I HEARD A BRANCH BREAK
I Heard A Branch Break
"I HEARD A BRANCH BREAK"
In one's life you can often measure great episodes, dark days or epiphany as, "before and after".
We have all experienced that one thing that changed it all. I feel like I've seen a couple of these "things".
I can remember a time that I felt like I was thrust into easy-street. Doing and excelling in something that I loved. Man, I loved running the football and I wanted the ball. I had been drafted into the professional ranks and was awaiting day 1 of football camp that was approximately 8 weeks away. The C.F.L. football camp was mid June and I was a draft pick of the Ottawa Rough Riders. I was still blown away thinking I could get paid for doing something that I loved. Paying me to play a sport. The modest $65000.00 per year salary was going to quadruple I was sure of it. What I wasn't sure of was, was 65 G a lot of money? I negotiated without an agent. It's so funny now. I was a "for sale by owner" back then. I was concerned about the 5% an agent would get for negotiating my contract. Looking back now I find that hilarious. The money would take care of itself. I just had to score touchdowns and help my team win.
Here is my secret...
I had triggers.
TRIGGER
?tr?ɡ?/
noun 1. a small device that releases a spring or catch and so sets off a mechanism, especially in order to fire a gun."he pulled the trigger of the shotgun"
verb 1. cause (a device) to function."burglars fled empty-handed after triggering the alarm"
synonyms: activate, set off, set going, trip "burglars triggered the alarm"
Sometimes I would squeeze my hand right after the play was called. That signified, "It's Showtime" in my head. I literally did my best John Wayne impersonation breaking the huddle. I couldn't give away that I was getting the football ??. The plays are a secret to the other team but boy oh boy, in my mind, it was "Showtime" right after that right hand squeeze. I also identified that I was going to be a load to bring down because I mentally placed myself in a fight.
Set Hut! Explode out of my stance. Get the ball cleanly and immediately try to get to Mach one. Try to be the fastest guy out of the field and slash into that hole. Explode now and take on the free defender. Explode now. He should've wrapped up. Explode now. Mach 1, Mach 2, Mach 3. No one should be able to be with me right now. Take a glance to see where everyone is. I'm in the open now. Time to celebrate but not yet... Touchdown!!!
I couldn't wait to be dinner table talk once I made it to the Pros.
Knowing that faith would be the head chemist of my mind, you couldn't talk me out of greatness. That was just going to follow. Here was my recipe....
1. Work and train hard and be consistent with it.
2. Stay away from negativity (people and thoughts).
3. Repeat step 1.
Its always strange when the inevitable happens.
The year was 1992, I just finished five tumultuous years at Weber State University. Its pronounced Weeber and that should have been the first clue that things would be different there. How many times did I explain Weber. Long E. How many times did someone say Webber. If I received a dollar for each time I explained Webber was Weber I'm sure I'd have at least 45 bucks by now.
HEY SCHOOL OFFICIALS....HOW ABOUT NORTHERN UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY!!!
That would be self explanatory. Yes I know Utah State University is in the North but the Big 4 consisting of Brigham Young (BYU), The University of Utah and Utah State. Northern Utah State could work, no?
I don't think there was a person at that school that saw me finishing that senior year as an All-American. It was so interesting when I got there and met the other running back's on the team.
The first time I met Fine Unga I kept smiling and tried not to choke. He was not quite 5 foot 11 and was as wide as he was tall. I remember shaking his hand and thinking this guys going to hate me because he's never going to play.
I believe in self confidence. I believe that it is the wind beneath your wings. I believe, like an unpaid job people take it on to tell you what you can and cannot do. Usually because they cannot do it. They say don't try to make people feel small. I believe the mirror does all the work. People should shine on! Yes, it's possible to have too much confidence but the humble God's will take care of that.
The secret ingredient to winning is losing so...
Dream away!
In high school I had just spent the last two seasons of my football career being an integral part of undefeated teams prior to getting to Weber State. London, Ontario high school football was fun. We kicked the snot out of the 16 teams In the Thames Valley District.
CCH, Banting, South, Westminister, Lucas, Clark Rd. Central, Beal, Saunders, Oakridge, Medway, Montcalm, Wheable, (Thames and Ross).
Laurier WHAT!
I would average three touchdowns in a game and a couple times scored five touchdowns so in my Al Bundy like mind I couldn't figure out why Michigan never called me.
It sounds like I'm joking right now. Take a second to pause...
I seriously couldn't understand why Michigan never called me.
Actually take another second because I still don't know why Michigan never called me.
Anyhow... I ended up at Weber State.
There were 5 running backs on that team and it took me two weeks during the preseason two-a-days camp to firmly set in stone that I was absolutely without a doubt their number five running back in the depth chart.
That was heartbreaking.
Fine Unga was like a bowling ball with greased wheels. His career ended playing professionally somewhere and he had a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Slick feet and tough to bring down. There was ShawnyDee. "Fo-Five". Sean Sanders. Man, this dude was mature, tough and experience. He did some work with the Denver Bronco's. There was Willie Macdonald. Willie Mac, a gifted runner with all of the pro attributes. 6' 2". 225lbs. He was recovering from a knee injury. There was also George Jackson and he was just better than me.
