Guts vs Glory

by Jason B. Osoff

  Chapter 100

  My 15 minutes of fame stretched into a week. After the game, I was surrounded by local media. By the end of the week, I was talking to national media. They were really interested in my earth-shattering game, but they were even more interested in the story of how Mike and I began together as high school nobodies, and turned into gridiron heroes for the Michigan Knights. Some of the stations briefly mentioned us, while others had special segments dedicated to us. Even in practice, we had members of the media waiting for us. I didn’t let it interfere with my practices, though; if anything, I used the attention to enhance my practices. If they were only there for my high-caliber playing ability, I would have to maintain that ability in order to stay in the media.

  Practice was no different as a starter than it was as a backup. I was treated the same during practices, and had to run the same plays. I knew that in practice, everyone was expected to perform at starting-level performance, even those on the practice squad, so that any one player could be used during any play of any game. Although I was held to higher expectations as a starter, I had already kept myself to those higher expectations during the previous three seasons on the team.

  Ready for another home game after a hard week of practice, we ran onto the field. The atmosphere was even more electric. The team was led onto the field by two white horses ridden by two black knights. The game started just like the first one did; we kept the other team from scoring and countered with a score of our own. Even our new kicker was looking good after not missing a single extra point or a field goal. Even though we won the game, our stats weren’t quite what they were the previous game. Mike only came up with 100 yards, while I managed to tackle the ball carrier 4 times. Both impressive statistics, but not when compared to our numbers from the first week.

  I anticipated another flock of sports reporters as we headed into the locker room after the game. However, the only cameras I saw were the ones surrounding our new kicker. After we changed into our street clothes, I was still expecting reporters to be waiting for us outside the locker room, but again, they were nowhere to be found. After going through most of the week without seeing the media, Mike finally explained why. When an athlete had an out-of-this-world game, the media was all over them; but when the athlete finally came back down to earth, the cameras were gone.

  The media left us alone for most of the season, but caught right back up with us at our last game of the season. Going into that game, I had been averaging 4 tackles per game and was leading all defensive linemen in the league. Meanwhile, Mike was closing in on two major milestones. The first was touchdowns in a season; he only needed 2 more touchdowns to break the league record. The second milestone was yards. He was less than 60 yards away from being 1 of 5 players ever to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. We were nearly guaranteed success because we were playing the South Dakota Mountaineers, the team that we embarrassed in week one.

  After the game, we were again surrounded by cameras and reporters. As predicted, Mike had broken the season record with 30 touchdowns, while entering the 2,000-yard club. Meanwhile, I recorded 5 tackles that game, which gave me the most tackles as a defensive lineman in the professional league. Oh, and by the way, we also helped our team win the division for the first time in nearly two decades.

  Chapter 101

  One benefit of having the second best record in our conference was that we were given the first week off, while the other four teams played the first round. Our team, and the team with the best record in the conference, would play the two winners from round one. If we won that game in round two, we moved on to play the remaining team in round three. A win there would put us in the Professional Football League’s Showdown Game against the round three winner from the other conference in our league. So, not only did we get an extra week to prepare and heal, but we were also one round closer to being champions.

  After their near-upset in round one, we were faced with the Florida Pythons in round two. I was very familiar with the Pythons, as they were the team that gave me my first professional football touchdown. I also remembered them as the team that had already been in the playoffs the previous season and were used to winning. We were riding the momentum of one of our best seasons, but they were riding the momentum of five consecutive successful seasons. None of that really mattered. All we had to do was beat them once to eliminate them from the playoffs.

  We hit them hard with our running back, and followed that up with our wide receiver. They were able to counter with a wide receiver of their own, and a defense that couldn’t be beat. At halftime, we heard something new. We were down by 10 points while in the locker room and were soon listening to a halftime pep-talk delivered by one of the players. It was the first time I had heard a locker room speech as a pro football player, but it was definitely needed. We were reminded of how far we had come and how quickly we had turned around. We should’ve been proud to be where we were at, but we should not be willing to simply accept the loss. He told us that we could, as a team, beat them and take this game. For the first time I could remember, Mike was able to inspire others by his words, not just by his running ability.

  We needed the speech but it didn’t seem to make a difference; their lead only got bigger and they won the game. However, like Mike said, we had the right to be proud just for making it to the second round of the playoffs. As the rounds went on, we watched the tournament from home. For the second season in a row, we lost to a team that ended up as the season champion. I guess there wasn’t much shame in that. At least it gave us a new goal for the following year.

  A few days before the Showdown Game, two major announcements were made. The first regarded the player of the year awards. Those awards were given to the best offensive player, the best defensive player, the best rookie, and the best overall player from that given season. With his phenomenal performance with the ball, Mike was given the Offensive Player of the Year and the League MVP award. With my incredible amount of tackles, I was given the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The second announcement was that we had both been selected as players on the Professional Football League’s All-Star Game roster.

