The Last Game

[OlDog75]

I was going to post this after all the post season games were done but then I thought there will be many more young men playing their last football game tonight. I know the following is long but I was so impressed with what was written. All parties mentioned were changed to fictitious names because it does involve a Kentucky high school team. Needless to say I know the author of this piece very well. With all the negative press about the game we love, I believe this shows why football was very important to at least one young man. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

 

 

Everything I really need to know I learned from football. It has been a teacher of commitment, courage, strength and strangely enough, love. I am the man that I am because of football. Football builds character, builds relationships, and builds men. Sure, you learn things like how to block, and how to tackle, but the most important things that are learned on the football field have little to do with the game of football itself. As many old coaches have said over time, “We are not in the business of producing football players. We are in the business of producing men.”

 

The first thing that I learned from football was commitment. Toward the end of eighth grade year, those interested in playing football are bussed to the high school to take part in the strength and conditioning program which would prepare us for the next four years of battle. We wandered through the cavernous halls, making our way toward the ancient cage that was the old locker room. Strength and conditioning was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. You are constantly moving, constantly lifting, taking your body to the absolute breaking point, and then being asked to do it again. After a few weeks, I could hardly take any more, and I wanted to quit. John Jones was one of our senior linemen that year. I found it very easy to talk to him because he was always cracking jokes and lightening up even the darkest of moods. He told me that he had some of the same struggles when he first started. His advice was to put faith in the coaches and never give up. The fact that he, John Jones, the biggest guy on the football team, once had the same struggles as I did, gave me confidence that I could get through this and be a good football player.

 

Courage, strength and determination were among the next subjects that football taught me. Sophomore year is when football players start playing with the big boys: the upper-classmen. My biggest teacher, whether he knew it or not, was Bob Smith. He was a senior and our best lineman. Most sophomores, like myself, played on the practice squads. No matter where I lined up, I seemed to have to go up against him. I remember one particular day he hit me so hard that he knocked the air out of me. He didn’t just do this once; he did it three plays in a row! I kept going, though, and it made me tougher and stronger every time he hit me, because I was learning how to deal with the pain that comes with playing football. Three games into that season a varsity lineman was injured, and I was called upon to make the start. I was nervous, but I was prepared. If I was ever in trouble I knew Bob would be there to help me out.

 

Above all, the most important things that football taught me were love and respect. A football team is really more like a family than a team. You have your teammates as your brothers, your father; Coach Adams, your grandpa; Coach Vines, and your crazy uncle; Coach Lavelle. Just like any other family, it takes love and respect to keep it going. When people think of football players, they think of stupid jocks that are too thick to have emotions. That’s not true at all; we bleed, sweat and even cry together. With practice, games, film and weight lifting, we spend more time with each other than anyone else in our lives. My biggest fear in life is letting down my teammates and coaches. Sometimes you can’t stand them, but ultimately you love and respect each person on your team. Each year, at the last game, I break down and start bawling as I realize I will never play with the seniors again. This year was my senior year. It ended in a playoff loss, ending my entire career. It was hard to deal with at first, but I will always have the memories and the life lessons to remind me of what it was like and why football is so important to me.

 

Over the last five years, football has been my mentor. No one or nothing has taught me more about life in this time. Thanks to football, I know what it is going to take to be a man in this world: courage, strength, commitment, determination, love and respect. I will take everything that I have learned from my teammates and coaches and live my life by these lessons. Hopefully, I will be able to pass these lessons on one day when I become a football coach and join “the business of producing men.”

[Ram]

Great job OD.

[OlDog75]

I was going to post this after all the post season games were done but then I thought there will be many more young men playing their last football game tonight. I know the following is long but I was so impressed with what was written. All parties mentioned were changed to fictitious names because it does involve a Kentucky high school team. Needless to say I know the author of this piece very well. With all the negative press lately about the game we love, I believe this shows why football was very important to at least one young man. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

 

 

"Everything I really need to know I learned from football. It has been a teacher of commitment, courage, strength and strangely enough, love. I am the man that I am because of football. Football builds character, builds relationships, and builds men. Sure, you learn things like how to block, and how to tackle, but the most important things that are learned on the football field have little to do with the game of football itself. As many old coaches have said over time, “We are not in the business of producing football players. We are in the business of producing men.”

 

The first thing that I learned from football was commitment. Toward the end of eighth grade year, those interested in playing football are bussed to the high school to take part in the strength and conditioning program which would prepare us for the next four years of battle. We wandered through the cavernous halls, making our way toward the ancient cage that was the old locker room. Strength and conditioning was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. You are constantly moving, constantly lifting, taking your body to the absolute breaking point, and then being asked to do it again. After a few weeks, I could hardly take any more, and I wanted to quit. John Jones was one of our senior linemen that year. I found it very easy to talk to him because he was always cracking jokes and lightening up even the darkest of moods. He told me that he had some of the same struggles when he first started. His advice was to put faith in the coaches and never give up. The fact that he, John Jones, the biggest guy on the football team, once had the same struggles as I did, gave me confidence that I could get through this and be a good football player.

