Take the Misses

We going for this?!” I half run to my head coach with my arms extended, asking. It had been the opening drive of the game. It had been the first championship football I had ever played in. While I was the most excited I had ever been, I didn’t have an idea of the type of game we would have.”Hell yeah, let’s f-ing go!” The inability of turning my sarcasm off inside my head made me Instantly say “watch your language Coach”. I received the play from Coach and jog to the huddle.

With a smile on my face, I quickly spoke to my team, “Hey let’s ball now, Spread Left Red Thunder Dallas, Spread Left Red Thunder Dallas. On one. On one. Ready…” As I clap my hands, I instantly grab my towel hanging from my waist to dry my hands from the play prior where I was thrown to the ground for a tough sack sliding on the turf. It hadn’t been raining for hours but the turf was still wet. I look left then right then go through the cadence. “Down, Black Forty… Black Forty, Hut!” It was a high snap but nothing too bad as they had been consistently that way. I pump left truly just out of habit as I had been throwing left the whole time. I take a half roll in the pocket and throw the out route to the right. Almost instantly I was let down. The ball slipped a touch in my hand. The wobbly ball sailed over the head of the receiver.

“Gosh Darn,” I thought to myself. It had been fourth down. Thinking I started the championship game with a turnover had me upset. I have always been the pretty even-keeled type of athlete. I never was similar to the guys who were always yelling and screaming. As I thought the ball was going to be incomplete, the wide receiver behind them reached down and catch the ball. I stopped picking myself up off the ground as I had been hit after the throw. I looked up to the sky and pointed up. I wouldn’t say I’m the most religious person especially coming from a religious family but when pointing I felt god helped out a touch. I’ve seen many NFL Quarterbacks point to the sky and it always looked cool. They had been my role models for years.

While I really let the team down with such a bad throw in the opening drive, I was lucky enough to come out on top. The pass ended up being a first down with the next play ending in a touchdown run. I messed up in the best way possible. The mistake I had made led to a phenomenal outcome. This turned a chance for the other team for a possible easy score into an opening drive touchdown.

“Football Field” by danxoneil is licensed under CC BY 2.0