  Chapter 102

  I was married to the love of my life, who gave me the second love of my life, James. I was able to make a lot of money while I played the sport I loved so much, with the friend I grew up with. I had the best season of my life, and was getting ready for the biggest contract of my life. And if that wasn’t enough, we were getting ready to play on one of the biggest stages in professional football with some of the biggest names in the game. Mike and I were now considered all-stars.

  The Professional Football League’s All-Star Game was similar to the Major College Football Committee’s first and second-team selections, however, the two teams actually played each other in the pros. We were both selected to the first team, so we would be playing football on our fourth different team together . A week after the Showdown Game, we were all flown out to sunny California with our families to partake in the week-long festivities.

  We didn’t have a team plane, but the three of us, with James in tow, flew to the Pacific Ocean in first class. When we landed, we were given a day to ourselves so that we could be tourists in the state. We ended the day on the beach watching the sunset. For Christine and I, after having watched the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean on our honeymoon, we were able to watch the sun go down over the Pacific Ocean. For Mike and I, we were watching the sun set that day on the achievement of a life-time goal. Watching the sun slowly settle into that big body of water for us was like closing the book on our seven year goal. Even though we still had a lot of football life ahead of us, we took the time to appreciate the journey we had endured.

  The next morning was the first day of practice for the All-Star Game. As much as we hated practice, that one was by far the best. We were playing football with legends. The kid in me wanted to run right up to players and ask for their autographs; the adult in me did. I didn’t feel too bad,
as I wasn’t the only one to fill a football with autographs. In fact, every player was given their own football for just that purpose. We spent the rest of the day walking through the plays; of course we took numerous breaks to consume catered meals and sign autographs for people not on the playing field.

  We practiced for two more days until it was game day. The All-Star Game was outside, so we were able to play right next to the ocean. The air was salty, warm, and full of excitement. When the game started, all the players seemed to have fun. Since it wasn’t a real game, the score didn’t matter much. The game was merely a celebration of being selected as an all-star and having fun was highly encouraged. I still wanted to take the opportunity to show the voters why I deserved to be on the first-team, though. When the ball was snapped, I pushed the offensive tackle from Arkansas out of my way. Within seconds, I was facemask-to-facemask with the quarterback from Anchorage. As we lied on the turf together, I had massive amounts of adrenaline flowing through my body after having earned my first sack as a Professional Football League All-Star. The adrenaline was quickly replaced by giddiness as reality set in and I was now nose-to-nose with one of the best quarterbacks of all times. I went from trash talking, to speechless, in less time than it took me to get past the lineman from Arkansas.

  A few hours later, the game was over. I don’t remember who won that game, but I do remember how much fun we had. We hung out with a bunch of the players at the hotel that night, and flew home the next day. With the season officially over, we again had a few months to enjoy the off-season until we had to get ready for that next year. After the two of us winning the Offensive Player of the Year, the Defensive Player of the Year, the league’s MVP, making it to an all-star game, going to the playoffs, breaking records, and leading the league in stats, who knew what the following season would bring?

  Chapter 103

  It didn’t take long for us to find out our future. A few weeks after the all-star game, I received a call from the general manager. He wanted to talk to me in his office as soon as possible. I figured the manager wanted to talk to me about my new contract because I had clearly exceeded his expectations. Mike and I happened to be out golfing at the time, so after an embarrassing loss, he drove me to my meeting.

  The general manager met me at his office door and asked me to sit. As we shook hands, something seemed different. The last time we met, he had really good news for me, which was reflected in his tone of voice. That time, however, his tone of voice didn’t seem to reflect good news; I wasn’t really sure what it reflected.

  He started the meeting congratulating me on making it to the all-star game, and for my achievements during the season. He was proud of my success, and knew I would only get better as a player. After crunching some numbers, he was able to come up with a contract that he knew I would enjoy, and one that would be a reflection of my worth to the team. Sadly, the contract was too pricy for the team, as they already had a high-priced running back.

  The obvious solution to me was to reduce my salary. I knew I was making quite a bit of money as it was, so I wouldn’t notice the difference between a big raise and the really big raise I expected. Instead, the business man in him came out. He had already made a deal with another team. He found a team in Wyoming that would accept me, and my new contract, and would give him two players, as well as an additional pick in the upcoming Selection Showcase, in return. As he explained it, why have one player when you can have two at the same price?

  Although his reasoning was justifiable, it was still devastating. My parents lived in Michigan, my wife had a steady job she loved, we had our own home, I was very comfortable with the team, and I was playing football with my best friend. All of a sudden, I was penalized for an outstanding season and had to move to a new town without being able to voice my opinion. I was no longer a person on the team; I was a contract on a desk. Even if I willingly packed up everything, said goodbye to my friends and family, and moved my wife and son to Wyoming, there would be no guarantee that I wouldn’t be traded to another team the following season.

