.

“We as a staff value them [the scout team] tremendously,” defensive coordinator Jake Halas said.  “It’s hard to stay motivated knowing that you’re going to get beat up by this number one everyday.”

Halas, a relative of famous defensive innovator George Halas, understands exactly what it takes to refine a defensive unit. Palo Alto’s 2010 State Champion defense, nicknamed ‘The Swarm,’ held the high flying Centennial Huskies to a meager 13 points in the 2010 Farmers Insurance California D1 State Championship, a season low for the Huskies.

“They give us the look of our opponent each week,” Halas said. “I mean its vital, if we can’t get a look about what our opponent is going to do then we can’t prepare properly.”

While the number of in-game reps the scout team gets may be minute, the reps they give in practice make all the difference when the starters take the field.

That being said, the scout team can be used thoroughly throughout the course of a season. Last year, the State Champion Palo Alto Vikings had to reach deep into their reserves on the bench to finish off their season. Against the Homestead Mustangs alone, the Vikings lost five players to varying injuries. Players who would regularly ride the bench suddenly found themselves being called into the trenches to fight on the front lines for the first teams.

Without a doubt, football is a taxing sport. Many former NFL players never fully recover from the life of violence that is pro football. The scout team plays a vital role in assuring that the starters’ careers reach their full potential in length and that the starters are safe on a daily basis.

Paly’s trainer, Josh Goldstein, has had years of experience with football related injuries.

“Scout teams are important to keep your starters in that position from getting hurt,” Goldstein said. “When I worked for the [San Jose] Sabercats our starters had to play against each other in practice, and when we went full speed, starters would end up getting hurt. You wear the players down more and your starters get worn down faster.”

Given the importance of these scout teams in high school football it is not surprising that scout teams are found at all levels of football, playing a critical role on both college and professional teams.

While best known for his flamboyant performance in the 2010 Vikings’ rendition of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, Paly grad Kevin Anderson (’11) went from “varsity stud” to “scout team scrub” in the blink of an eye as he now plays on the scout team against the legendary Andrew Luck at Stanford University.

Being an outside linebacker in Coach David Shaw’s 3-4 defense, Anderson finds himself pitted against the most critically acclaimed offensive line in past years. Despite the high competition, Anderson still fights to get both himself and his team better.

“Because I am redshirting, I am obviously not going to play on Saturday, so every week my game is playing scout team,” Anderson said.  “Everyday I go up against Jonathan Martin, a projected 9th overall draft pick, so the likeliness of me beating him is very slim. So everyday I just go as hard as I can so I can hope to get him better.”

Anderson’s commitment and relentless attitude is what has prepared the Cardinal for their games this year. The majority of which they have won by 27 or more points, including a 10 game winning streak of wins with a 25 point margin or more, a FBS record.

“Most players on the scout team take the same mentality that I do and go as hard as they can,” Anderson said. “If you go all out and refuse to let the starters get a play off in practice then they are forced to work hard.”

Scout teams have similar beneficial results in the NFL. Coming out of Penn State, Aaron Maybin was a highly coveted linebacker. Drafted 11th overall by the Buffalo Bills, Maybin cashed in $15 million in his lucrative rookie contract. Two years later, Maybin was cut from the Bills practice squad, ensuring his place as one of Buffalo’s biggest busts in recent history.

Maybin’s luck began to change as Rex Ryan gave him a chance as a part of the rival New York Jets scout team. Through continued hard work and discipline, Maybin worked his way up through the ranks of Ryan’s infamous defensive scheme and is now a major contributor. Maybin has had three sacks and three forced fumbles on the year through four games after being a member of the scout team a couple of months ago.

While Maybin may be doing it on the big stage, every football player has had an experience on the scout team, regardless of the level. They have all been pounded by someone bigger and meaner, and they know all too well the grind that is daily football practice.

The scout team players may be recognized by some as “benchwarmers,” however they are the true workhorses behind any team at any level. So next time you are in the stands at a game of football, give a salute to those guys riding the pipe, and know that they contribute just as much as any of the starters.