 

Courage, strength and determination were among the next subjects that football taught me. Sophomore year is when football players start playing with the big boys: the upper-classmen. My biggest teacher, whether he knew it or not, was Bob Smith. He was a senior and our best lineman. Most sophomores, like myself, played on the practice squads. No matter where I lined up, I seemed to have to go up against him. I remember one particular day he hit me so hard that he knocked the air out of me. He didn’t just do this once; he did it three plays in a row! I kept going, though, and it made me tougher and stronger every time he hit me, because I was learning how to deal with the pain that comes with playing football. Three games into that season a varsity lineman was injured, and I was called upon to make the start. I was nervous, but I was prepared. If I was ever in trouble I knew Bob would be there to help me out.

 

Above all, the most important things that football taught me were love and respect. A football team is really more like a family than a team. You have your teammates as your brothers, your father; Coach Adams, your grandpa; Coach Vines, and your crazy uncle; Coach Lavelle. Just like any other family, it takes love and respect to keep it going. When people think of football players, they think of stupid jocks that are too thick to have emotions. That’s not true at all; we bleed, sweat and even cry together. With practice, games, film and weight lifting, we spend more time with each other than anyone else in our lives. My biggest fear in life is letting down my teammates and coaches. Sometimes you can’t stand them, but ultimately you love and respect each person on your team. Each year, at the last game, I break down and start bawling as I realize I will never play with the seniors again. This year was my senior year. It ended in a playoff loss, ending my entire career. It was hard to deal with at first, but I will always have the memories and the life lessons to remind me of what it was like and why football is so important to me.

 

Over the last five years, football has been my mentor. No one or nothing has taught me more about life in this time. Thanks to football, I know what it is going to take to be a man in this world: courage, strength, commitment, determination, love and respect. I will take everything that I have learned from my teammates and coaches and live my life by these lessons. Hopefully, I will be able to pass these lessons on one day when I become a football coach and join “the business of producing men.”

 

Dedicted to all the young men playing football but especially to those who will no longer be wearing their school's jersey.

[OlDog75]

I was going to post this after all the post season games were done but then I thought there will be many more young men playing their last football game tonight. I know the following is long but I was so impressed with what was written. All parties mentioned were changed to fictitious names because it does involve a Kentucky high school team. Needless to say I know the author of this piece very well. With all the negative press about the game we love, I believe this shows why football was very important to at least one young man. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

 

 

Everything I really need to know I learned from football. It has been a teacher of commitment, courage, strength and strangely enough, love. I am the man that I am because of football. Football builds character, builds relationships, and builds men. Sure, you learn things like how to block, and how to tackle, but the most important things that are learned on the football field have little to do with the game of football itself. As many old coaches have said over time, “We are not in the business of producing football players. We are in the business of producing men.”

 

The first thing that I learned from football was commitment. Toward the end of eighth grade year, those interested in playing football are bussed to the high school to take part in the strength and conditioning program which would prepare us for the next four years of battle. We wandered through the cavernous halls, making our way toward the ancient cage that was the old locker room. Strength and conditioning was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. You are constantly moving, constantly lifting, taking your body to the absolute breaking point, and then being asked to do it again. After a few weeks, I could hardly take any more, and I wanted to quit. John Jones was one of our senior linemen that year. I found it very easy to talk to him because he was always cracking jokes and lightening up even the darkest of moods. He told me that he had some of the same struggles when he first started. His advice was to put faith in the coaches and never give up. The fact that he, John Jones, the biggest guy on the football team, once had the same struggles as I did, gave me confidence that I could get through this and be a good football player.

 

Courage, strength and determination were among the next subjects that football taught me. Sophomore year is when football players start playing with the big boys: the upper-classmen. My biggest teacher, whether he knew it or not, was Bob Smith. He was a senior and our best lineman. Most sophomores, like myself, played on the practice squads. No matter where I lined up, I seemed to have to go up against him. I remember one particular day he hit me so hard that he knocked the air out of me. He didn’t just do this once; he did it three plays in a row! I kept going, though, and it made me tougher and stronger every time he hit me, because I was learning how to deal with the pain that comes with playing football. Three games into that season a varsity lineman was injured, and I was called upon to make the start. I was nervous, but I was prepared. If I was ever in trouble I knew Bob would be there to help me out.

 

Above all, the most important things that football taught me were love and respect. A football team is really more like a family than a team. You have your teammates as your brothers, your father; Coach Adams, your grandpa; Coach Vines, and your crazy uncle; Coach Lavelle. Just like any other family, it takes love and respect to keep it going. When people think of football players, they think of stupid jocks that are too thick to have emotions. That’s not true at all; we bleed, sweat and even cry together. With practice, games, film and weight lifting, we spend more time with each other than anyone else in our lives. My biggest fear in life is letting down my teammates and coaches. Sometimes you can’t stand them, but ultimately you love and respect each person on your team. Each year, at the last game, I break down and start bawling as I realize I will never play with the seniors again. This year was my senior year. It ended in a playoff loss, ending my entire career. It was hard to deal with at first, but I will always have the memories and the life lessons to remind me of what it was like and why football is so important to me.

 

Over the last five years, football has been my mentor. No one or nothing has taught me more about life in this time. Thanks to football, I know what it is going to take to be a man in this world: courage, strength, commitment, determination, love and respect. I will take everything that I have learned from my teammates and coaches and live my life by these lessons. Hopefully, I will be able to pass these lessons on one day when I become a football coach and join “the business of producing men.”

 

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