  When I told Mike the news, he was just as shocked as I was. Not only was he upset for me, but he was also upset that I would be leaving after spending so many years trying to earn the right to play together. He was so outraged that he went into the general manager’s office to tell him off. Mike reminded the manager that he was a big part of the team and the team was nothing without him. If they really did go through with the trade, he would have no choice but to walk away from the team. Other teams would certainly want him. Although it wasn’t his plan, Mike wanted the Knights to know how important it was to him that I stayed. The manager took a few minutes to think about it, then gave him his decision. The general manager was surprisingly calm and stated, “Do you know how many players I could get for the price of your contract?”

  Mike was crushed. He now felt what I felt. Even though he was their best athlete, in a matter of minutes, he was just another contract on a desk. Since they were willing to walk away from him, he was more than happy to walk away from them. He knew it wasn’t just our team that treated players like numbers. He knew all teams did it, so he didn’t even make an effort to find another team. In the heat of the moment, he retired from professional football after playing for only five years. After a few days of cooling down and thinking about his decision, he didn’t regret it.

  With Mike’s retirement being official, and the threat of being shipped to Wyoming, I followed his lead. After discussing it with Christine, I also decided to retire. After spending two years in high school, four years in college, and four years in the pros, I had enough. I had to walk away from the sport that treated me so well, because of a manager that treated me so poorly. But there was no regret. We set a goal as juniors in high school, and we achieved the goal after much hard work and dedication. Collectively, we went through state championships, recruiting trips, scout teams, Selection Showcases, practice squads, declaring early for the pros, big contracts, little pay checks, injuries, and disappointment to make it to where we were; suddenly we were retiring in our mid-thirties with more money than we knew what to do with, and two-thirds of a lifetime ahead of us. No regrets.

  Chapter 104

  Mike and I both continued to live in Michigan. We lived in homes that were fully paid for, and enjoyed our new retired life. For about a year, the two of us spent plenty of time together, as we had plenty of time to spare, and had many conversations about our playing days. In those conversations, we never questioned our decision to leave. We left at the peak of our playing careers, and were idolized in the papers for months after our decision. After a year, though, we began to live different lives.

  We started getting bored at about the same time. There was only so much we could do with our free time and eventually, there was nothing left to do. I had a great wife and son, so at least I had my family to spend my time with. He wasn’t so lucky, though. Early in his professional career, he chose not to get seriously involved with women because he simply didn’t trust them with his money. Unfortunately, he felt he was too old to start looking for a serious relationship, he was no longer considered a sports hero, and he still felt that women only wanted him for what money he had left. His sports friends had quit coming by and soon, Christine and I were the only real friends he had.

  To make his life less isolated, he moved his parents into his home. They were getting older and he decided it was his time to care for them. He obviously had the money to support them, and he had the room to house them. Even with his parents there, though, his life still felt empty. He decided to use his talents find a job. He never received a college degree, and received poor grades in the three years he did spend in college. His only expertise was his knowledge of football. One of the local sports networks decided to pick him up as a sports analyst, but that job didn’t pay very much money. He did, however, love the job and stuck with it until he was ready to retire a second time.

  Meanwhile, I also wanted to find a second career.
I enjoyed my time as a security guard, so I chose to get back into the field. With the money I had, plus my college education in business, I was able to start my own security company. After a few very successful years, I was making more money from the business than I would have if I continued to play football. Once again, I had the wife of my dreams, a son that one could only wish for, and a job that I loved doing. Life was awesome.

  I thought about our paths from time to time, Mike’s and mine, and how different they were. As a high school player, Mike was one of the best. He was popular, and was recruited by several major colleges. After three years as a college student, he was selected as the number one pick by our favorite professional football team. He made a lot of money and, after only five years, was able to retire well. Sadly, he still felt empty and had to move his family in just for company. He didn’t have much education, and could only get a job based on who he was.

  On the other hand, it took me a long time to develop into a football player. It took so long that I had to play two years at the junior college level just to get noticed. After a year of backup duties, and a year of starting, I only had enough experience to make the scout team at a major college. I eventually made my way as a backup player on a national championship winning team. I went on to start the following year, only to disappoint the fans with a losing season. After only a year as a college starter, I was able to fight my way onto a professional football team, only to make the practice squad for two seasons. I eventually became an all-star, but only for a short time as I chose to walk away from football due to team politics. I walked right out of the challenging life of professional football, and right into my considerably more rewarding life of marriage, family, and business ownership. Although I wouldn’t have changed a thing, and was glad that I made the life choices I did, when I think about our two paths, I still come to the same conclusion every time: Linemen have all the guts, but running backs still get all the glory.