I spent many nights in isolation and cried a lot but that all changed my senior year.
After 4 years plus a redshirt year I was the only senior running back and my time had come.
Just like Coach Petrino promised. Yes the Petrino that Coached the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. He said, "You will get your chance. You just may have to wait for it."
What an interesting story that occurred my freshman year. There was a night where I was supposed to be in my room during bed check. The coaches teamed me up with a senior that was supposed to show me the ways. In my mind, I was Sean Sanders roommate because that was going to be the backfield that would lead us to the National Championship. Shonnydee wasn't there and thank God for that. I really don't know where he was that night. He was a senior and I was where I was suppose to be. I was crying in my room for at least an hour. It was a tough pill to swallow to be the worst running back on the team. It sucked standing around in practice. It sucked not being good.
It sucked sucking.
I kept my face to the wall when Coach Petrino walked in for bed check. I tried to not make it obvious that the last hour I had spent feeling sorry for myself. Petrino came in and asked where Sean was. I just kept my face to the wall and mumbled something incoherently. He wouldn't give up on me and repeated my name. I bet he knew I was crying because he wouldn't leave the room. I kept my face to the wall but ran out of options. I had to face him and with tears in my eyes I said that I didn't know where Sean was. I will never forget what Coach Petrino said,
"YOU DONT WORRY. YOU WILL GET YOUR CHANCE. YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT."
There are several things that stick in my mind during periods of personal growth. One is...
"How the F*#€ bad do you want it!"
Another is...
"C.S.I."
I had written that in my locker in black marker.
CSI...
"CANT STOP IT!"
It really took three years plus a redshirt year before I became someone they could trust with the ball. It was over before it started and the next thing I knew I was preparing for my professional football career.
Professional preparation is your life. Every morning you have to tell yourself that you have entered a room filled with pros. Only the best of the best are in this group now.
Be ready.
It was a spring day in Utah. Much like the four seasons I was accustomed to in London, Ontario. Spring in Northern Utah was here and this late April day found me at the basketball court. It was not that odd for me to get my running in and also workout on the court. At the end of the day get a sweat on plus the added agility training.
Duh duh duh dummy!!!!
The air was crisp and I found myself on the court with 10 people. A full-court game. Really there were only two other basketball players on the court. 7 of the kids were probably between 10 and 13 years old. I remember slicing through these defenders wondering why did I not play basketball. You get this false sense of greatness when you swim with the smaller fish. I could do no wrong as I ripped past that 12-year-old. Mind you there are two of the guys that played probably an elite high school level but I would run past the defence much like pre retired Jordan in his first 3peat attempt. I remember thinking this is not a bad workout. The kids were the pylons and I may be able to miss the gym today and pick up hard tomorrow. The game went on for the better part of a half hour which really was enough. After the game wrapped up the two other kids, the bigger kids, wanted to play 21. I just wasn't done and it seemed like a great idea.
Duh duh duh dummy!
I had purchased with my signing bonus the latest Bo Jackson's running shoes. They were black shoes with amazing grip. What an interesting part to this story. They were stolen from me and I threatened to get my shoes back personally with my "family" that lived in Houston. This goof lived in Houston and I tracked my shoes back to him. Lie number one: I contacted the thief and said I have family in Houston. However, this was a lie that he would be unsure of. I can recall my phone threat. I remember he threatened back saying he had family there too and he was ready for my family.
"I have family here too." His retort was.
I remember all the tracking I did to get back my Bo Jackson shoes. I remember how happy I was to get them mailed back to me. I finally was in full possession of my Bo Jackson's.
With those shoes I could stop on a dime!!
That game of 21 was a lot tougher and it wasn't the same as ripping past the 12-year-olds. Those two other athletes were tough and I remember the one kid, I placed him at 17 years old getting a step on the other. After that he sailed past me and dunked. Hard! It was pretty impressive. So impressive that I wanted to display my favourite dunk too.
I stopped the game to show them some "skills" that would eventually change my life.
I remember the dunk was simply pull the ball back to Alabama like you're going to throw a wild vicious overhand right... jump up into the heavens and slam the ball with as much force as I could find humanly possible. That dunk would be like an exclamation!!!
I remember getting up, taking my steps, my approach and exploding. To the heavens I soared but the rim blocked me. Halfway embarrassed I knew I needed one more attempt. That last approach just needed a little extra. I can recall as clear as day crossing myself ....
to the Father...
to the Son....
and to the Holy Spirit...
I remember looking at the sky and I can recall thinking that this dunk was going to be special.
In my steps towards the dunk I knew I needed that extra explosion. My approach had to be hard and then like a pole vault I had to stick with my left leg.
I remember falling straight backwards but prior to that I heard a branch break. It was such a sick and hollow sound.
For a while it haunted me.
A ruptured patella tendon.
I remember sitting back thinking I slipped on something and then looking down and seeing my kneecap in my thigh. I remember looking at the empty space where my kneecap should have been and seeing my kneecap in my thigh and was so confused. The first thing I thought was I dislocated my kneecap.
The next thing I thought was...
my life had changed.