I WAS JUST GOING THRU SOME OLD THINGS OF MINE AND RAN ACROSS MY OLD FOOTBALL JERSEY,SIGNED BY ALL MY TEAM MATES AND COACHES AND CHEERLEADERS.MY MIND WENT BACK TO THE LAST TIME I WORE THIS JERSEY.IT WAS AGAINST OUR RIVAL SCHOOL FOR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
HIGH SCHOOL YEARS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE,THEY SHAPE WHAT YOUR FUTURE WILL BE AND THEY NEVER LEAVE YOUR MEMORY.THEY ARE FRESHER THAN MY DAYS AT OSU AND WITH DENVER,YET THEY WERE JUST HIGH SCHOOL .
THE LAST GAME WHEN I WORE THIS JERSEY WILL ALWAYS BE BURNED INTO MY MEMORY,IT WAS THE LAST TIME I EVER SAW SOME OF MY FRIENDS.ONES ID GROWN UP WITH FOR YEARS AND ONES ID ONLY KNOWN IN H,S,BUT THEY EACH HELD A PART OF MY HEART AND ALWAYS WILL.
IT WAS THE FOURTH QUARTER,SUDDEN DEATH.OUR ARCH RIVAL,ALSO THE SCHOOL MY BEST FRIEND AND GF ATTENDED.I WAS QUARTER BACK AGAINST LARRY,MY BEST FRIEND,UNTIL THIS YEAR WED ALWAYS PLAYED ON THE SAME TEAM.WE RAN AN END AND AROUND PASS PATTERN.I HAD NOONE OPEN SO I WENT FOR A LONG SHOT.I RAN FROM THEIR 45 YARD LINE.
LARRY HAD GOTTEN UP FROM THEIR BENCH AND WAS CHEERING ME ON,THE ENEMY,LOL.I GOT TO THE 2 YARD LINE AND WAS HIT ,IM NOT SURE BUT I THINK IT WAS BY A TANK.EVERYONE WAS QUIET AND I SAW THE BALL GO UP IN SLOW MOTION AS I HEARD A LOUD SNAP FROM MY SHOULDER.THEN I THINK A DUMP TRUCK UNLOADED ON MY CHEST BECOUSE I FELT A TON OF WEIGHT CRUSH ME.
WELL.I DIDNT MAKE THE AFTER GAME PARTY.INSTEAD I WOKE UP IN THE HOSPITAL.BROKEN COLAR BONE,3 BROKEN RIBS AND A FRACTURED SKULL WITH CONCUSSION.
THE ROOM WAS FULL OF PEOPLE WHEN I CAME THROUGH,SOME IN UNIFORM STILL AND OTHERS IN STREET CLOTHES
EVERYONE TALKED ABOUT THE GAME AND THE GREAT PLAY,BUT I DINT HEAR WHAT THEY WERE SAYING,ALL I SAW WAS LARRY STANDING IN THE BACK GIVING ME THE HIGH SIGN.THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I EVER SAW LARRY,IT WAS THE LAST TIME I EVR SAW MY GF AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT WERE THERE.
I RELIVE THAT GAME WHEN EVER IM ALONE,AND I REMEMBER MY FRIENDS.OVER THE YEARS IVE TRACED SOME DOWN,LARRY I HEARD WAS A SCIENCE PROFESSOR IN AUSTRALIA.MY G/F WAS MARRIED .SHE HAD 6 KIDS AND AS MANY HUSBANDS TO.SOME WERE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE WORLD,SOME HAD PASSED,BUT IMN MY MEMORIES WE ARE ON THAT FIELD TOGATHER
I CANNT REMEMBER ALOT OF THNGS BUT HIGH SCHOOL WILL LIVE IN MY HEART FOREVER.
THIS IS DEDICATED TO A VERY SPECIAL FRIEND WHO TO THIS DAY IS STILL AT THAT HIGH SCHOOL.HE TEACHES FOOTBALL THERE AND IS A MATH TEACHER.HE WAS OUT TOWEL BOY BECOUSE HE WAS TO SMALL BUT HAD THE HEART OF A LION.HES TAKEN THEM TO 18 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS YET NEVER PLAYED A SINGLE GAME.LIL MIKEY,WHO NOW STAND 6FT 5 AND 235 .TODAY HE RETIRED.WE ARE GOING TO GO TO THE PARK AND TAKE ON SOME DUDE AND HIS FRIEND THAT THINKS THEY CAN BEAT ANYONE,YOU GUESSED IT,WE ARE PLAYING LARRY AND HIS BOY AND ITS AT THE PARK WHERE ONCE OUR HS FIELD STOOD.YOU CAN BET WELL HEAR THOSE ROARING CROWDS THAT WERE THERE SO MANY YEARS AGO.
