Living in somebody else's image stands as one of the most stressing and unfair assessments an individual can be placed with regards to mental well-being. It isn't fair to be judged purely based upon image; typecasting can remain in Hollywood, please.
Middle school, 2008. A shy chubster, noticeably light-footed, waltzes along the school walls. A hand drifts to the left hip as the right smoothly grazes poorly maintained barriers; feeling the ridges and divots beneath their fingertips, they stop when the wall does. Who is the wall? The barrier defense or me?
There they are:
· An Aeropostale tee
· Loose-fitting and HUSKY-labelled jeans
· No glasses --- yet
· 3 on the back and sides, scissor cut top to finger length, square back, reaffirm the tail is gone
I was to be hallway scouted by the middle school football coach, Mr. H. Not for my skills. Not for my athletic ability. Not for my mind. My size was all the intrigue to this coach, to this sport, at this school. I wasn’t monstrously tall nor the preteen who hit puberty in third grade and trucked in the halls as a bearded tank. No. But I was proportionately…"fitting". By fitting, I mean, admittedly, fat. Yes, a 5-foot-somethinger weighing over that praised (dreaded, for all else) 150. Sixth grade, 150 lbs+?
"Toss that kid on the line!"
Right?
Not exactly.
I am not a competitive person by nature. Blame my environment, my genetics, whatever you will: I just don’t have it in me. I didn't desire to play a role in much of any sport (given, I did participate in track & field; I bet you can guess which events I competed…). And football? I mean, sure: Football has been an interest to watch and learn as a fan. But as a player? Oh, no. No. No. No. I wanted what every youthful and giddy fan wanted: to be the QB.
"Oh, my gosh. Get that kid away from me and that cliché! They'll play what I tell them to!"
You can sure try; Mr. H tried for over two seasons.
*****
Much like a school's band class, percussion was everyone’s dream. Right? I tried that, too. It was full, no spots open. I tried the sax…then the trombone. Eventually, I stopped that and stuck to my voice. Football wandered in a different world though. The difference between me and most other wannabes is that I could sling the ball around the field. I could easily learn and remember the playbook. I'm not even close to be cocky at this moment. Smart + good arm + willingness = prospective QB.
But with football, you couldn’t just switch positions within weeks or months like using a reed one day and a mouthpiece the next. It is a commitment to be in whichever position you're handed and Learn. That. To. A. Tee.
Or so we're told…
*****
Flipping the script to my high school and early college years, I stopped sports early to focus on my academics after a move to a new school of which competed fiercer than what I'd ever desire. Suddenly, explosions blare! “Read-all-about-it” reports of concussions and CTE and non-contact injuries and torn ACLs spin on each screen:
"YOU GET A TORN ACL! AND YOU! AND YOU! TORN ACLS FOR EVERYONE!!"
Well…smart move, me. Escaping the sports world before these studies (backed by science) released to the public and caused quite the uproar, speculation, retrospection, and relief proved to be, perhaps, one of my greatest accomplishments. This, of course, coming from a slight hypochondriac.
I know, stop the eye roll. I get it.
But these were legitimate concerns. The fears developed from these new terms and the lack of complete comprehension from all parties (science continues to hit F5 each week) peaked many in the sporting world as premature or dramatic. But have we ever thought about what it did for the educated fans? Reading articles each day to compare the words and opinions of black and white on page: scrolling, turning, rolling, learning, flipping, wincing, gripping, convincing; does it get monotonous?
You know as much as I do: Yes.
Where is the line between too much and not enough? Is it subjective and unique to each party involved? What are the parents thinking? The coaches? The players? The scientists? The children? The former players?
*****
Let it be known now that this is not some elaborate ad campaign for USA Football and I'm writing as an individual and not a biased employee of the company. This has been events from my life that took ironic turns I found to be comical, odd, and studious. Now that you 100% believe my credibility, we continue.
How do we make the sport of American football both safer and more welcome? Is this possible? This line questioning often leads into a wormhole of confusion and long nights for those directing the sport into a fresh line of vision. Luckily for us, we have groups that focus solely on such deliberation.
