The Game That Changed My Life

Easton Woods

English Comp 101/104

Joe Wiley

September22, 2015

The Game That Changed My Life

        I was sitting in the locker room trying to settle down my excitement, my nerves, and my deep thoughts. At halftime the score was 21 to 21, and it was my first game back after a devastating ankle injury that put me out for three weeks. In my head I was praying that it wouldn’t get worse but at the same time I did not show emotion, so I kept a stern focused look in my face. As a captain I had to have my team trust me. As we started walking out of the locker room I looked up into the pitch black sky while the wind and the rain start to pick up. I stepped onto the wet slippery turf ready to win a football game. Every step I took on the turf drowned the little black turf beads in a pool of water around my cleats. We marched back on the field and the crowd was instantly eager for more football. There was at least 800 people in the crowd for the second round of the playoffs. On one side the mix of maroon and gray and white all blurred together. On the other side spots of red and white scattered about the bleachers. From that side I could hear the opposing fans talking negative about my teammates and I, but I didn’t let it affect me, and on the other side I could hear our fans yelling my name as I stretched my legs and got ready for the second half. The rain on the field made the air thick and humid while making my feet burn from the warmth of the turf. Finally it was time to get ready for the kickoff.

        By the 4th quarter we were down by just a touchdown and it was my turn to help my team strive for victory. The coach yelled my name to receive the next play. I ran to the sideline and my coach gave me the play,”38 toss,” which meant that I was motioning over to the right to receive the toss from the quarterback. I announced the play to the team and . When I was lining up I prepped my ankle out of habit of making sure it was secure just in case I got hit hard. The quarterback said, “Hike,” and I broke for the toss from him. I caught the ball and looked for a hole to cut through. When I was in the middle of my cut I step with my right foot and attempted to cut back in. As I was doing my cut I heard a pop and felt my knee over extend which brought an immense amount of pressure and gave out. Knowing something went wrong, I tried to extend and dive for a first down. The burning sensation of my instantly swollen knee made me break down into tears. The disappointment in myself was unbearable. As I lay on the ground getting checked out by the trainer I thought about my future. My football season might be over. Most importantly my baseball season may be history. I discovered that my ACL and my MCL were completely torn. I knew the next year of my life was going to be a challenge that I had to overcome. I soon became closer to God. God showed me that he was on my side through it all and he showed me that everything happens for a reason. I knew I was going to be okay. I still remember the day like it was yesterday. I learned that day how much I had and how easy it was to lose.