How many of you played football?

[Cowboys1966]

D1. Drafted in 1988 late round. Never played a down in nfl.

 

[Bullflop]

I played tailback on our junior and varsity team. I gave it up, after our coach kept telling another running back on our offense to get up after he went down with a double break in his mangled leg. He laid on the ground with his leg looking like a "Z" where it should have been straight. Coach told him three times, to "get up, you're not hurt." He even kept saying it, while everyone on the team kept telling him it was a double break. He stood directly over him, looking down and obviously, saw it. There was no way not to. Yet, he kept telling him to get up!

That was the end of high school football for me. I had done especially well in track and still continued doing so afterward. Even then, he saddled me with a D- in physical education, as payback for bowing out of football. To this day, I still get upset, thinking about that incident happening some 55 years ago. Now, I pray, asking God to help me forgive and forget. I've forgiven him somewhat, I guess, but surely haven't forgotten.

 

[MyFairLady]

Play football? What am I some kind of Neanderthal. I will leave the concussions to others thank you very much.

 

[Motorola]

San Antonio Independent School District
Junior School (6th thru 8th grade) -- Jeff(erson) Davis Rebels - defensive line, linebacker, split end
High School -- Highlands Owls - cornerback, flanker, split end

 

[Silver Surfer]

Played jr high and high school ball. Got two offers to play small school college ball in Michigan, but turned them down because I figured I was too small to play at the next level. Decided to walk on and play D1 Baseball at a school in Florida... where I made the team and promptly blew out my knee.... go figure.

 

[Rayman70]

played in HS circa 1986-1989. Then a cup of coffee at Junior College. Thats it.

 

[CowboysDrew]

Played HS for two years. Then my family moved and found myself at a much bigger school that had SEC prospects on the team. Just an example, George Teague was my classmate. So, I wasn't really good enough to make it there.

Played TE/Long Snapper when I did play though.

 

[AsthmaField]

I started playing backyard football at an early age. It was before my first organized tackle football, which was 5th grade in Amarillo. We actually went to the state championship that year, but lost. Their RB was so big he had to bring his birth certificate to all his games.

I played LB and that big dude beat me up ALL game long. He was basically unstoppable for 5th grade kids, haha.

Then, I played all the way through high school, starting at LB/S my junior and senior years. I also played some TE but was mainly a blocker and my focus, like always, was much more on defense.

I got a scholarship to a local junior college (by then in Mississippi) and played mostly safety and a little situational LB for those two years. It was so fun but unfortunately, that was about as far as my talent could take me. I wasn’t that big but I was known as the hitter in the secondary.

I was working in a gym then and one of the Southern Miss defensive coaches worked out there. He kept trying to get me to try to walk on there (I had an academic scholarship at the school), which I almost did but by then I was pretty deep into my schoolwork and I was having migraines from some previous concussions, so my girlfriend at the time talked me out of it.

Thus ended my organized football days, which was crushing.

for years I played intramural flag football, which kind of scratched the itch… but it was the contact that I loved. Anyway, we had a good team (the QB had been a QB at Ole Miss) and we actually won the tournament for the southeast US and went to the national. We ended up losing to the team that won it all. They had a coach and wore real football uniforms just without the pads, haha. They were serious.

All through those years, anytime I could get a backyard tackle game together, I would.

Once, a bunch of us had gone to a field at USM to get a game up and there was another big group there that we didn’t know. I said we should let 11 play against 11 from each group and play. They knew a challenge when they heard one so they said sure. It was one of the most brutal games I’ve ever played in. People were falling out left and right. My buddy was playing barefooted and got his entire big toenail pulled off.

I got the worst concussion that I ever had in that game. I got one and kept playing and then had the back of my head slap the ground and it was lights out. It was super fun though and is one of my best backyard football memories… what I can remember if it.

If I could get up a game right now, I’d probably do it. I love, love, love playing football.

 

[RonnieT24]

I started playing backyard football at an early age. It was before my first organized tackle football, which was 5th grade in Amarillo. We actually went to the state championship that year, but lost. Their RB was so big he had to bring his birth certificate to all his games.

I played LB and that big dude beat me up ALL game long. He was basically unstoppable for 5th grade kids, haha.

Then, I played all the way through high school, starting at LB/S my junior and senior years. I also played some TE but was mainly a blocker and my focus, like always, was much more on defense.

I got a scholarship to a local junior college (by then in Mississippi) and played mostly safety and a little situational LB for those two years. It was so fun but unfortunately, that was about as far as my talent could take me. I wasn’t that big but I was known as the hitter in the secondary.

I was working in a gym then and one of the Southern Miss defensive coaches worked out there. He kept trying to get me to try to walk on there (I had an academic scholarship at the school), which I almost did but by then I was pretty deep into my schoolwork and I was having migraines from some previous concussions, so my girlfriend at the time talked me out of it.

Thus ended my organized football days, which was crushing.

for years I played intramural flag football, which kind of scratched the itch… but it was the contact that I loved. Anyway, we had a good team (the QB had been a QB at Ole Miss) and we actually won the tournament for the southeast US and went to the national. We ended up losing to the team that won it all. They had a coach and wore real football uniforms just without the pads, haha. They were serious.

