Today is more “crap” about me that you probably don’t care to hear or know. This all pertains to my old sports days.
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During my football season I would never watch any other football than the team I was playing next. I didn’t watch NFL or College on TV and I wouldn’t attend other games. My thought was that if I only watched the team I was playing next then they would be the only thing on my mind; and I wouldn’t confuse what the Detroit Lions did in the same situation.
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I had the same “Spirit Girl” for three years. Her job was to bring me goodies to eat each day, decorate my room and front yard before every game, and stand with me during pep rallies.
On my own I came up with a weekly “Spirit Girl B”. During lunch on Monday any girl wanting to be my weekly spirit girl would come out and dance for me. I would pick one each week. Their job was to drive me to lunch every day and pay for my lunch, to wait around the field house after a game until I came out and give me a ride home, to wait outside while I soaked my knee in a tub for an hour, to then take me to whatever party I was supposed to attend, and if I didn’t get “hooked up” at the party then they would provide my entertainment. Finally they would drive me back home again.
Geez, I was a prick. But for the record, there were usually a dozen girls trying out each week, and most came back several times to try out for a second tour of duty.
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My pregame ritual was to eat a HUGE pre-game meal around 3:30, then smoke a joint. Then I would take a HOT shower for about an hour. I wouldn’t towel dry, I would just grab my walkman and sit in the field house and listen to Ritchie Blackmore. Before I suited up I would visit the trainer. I got 4 “Instant Freeze” shots in my knee and three more in each ankle. Then I would get taped up.
FYI, I never put clothes on until it was time to suit up. About 30 minutes before the bus would leave to take us to the stadium I would dress. I napped on the bus, still listening to Ritchie Blackmore. When I got to the stadium, I would do my required interviews and then walk the field. I would cover every inch searching for dips, holes or anything that would screw up my knee.
I never spoke to anyone from 3:30 on (except if I was require to give a pregame interview). I would just listen to music and think about the guy I was going to cover. This always spooked the new guys because I was so outgoing the rest of the time. But this was my way to get ready for war.
Oh, and my mom made me three steaks and a dozen fried eggs every morning of a game.
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I never once missed a game due to an injury. I played with a concussion. I played with a broken nose three twice. I played with a broken jaw once. I played with a separated shoulder once. I played with broken ribs once. I played with a broken ankle. And I played every week with a knee that was horrible. But I never missed a game.
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I have always enjoyed contact. So I was constantly hitting the other players, even when the ball was far away from us. I always wore what is called a “cage” facemask, which means a bar was vertical in the front. One season I wore an “open cage” facemask (trying to be cool) which means no bar in front of the nose. In 5 games I broke my nose twice. I never wore an open cage again.
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I always wore white cleats, even when black was in style. I always thought it made me faster. I would wear a pair of shoes for two games or three at the most. Then I tossed them. I usually had up to six pair of cleats in my locker at any time with varying styles of cleats. That way I could pick the best pair for the specific field and weather.
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During my career, I played every position on the field at least once. But every season I played I was given the additional duty of being the designated punt returner. The only position I hated playing was the punt returner. Go figure?
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I never wore gloves, sweat bands or any other popular sports crap. Whether it was 110 degrees or 25 degrees I wore the same old ripped t-shirt under my pads and nothing else. I felt like I had to feel the ball and the game in order to succeed. I never wore shorts under my pants. I am told on rainy nights my white game pants were very sheer.
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The first year I went out for Little League Football, the coach told me I was born two weeks too early and was not the right age to start playing. He also told me I should try baseball instead as he felt I was too short, skinny and awkward to ever play football. I asked if I could work out with the team for the day anyway since my dad had already dropped me off and left.
I was a starter at two positions by the end of the practice, and the coach lied to the league about my age. I started at two positions ever season from that point forward. Until High School I was always the lightest player on each team and usually the smallest.
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The last game of my Sophomore season I heard a chant in the stands. After the game my folks told me that they were chanting my new nickname, which was “Savior”. It was created by another teammate’s parent. I was told that they always believed that at the end of the game I would do something to win the game, like a savior. It stuck through college.
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