Last Shot

iproved;

11/07/98 BYU vs UNM.  We lost 38-28.  The first play of the game the defensive end picked me up, turned me sideways, threw me on the ground and looked at me and  said, "I just want you to know I can do this".  His name was Ed Tiel.  Rob Morris played middle linebacker and wore number 44, the same as Brian Urlacher.  He had been saying all week that Brian wasn't good  enough to wear 44, he was over rated.  Brian asked me to do whatever I could to get Rob on the ground.  The second play if the game was a bootleg where I fade back then sprint out toward the middle linebacker.  I am running full doped at Rob when I realize he is going to juke me so I laid myself out and Rob had 6'5 chad flying at him sideways.  Took him out.  The third play I heard Rob talking more smack about how he was better than anyone else. We had an inside run called, so I shot through the D-line and chopped him down like a tree.  He was done.  The rest of the game he stood there like a retard.  He had the worst game of his career that game.  He went on to play pro for  the Indy colts.   I got concussion number 5 two quarters later.  I never took another snap again.   I got a late hit after an interception.  Isacc Magali a kid from Colorado hit me about 3 seconds after the play was over.  I stood up to make sure nobody knew I was hurt and went to the sideline.  I stood there while everyone started at me strangely.  After a few moments I realized I was on the wrong sideline.  After I realized I was on the wrong sideline I had to jog the 50 yards across the field to my sideline.  My coach asked if I was ok and I told him I was fine.  The next time we got the ball I went back out to play.  I wasn't sure where I was and had no idea what I was doing.  I had to ask my guard Chris Wallace what I  was supposed to do.  He told me to block the guy in front of me.  After the play the guy in front if me told Chris he took the play off to make sure I didn't get myself killed and somebody needed to get me out if the game.   Chris called time out and got the training staff to pull me.  They hid my helmet so I wouldn't return to the game, although I told them I was fine to play.  But apparently my my eyes were so dilated that I could barley keep my eyes open. It was a rough afternoon for ole chad.

They say an athlete dies twice. The day they realize they can no longer play, and then again when they actually die.