Traveling from Mt Juliet to Murfreesboro where the MJ Bears were to take on Blackman, my mind wandered back many years to my football days. Times have changed greatly since I was a fourth-grader!
The quarterback, who was backed up by a fullback and two halfbacks, took a direct snap from center. There were two ends, two tackles, two guards, and a center on the front line. It was known as the T formation. Maybe that’s what got me started on the road to becoming a Tennessee fan. A few teams still ran the single wing formation, but as an 8-year-old fourth-grader, I had never seen one of those.
On defense, there were six players on the line, three linebackers, and two safeties. The forward pass had been legalized long before I was born, but most teams - especially grade school teams - usually ran the ball.
Plastic helmets had replaced the leather ones you see in museums, but only guys with braces on their teeth had facemasks. Every team had white helmets, with a strip down the middle and no other markings, except scratches. Our pads were bulky and the uniforms were just “blah.” Our pants didn’t match. Most were a faded yellow, although the starters might have white pants. (The first team was comprised of sixth graders.) Our jerseys were blue, with white numbers and nothing else. Other teams had red, green, or yellow jerseys with white numbers. We were known as the “Blues;” they were the “Reds,” “Greens,” or “Yellows.”
Watching the mostly 9-year-old Mt. Juliet Bears was so much different than watching my older brother play while I sat on the bench...back in the day.
I didn’t quit though. I continued to play all the way through high school. As a 16-year-old senior (my birthday came after football season ended), I made honorable mention all-state. As an offensive and defensive lineman, I never scored. The only time I touched the football in a game was recovering a fumble.
Grayson scored a touchdown on a pass play a couple weeks ago. Against Blackman, he ran for an extra point and had some great rushing plays. On defense, he has made several tackles for loss, including quarterback sacks, and caused hurried passes. In the game, we saw he kept the other team from scoring an extra point after their only touchdown.
Now! I’ll stop bragging on my grandson and get to the point. After the game, we were talking about the Bears’ 5 and 0 record, and I was congratulating G on his game. He was a little disappointed that he didn’t score a touchdown, even though he got close. But he did score the extra point on their touchdown, and he has already scored in another game.
“You know what, Grayson? Papa played for eight years and never scored a TD or a PAT.” I confessed.
That’s when his priceless response came. Grayson hopes to play in the NFL someday. If I live to see that - or even college ball - I’ll never forget the empathy in his voice and the genuine expression of sympathy for me, because I never carried a football across the goal line.
“Oh, Papa! I feel so bad for you.”
Football is just a game, but wouldn’t our world be a better place if we played the game of life with that kind of sportsmanship and concern for others? With all the mean-spirited posts on social media about every imaginable subject from politics to sports to personal attacks, our world NEEDS to practice more concern for the feelings of others.
“I’m so sorry for your loss” or “I feel so bad for you” offered as a genuine expression of compassion for someone...it sure could go a long way.
What would Jesus do?
Steve Playl: playlsr@yahoo.com
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here