BlindDadWatchedMePlayFootball
佚名/Anonymous
BobRichard,theformerpole-vaultchampion,sharesamovingstoryaboutaskinnyyoungboywholovedfootballwithallhisheart.Practiceafterpractice,heeagerlygaveeverythinghehad.Butbeinghalfthesizeoftheotherboyshegotabsolutelynowhere.Atallthegames,thishopefulathletesatonthebenchandhardlyeverplayed.Thisteenagerlivedalonewithhisfather,andthetwoofthemhadaveryspecialrelationship.Eventhoughthesonwasalwaysonthebench,hisfatherwasalwaysinthestandscheering.Henevermissedagame.
Thisyoungmanwasstillthesmallestoftheclasswhenheenteredhighschool.Buthisfathercontinuedtoencouragehim,butalsomadeitveryclearthathedidnothavetoplayfootballifhedidn』twantto.
Buttheyoungmanlovedfootballanddecidedtohanginthere.Hewasdeterminedtotryhisbestateverypractice,andperhapshe』dgettoplaywhenhebecameasenior.Allthroughhighschoolhenevermissedapracticeoragame,butremainedabenchwarmerallfouryears.Hisfaithfulfatherwasalwaysinthestands,alwayswithwordsofencouragementforhim.
Whentheyoungmanwenttocollege,hedecidedtotryoutforthefootballteamasawalk-on.Everyonewassurehecouldnevermakethecut,buthedid.Thecoachadmittedthathekepthimontherosterbecausehealwaysputhisheartandsoulintoeverypractice,andatthesametime,providedtheothermemberswiththespirit.
Thenewsthathehadsurvivedthecutthrilledhimsomuchthatherushedtothenearestphoneandcalledhisfather.Hisfathersharedhisexcitementandwassentseasonticketsforallthecollegegames.Thispersistentyoungathletenevermissedpracticeduringhisfouryearsatcollege,buthenevergottoplayinagame.
Itwastheendoftheseniorfootballseason,andashetrottedontothepracticefieldshortlybeforethebigplayoffgame,thecoachmethimwithatelegramandhebecamedeathlysilent.
Swallowinghard,hemumbledtothecoach,「Myfatherdiedthismorning.IsitallrightifImisspracticetoday?」
Thecoachputhisarmgentlyaroundhisshoulderandsaid,「Taketherestoftheweekoff,son.Anddon』tevenplantocometothegameonSaturday.」
Saturdayarrived,andthegamewasnotgoingwell.Inthethirdquarter,whentheteamwastenpointsbehind,asilentyoungmanquietlyslippedintotheemptylockerroomandputonhisfootballgear.Asheranontothesidelines,thecoachandhisplayerswereastoundedtoseetheirfaithfulteammatebacksosoon.
「Coach,pleaseletmeplay.I』vejustgottoplaytoday,」saidtheyoungman.
Thecoachpretendednottohearhim.Therewasnowayhewantedhisworstplayerinthiscloseplayoffgame.Buttheyoungmanpersisted,andfinallyfeelingsorryforthekid,thecoachgavein.
「Allright.」hesaid,「Youcangoin.」
Beforelong,thecoach,theplayers,andeveryoneinthestandscouldnotbelievetheireyes.Thislittleunknown,whohadneverplayedbeforewasdoingeverythingright.Theopposingteamcouldnotstophim.Heran,passed,blocked,andtackledlikeastar.Thescoresweresoontied.