*****
I am not a team fan or a rooty-tooty-hurrah diehard-tryhard. No. I am a player guy, a stat guy, a history guy that knows random facts about random things that relate to random fields. Football happens to be one of them. I have no eggs in my basket; no:
· Gang Green eggs
· Purple People Eater eggs
· Browns eggs
· Redskins eggs
· Blue Deviled eggs
· Ducks eggs
· Volunteer Orange eggs
I'm not here to pledge alliance to team or school. I'm here because I appreciate the game. When I somebody sneezes, I don’t respond with "Mizzou, Bless You". I don't yell "ROLL TIDE" after any sentence that loosely links to Alabama's soul. I promise, I obtain no leanings in this manner. I root for the teams with players are that are usually, objectively, better than the opposing.
Am I bandwagon? No.
The Browns and Raiders stacked their teams this offseason. Does that mean I'm looking at a Lamar Hunt for either team? Of course not. But! I'm an AB and OBJ fan. Are those separately bandwagon? I mean, yes, but they are also statistically top 10 WRs. I also like Kevin White, Laquon Treadwell, and Phillip Dorsett though.
"Explain yourself!"
And why isn’t Santonio still playing?
Why didn't the Panthers pick up Maclin? Retired early, now that's football blasphemy.
"Why am I still reading this article?"
Because I'm relatable as eff. "Thank U, Next".
Shall I dive into defense? You don't want that list. Not when Ha Ha and Conte are on it. And that's just the safeties.
You are starting to understand the way I see the game and the type of fan I am. Or you literally (yes, "literally") hate me. Either way, keep on reading; this is where it gets amusing.
*****
USA Football kick started the Football Development Model (FDM) to both display and act on the progression of the sport from youth to high school play. I knew little about sport development models before interning with USA Football. Once I knew the encyclopedia entry, I was intrigued because of my past with Mr. H. There is a stage in the FDM labeled "Rookie Tackle". The youth players shift positions throughout practices and games to allow that child to learn the basics of each and it is unassuming. It is (ready for this?) unbiased. I acknowledge that middle school is after this FDM stage, but imagine a world about 10 years back where Husky Noah, with all spherical shape, plays a position off the line. Wouldn't that be something? I picture myself a Jared Lorenzen but right-handed.
Dub me "Mighty Righty".
This alters my entire take on my experience with sports. If they had this model then I might have been more interested because my skill set would have been noticed and encouraged. Of course, 8th grade trots in, I launched into puberty. Grew a few inches. Lost weight but not the weight of the weight.
"Once a fat kid, always a fat kid."
Now, I'm about 5'10" and 150. Much better than 5'4" and 160. Not a built body. Not an impressive physique.
"Hit the weights, bump it to 185, and you have yourself a receiver."
*****
I think back and wonder how my bodily transformation would have impacted my personal game if I had jumped onto Mr. H's thoughts and accepted my appearance. Would I have lost my spot in the line and been dumped to the sidelines? Would I have been able to transition to a different position after solely focusing on one? Would I have even lost the weight if I went OL? Look at ex-NFLers like Jeff Saturday and Joe Thomas: Just keep your "diet" full, weights heavy, and balance steady. Watch your weight dip and become a tight end (see: Jake Fisher).
Why do we have a singular perspective on football positioning?
No.
Why did we have a singular perspective on football positioning?
Why do we half-shame, half-admire multi-sport athletes?
No.
Why do we promote and respect multi-sport athletes?
It is this shift in thought that could save the sport of American football, this frame of mind that ripples beneath the ice of the past and shatters into an undiscovered land. We must let the volcano explode before rebuilding. And we've done that, to a degree. The lava is still hardening over the remnants of older ways of thinking about the game. Is football still "America's Game"? Can organizations like USA Football reclaim that title over time? Can we think long-term and preventative rather than short-term and treating?
It seems as if we should.
*****
We'll see with time if stories like mine are replayed and reversed. If retention spikes because studies blatantly detail the sport is safe. If future studies are published and a decline and degradation of the sport correspond to injuries, worth, and risk, then we have a problem.
But we should give it proper time.
And we must give it a chance.
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