The Comeback

Doctor's News

                                                                               Nine Months Later

I sat in the Doctor Jones' office awaiting the results of my MRI with my grandmother. I still remember the low blow from the linebacker and the excruciating that seared through my knee as a result of a torn ACL and MCL. Though the pain in that my knee at that moment will always stick with me, the thing that will always stick with me most was how I let my team down. After I got hurt, we were destroyed 35-7 by Blake Kap and the Tigers who went onto win state and steal our destiny.

Doctor Jones walked back in the room with the MRI results in hand, "The knee looks good and healthy. You can start to resume cutting drills."

"Yes sir, thank you," was my reply.

"One more thing," Doctor Jones said. "If you feel any pain. You need to report it to someone and stop what you are doing immediately."

"Yes sir, I understand."

"If you had come out of that game the second you got hurt, you would had only missed two to four weeks instead of nine months. Surgery would have been avoided."

I was frustrated, "Yes doctor, you've told me that before. I promise to tell someone if I'm in pain."

"Alright then. I think we're all set here."

"Wait, one last thing. Will I be able to play opening day?"

"Son," the doctor said taking a deep breath, "I'm not sure you will ever be able to play football again."

I knew this was coming. It was the same answer I always got to the question, but I never stopped asking. I didn't want to accept the fact that I may never play football again. I hate this town, and football is my way out. Without playing football, I will never earn a scholarship to the University of Texas or live out my dream of becoming the next great Cowboys Super Bowl winning quarterback. Instead I will be stuck in this horrid town for the rest of my life working at McDonald's. This was not how my life was supposed to turn out.