The Price We Play For The Game That We Love

 Football is a game that will test every fiber of your will, and character. It will challenge you mentally, and physically. It is a violent, but beautiful game, that brings people from all walks of life together.

Consider this when you line up next to your teammate on fourth and one, in the final moments of the game. if you are on the offensive side of the ball all you are thinking about is getting that 1-yard. If you on the defensive side, you only want to hold them one more time.

You don’t care if your teammate is black, white or brown, republican, or democrat, Jew or gentile. Because, at this very moment in time, he is your brother. And, you are going to fight like hell with your brother. Win or lose, on that play, you are going to do it together. It is an incredible, even spiritual, moment. It is why so many peple love this game. It is why so many bonds remain strong forever.

But, we must never forget there is a heavy price to pay. On Friday, Tyrell Cameron, a 16-year-old football player at   Franklin Parish High School, in Louisiana, died from injuries he suffered following a devastating hit during a football game.  A tweet posted by  the Franklin Parish football team tells us about a young man we will never get to know: “If you only know Tyrell Cameron in death, and didn’t know him in life, then you truly missed out on what is good in our country…he loved his family, his team, and the game of football. He will be missed…the next time you come across someone of a different race, or background, or religion, take a moment to get to know them, because you may get lucky enough to meet someone like Tyrell.”

The fact is more and more this is becoming a  dangerous sport. The athletes are becoming bigger, faster, and stronger. They are capable of generating enormous power during collisions.

 The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research reports that since 1995, there are 77 deaths  linked to football. Last season there were five deaths. More than 1 million kids play high school football. And while I know five out of 1 million doesn’t seem like a lot, try telling that to the families and friends of the victims.

We have to understand this is a game that takes a toll on the human body, physically and sometimes mentally.  We can only hope these things don’t happen so much. In the meantime, we should all take a little time and show the respect and appreciation for the people  who play the sport of football, be it the home team or opponent. As fan, that is the least we can do..