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Alvarez Loves Drawing 'The Cards'

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By SCOTT PURKS Tribune correspondent

Published: November 2, 2007

Updated: 11/01/2007 10:33 pm

TAMPA - Behind Plant coach Bob Weiner, wedged between assistants, and tucked behind a sales job that keeps him on the road for 80 percent of each week, is one of the most underpaid, and, as Weiner said, "revered" members of Plant's football program.

He's the man who draws "the cards."

Ty Alvarez.

"Every weekend, Ty spends 10 to 14 hours working for Plant," Weiner said. "He breaks down the opponents' offensive tape, and then he ..."

Sprawls on the floor of his South Tampa home. Magic marker in hand. Manila folders all over the place. Football stencil clamped to a folder. Drawing. Oval. Oval. Oval. Oval. Oval. ...

My goodness, how many thousands of ovals has he drawn the past 15 years since he started doing this? For that matter, how, considering he never played football (he instead played baseball for Jesuit, where he graduated in 1981), did he get started in the first place?

"It was 1992," Alvarez said, "the week before Jesuit played in the state final against Pasco. I dropped by to wish Coach Dominick Ciao luck and he said, 'Hey, can you help me out? Can you draw these cards for me?' I said, 'Sure.' So I laid down in the middle of his office floor and started drawing the cards from these little notes he had. I didn't even know what I was drawing, but he said it helped a lot."

Now, after countless hours breaking down tape with Ciao and Weiner, he not only knows what he's drawing, but he knows every nuance of an opponent's offense, which he makes note of in the cards. They are held up for Plant's defense during practice to see what it needs to do to play well.

His wage?

Zero.

"Never made one penny drawing the cards," Alvarez said. "Which I think is perfect. I love doing it. Absolutely love it."

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