Find the fit.
Then flourish.
No telling why a college football program is comfortable to one guy and unbearable to the next.
Pick a reason: Coaches, academics, playing time, color of the uniform, the scowl of the mascot ...
Who knows? Teens can be hard to figure out.
Tevin Lake can't put his finger on what he didn't like about the University of Indianapolis and its NCAA Division II football program. The 2010 Adams High grad was redshirted his freshman year there.
"I learned a lot there as a player," Lake said. "But I never really felt comfortable. It wasn't the coaches, they were great."
After one semester, Lake decided to move across town and a couple notches down on what some would perceive as the competition meter. He landed at Marian University a small, Catholic school that competes on the NAIA level.
And, he has flourished.
"Maybe the size of the linemen is a little (smaller)," said Lake, 20, comparing NAIA football with NCAA Division II. "The skills are the same. When you're playing the game, there's no difference."
It didn't take long for Lake, a 5-foot-8, 195-pound running back, to find his comfort zone. Spring practice, shortly after the transfer, gave Knights running backs coach Henry Brown a good idea of what Lake was all about.
"Right away, I saw his patience and his vision," said Brown, who works under head coach Ted Karras, Jr. "He always runs hard and he's able to pick up the blitz. Tevin doesn't mind blocking at all."
What Lake did last season, his first on the field at Marian, didn't include much blocking. He rushed 223 times for 1,248 yards and 18 touchdowns -- he led the nation (among NAIA schools) with 132 points -- and was a key component in Marian's run to the national semifinals.
This year, he vowed to do better.
"I was a little surprised with my first full college season," Lake said. "It was a really good experience. The success I had, and the help I got from the team just adjusting to everything, motivated me for this year."
Lake took that motivation and ran with it.
While leading the Knights to an 11-1 record and a berth in Thursday night's NAIA National Championship Game (6:30 p.m. EST, CBS College Sports Network) in Rome, Ga., against Morningside (12-0, from Iowa), Lake has rushed for 1,490 yards and 16 TDs. His 135.5-yard rushing average is third-best in the country. Lake has also caught 36 passes for 489 yards and four scores.
Wednesday he was named to the American Football Coaches Association NAIA All-America first team.
"Over the years, I've learned that staying hungry is the secret to success," Lake said. "Work hard, stay humble, stay hungry. That's it. Give your best and never regret anything."
"Once Tevin learned our terminology, he caught on quickly," said Brown.
When Lake takes a handoff, he's running for more than himself.
"I've never been around a team that has chemistry like this," Lake said. "We're all brothers. We've stuck together through good times and bad."
Chemistry is why Brown thinks the Knights, who were the fifth seed when the national tournament started, have a chance against No. 3 Morningside.
"We're all a family," Brown said. "We take care of each other. One team; one family."
More than football factors into a guy buying into a university. Lake has made a snug transition into a unique situation.
"I'm a Christian, so the Catholic part of (Marian) was never an issue," he said. "It's a diverse atmosphere, it's not really strict. Everyone is treated equally."
Lake owns a 3.1 GPA with a demanding major of sports performance/physical therapy.
"Everybody here is up front, honest and supportive," Lake said. "It's the right place for me."
Comfort shows on the field.
