Not far from the tree

Like father, like son. \nFor many young boys, there is the inherent dream to be like their fathers, if only for a short while. The picture is common and crystal clear: A young boy suits up in his father's attire and pictures himself following in his footsteps. Sophomore lineman Justin Frye and senior long snapper Kyle Warriner's childhood aspirations took a similar path; however, their fathers' footsteps were formed by pairs of football cleats.\nFrye and Warriner are second generation Hoosier football players who not only seek to do their fathers' legacy justice, but make their own marks in the annals of IU football lore. Warriner's father, Tom, played on the 1967 Rose Bowl team while Frye's father, Kevin, played fullback and tight end with the Hoosiers from 1977-1981, including the 1979 Holiday Bowl squad. \nWhile Frye and Warriner's lineages are united in the cream and crimson, their reasons for attending the University differ. \nFrye said his paternal links to IU had some bearing on his decision to play for his father's alma mater - that and an undying love for Hoosier sports. \n"It did have some influence in my decision," Frye said. "It's nice to be the second generation and carry on the tradition and knowing what he went through and listening to his stories. But, growing up through the years with my grandfather and my dad, it was always 'Hoosiers this and Hoosiers that.'"\nWarriner said his decision to play in Bloomington had nothing to do with his father or any real desire to play football specifically for the Hoosiers. Instead, his inspiration to come to IU stemmed from the average student's source of decision -- academics. \n"Actually it started off as a straight academic situation," Warriner said. "I really only got looked at by (Division III) schools, but I had decided no matter where I was going, I was going to decide whether I was going to play football."\nThe elder Warriner said he never pushed his son to play at IU or play football in general, but is extremely proud of his son's accomplishments. Tom said seeing his son on the Memorial Stadium field takes him back, and he wants to have his son enjoy his tenure as a Hoosier football player.\n"I think back about walking out in front of large crowds of people and how he's doing that, but once in a while I think back and I realize that it's a completely different era," Tom Warriner said. "He's adapted well with all that, I'm really proud of him because he had a goal and he strived to attain that and he's done very well. To see him on the field for his first snap was one of my proudest moments as a father."\nSwapping war stories has also become a staple within the Frye household since both father and son have the common ground of Hoosier football to talk about. \n"He talked about what it was like school-wise and I'll say something and he'll just nod, knowing exactly what I'm talking about," Frye said. "The big basis of it hasn't changed much because it's still hard-nosed Big Ten football so it's kind of nice for him to come back and kind of live through me now."\nFor both Frye and Warriner, safety nets also come along with the familiarity. Whenever there is a problem, both players can find solace in their fathers' past experiences. \n"There's rough times. Just like anything, there's adversity and there's always something to go through," Frye said. "It's just nice to know that if I've had a bad day and need someone to kick me in the butt to get me going again, I know I can call him and he'll be there to console me." \nWith both Frye and Warriner, their fathers did more than just inspire them on the football field - they took care of them in life.\n"He's taught me that it's not just about football, it's about life," Frye said. "He's probably my best friend off of the field as well and him playing here and playing college football in general, he knows what it's like and because of that, we can lean on each other." \n-- Contact staff writer Dan Patrick at djpatric@indiana.edu.