Clemson's Football: A Short Story
The noise was deafening, the ground was trembling, the stadium was filled with 80,000 people, united for one reason. They were all waiting for Clemson to take the field. Daniel Rodriguez, a new wide receiver, had just joined the Clemson Football team. He was the smallest, yet oldest person on the team. At 24-years old, he was five-seven one-hundred and seventy five pounds. This was his dream. He ran down the hill, along with his team, into Death Valley as the Clemson was enjoying their first home game of the season. “This is no ordinary day, and I suppose I am no ordinary college football player.” Daniel said before he took the field that day. This is no ordinary day for Clemson as well, as it was Military Appreciation day. He was not an average
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Daniel knew the difference, but did the others? Football was an escape for Daniel’s dark past of death and destruction. Daniel used to be normal high schooler. As he grew older, his parents became sick. It was senior year, his mother had passed, he was ready to graduate and escape his sorrow. He had graduated, he had nowhere to go and hinted towards the armed forces. Then, as his father passed away a week after Daniel’s graduation, Daniel had joined the army, having suffered devastating losses. At age of nineteen he had no idea what he really was; he just wanted to get out of town. Once joining the Army, after receiving basic training, he was immediately deployed to Iraq. Daniel didn’t really know what war was, but he had heard of it. Daniel had experienced his first combat experience while in a convoy. “The I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Device) shook the ground and blew the car in front of me twenty feet in the air. I didn’t know if anything would survive. Then the bullets started flying.” Many of soldiers were inexperienced and ran from their cars, only to be struck down a few yards away. Daniel, in complete shock, could not moved, and began to fire his weapon. Daniel had never truly fired his weapon before. He was armed to kill. Daniel never wanted to kill anyone, but after all, either they died or he did. This was just a taste of what was to
Daniel knew the difference, but did the others? Football was an escape for Daniel’s dark past of death and destruction. Daniel used to be normal high schooler. As he grew older, his parents became sick. It was senior year, his mother had passed, he was ready to graduate and escape his sorrow. He had graduated, he had nowhere to go and hinted towards the armed forces. Then, as his father passed away a week after Daniel’s graduation, Daniel had joined the army, having suffered devastating losses. At age of nineteen he had no idea what he really was; he just wanted to get out of town. Once joining the Army, after receiving basic training, he was immediately deployed to Iraq. Daniel didn’t really know what war was, but he had heard of it. Daniel had experienced his first combat experience while in a convoy. “The I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Device) shook the ground and blew the car in front of me twenty feet in the air. I didn’t know if anything would survive. Then the bullets started flying.” Many of soldiers were inexperienced and ran from their cars, only to be struck down a few yards away. Daniel, in complete shock, could not moved, and began to fire his weapon. Daniel had never truly fired his weapon before. He was armed to kill. Daniel never wanted to kill anyone, but after all, either they died or he did. This was just a taste of what was to