One of my most memorable moments came when I was put in a game-changing situation. There was one minute left in the fourth quarter, the other team had possession and we were down by a touchdown. My dad always told me to watch for the panic, the hesitation. I saw it in the opposing team's quarter back that day. Before I knew it, I'd sacked the quarterback and forced a turnover to tie the game and put us into overtime. I don't remember thinking about the play, or timing my moves, or using anything we learn in practice for that matter. It was instinctual- primal almost- as if it were in my blood. However, I remember the hit, the cheering, the cry of the quarterback as he watched the game slip through his fingers. I lied on the ground until the play was over and time ran out. Normally I would hustle, but that time I didn't have it in me. "But I always have it in me?" I thought. Even the coach asked if I took a bad hit, as he observed my pupils. "Yup, they're dilated. You still want to play? How do you feel?" He asked. The pressure building up in my head felt as if it were enough to perpetuate a year long migraine. I responded, "Better than ever coach." I knew I wasn't well, but this was my game, and duty called. .
My parents advised me to take a break, but I was not ready to abandon my passion. At this point, I believed football would always be part of my life. I had dreams of playing in college, and eventually the NFL; however, as I grew older and considered the danger of the sport, I began to reassess my priorities and how I valued the sport over the quality of my life. To make it to the NFL, one must be extremely dedicated to the sport and have a strong desire to play. Therefore, those players who have experienced neurological damage due to participation in the sport once made a conscious decision to do play, which was likely driven by passion rather than logic.
