tHe tHreAT

i remember a quote from a famous basketball player about being a threat on the court to other defenders. He said something along the lines of how when on the court defenders would hate to be the one to have to guard him simply because when guarding him you never know what amazing things he will perform when on the court. In that same sense is how i feel when im on the football field. Whenever coach tells me to make something happen, i look at that in the same way of the basketball player. when in the huddle, i humbly wait for my talent to be unleashed once jared tells the play. once we know that its a run play, we break the huddle, get lined up, and wait for jared to give the call. "shift", says jared and at this immediate moment everybody gets in their correct stance as they go over in their mind what their respondsibilites are for the specific play. For me, its a time to scan the defense, i know where im going and i know the blocking technique i basically line up and scan the defense right in their eyes to show the fierce attitude that i have when lined up. "set", is the second call of the cadence, "go!" At that very time i enter a mode where my brain, for that specific moment, turns off and the movement of my body is simply reaction, quickness, and the reading of my blocks. i move around, juke, spin moves, shed tackles, anything that is needed for me to reach that safe zone , the place where my team is excited and relieved at that momemt, the time where adrenaline rushes so bad that my brain has to come back in play just so that i can control it. that safezone is the touchdown, and at that very moment, that very instant, is when i know that im a threat.

the one thing that the famous basketball player was faced with was injury. he injured his knee, causing a slowdown in his speed. the worse thing about his injury is that the thought of being a threat went away from other defenders. they would guard him up close, because he was not as fast, and they would challenge him to take a shot, or try to beat them off the dribble, but because of the injury he simply was not as much of a threat. when asked in an interview was he still a threat, he answered by saying, "how can i be a threat if im threatened with injuries?" i also felt that same way once a major football injury caused me to almost end the season. when playing Hawthorne, a team that we knew from the beginning was going to be a dog fight, i went in feeling more confident prepared and ready for anything, bringing that fierce attitude and the violent running styles that i love to give to defenses. The moment of the injury came after i had already got into the groove of the game. my first couple of times running the ball i showed the defense right then that i was fearless of whatever harm they were trying to give me, allowing me team to get first downs and convert on plays where we desperately needed. The play of the hit I did what i do every play scanned the defense, listened to the play call and simply moved by reaction. while allowing my blocks to block the correct defender i saw an opening and simply reacted on it by running through, not knowing what danger waited for me on the otherside. As I got through i was met with the middle linebacker, about 6'2'' 210-220 lbs, and we both came at eachtother with a collision for a guy my sides was like running into a race car. once i realized the injury i immediately took myself out of the play and allowed the trainer to look at it. the response that she gave me was one that at this time i was not ready to hear. "I would not be able to play", words that meant so much to someone who took so much time, so much effort, hardwork, everything in their will to get to the place that they were currently @ to have it all go away. that is one of the worst threats to trully have in sports; injury.