HOUSTON — They gather in the team room, the 16 seniors on the Rice football team. During the season, the players squeezed into theater seats in this cramped room above the south end zone to review game film. On this January day in 2015, the big screen displays no miscues or highlights, but a roster of their teammates, from juniors to incoming freshmen.



This team-building event, The Accountability Draft, asks seniors to draft players onto eight teams. Throughout the offseason, each team earns points for things like attendance, good grades and volunteer work. They lose points for skipping class, bad grades or being late to anything. The prize is a steak dinner at head coach David Bailiff’s house before the start of August two-a-days.



As usual, defensive tackle Stu Mouchantaf is a visible and vocal presence. A team captain, “Mooch” is looking for the next version of himself. And if there is an obvious future captain among the bunch, Blain Padgett...