The football field is my sanctuary, during a game. All the turmoil and troubles that may be swirling around us, on the outside world, don't matter. Everything is just right on the field. There's victory and there's defeat. The stadium is always packed with fans. A sea of red, white, and blue can be seen throughout the stands. My blood is flowing and adrenaline is running. Every one of my fingers begins to pound as a sign of anticipation of the upcoming game. My mind is going through the game plan like a student cramming for his final exam. As I place my red uniform and armor on, I am now ready to go to war.
The noise begins to grow with every minute that passes. As we run out onto the field, I can hear the fans screaming, the cheerleaders cheering, and coaches refreshing the game plan. I take note of everything going on around me during warm-ups, because once the game begins it becomes very difficult to hear anything, but what's going on if front of you. The quarterback is going through his cadence. The coaches are yelling adjustments. The defensive backs are checking their coverages. The linebackers are altering the defensive call. The safety is identifying the formation. The linemen are barking out their blocking scheme. Then, the ball is snap, and I just play. Everything seems to happen so fast and furious that it's hard to focus on anything but what is right in front of me. At times, I can even see the fear in the eyes of the opponent lined up across from me. No matter what pain I get from injuries that happen through the course of a game, I still play with the intention of leaving it all on the field.
During a game, I escape from