All through those years, anytime I could get a backyard tackle game together, I would.

Once, a bunch of us had gone to a field at USM to get a game up and there was another big group there that we didn’t know. I said we should let 11 play against 11 from each group and play. They knew a challenge when they heard one so they said sure. It was one of the most brutal games I’ve ever played in. People were falling out left and right. My buddy was playing barefooted and got his entire big toenail pulled off.

I got the worst concussion that I ever had in that game. I got one and kept playing and then had the back of my head slap the ground and it was lights out. It was super fun though and is one of my best backyard football memories… what I can remember if it.

If I could get up a game right now, I’d probably do it. I love, love, love playing football.

I used to tell my kids when I coached that playing football was the most fun you can have with your clothes on. They were too young to understand what I meant.. thankfully. I'd be barred from coaching and brought up on charges if I told that joke to a bunch of 12-13 year olds now.

By now I have broken enough things to accept that I am no longer invincible and at 62 I am now just kinda fast and not stupid fast like I was in my youth.. But that itch never goes away.. Even to this day when I drive by a field with kids playing sandlot tackle I get the urge to go join in. But I remember that I am old enough to be their granddad and think better of it..

 

[Vtwin]

I grew up in a hardcore sports neighborhood that produced some future state record holders in football and hockey. Sports was life in the neighborhood, but my Dad wasn't into sports at all so I never played much organized until high school. Being in the younger group of neighborhood kids and not being a natural athlete, and having to chase the really good athletes, I had to figure out how to anticipate and read what was happening to give myself a chance, and avoid the dreaded being picked last. I tried out for the HS team as a freshman and played four years as a WB on offense and CB on defense. We won 1 game my freshman season, against the best team in the division though, and did it by doing some freelancing against the coaches wishes. That was 100% because the core of that team was the old neighborhood kids that grew up playing together every day. The rest of HS we were a .500ish team. Soccer had just started as a HS sport and a lot of good athletes played that instead of football. Being a hockey town there weren't high expectations for the football team.

The same story applies for hockey. Played a ton but never organized until HS. The difference was... the HS team was on a string of 7 consecutive state championships and the pressure to keep that going was very real.

There is still an annual Thanksgiving morning game at the home of one of the old neighborhood kids. I pull the same hammy on the first play every single year. lol

 

[lopey]

Played from middle school through high school, played Defensive End and Offensive Guard. Was small for a guard but had pretty good technique. Too small to continue after high school.

 

[VACowboy]

Started playing flag football when I was seven and then tackle when I got a little older, on up through HS until a guy in a moving van paralyzed me from the neck down. I played QB when I was a little kid then TE, LB and safety as I got older. My high school was a small hick joint so I got to play both ways, JV and varsity, stay on the field Thursday and Friday nights as a sophomore. Funnest time of my life.

I woke up in the hospital at the beginning of August of my junior year. I was in a halo vest and on a ventilator with my busted jaw wired shut. My first question was, will I be better before the season starts?

 

[KJJ]

I played football in junior high and high school and you can tell I’m getting old because I referred to it as junior high not middle school. I played WR, returned kicks and punts and played corner. I had some speed.

 

[Captain-Crash]

played with Walter Camp for Yale.

I was better at basketball and played some junior college ball.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Started playing flag football when I was seven and then tackle when I got a little older, on up through HS until a guy in a moving van paralyzed me from the neck down. I played QB when I was a little kid then TE, LB and safety as I got older. My high school was a small hick joint so I got to play both ways, JV and varsity, stay on the field Thursday and Friday nights as a sophomore. Funnest time of my life.

I woke up in the hospital at the beginning of August of my junior year. I was in a halo vest and on a ventilator with my busted jaw wired shut. My first question was, will I be better before the season starts?

So very sorry to hear this, thoughts and prayers to you. Stay positive!

 

[Reverend Conehead]

I played sand lot football, but by the time I got to junior high and high school, I was no longer interested in playing sports for the school. Instead, I played guitar in rock bands.

 

[aikemirv]

I played street ball without a helmet. That probably explains a lot.

Yeah funny, I played a lot of backyard football and cant even begin to tell you how many times my head hit the ground snapped back like Tua as a kid. Never gave it a second thought and never though anything about it but remembered it as a rough experience.

Played a couple years of Pop Warner and coached kids flag - probably the funnest thing I have ever coached honestly! ,and I have coached Soccer, Basketball and Volleyball too.

 

[DUO_CORE]

Played a lot of Madden many moons ago: The '97 Cowboys were my team and I won a lot of money in neighborhood tournaments. Everyone would lug a tv to a central location and we'd make a day of it: I never lost, and only had 2 plays, a run up the middle with Emmitt and an out with Deon. Prevent D would stop the out but not the run. Any other defense couldn't stop the out. My opponents usually quit (conceded) in the 3rd quarter.
Athletically, I practiced xing yi quan competitively, usually getting disqualified because we weren't allowed to strike the head, but it gets to be a reactionary response after doing it for so long. Now that I'm much older, I choose to sweat at the gym in the weight-room.

 

[mahoneybill]

I don't think people truly understand the meaning of this. I played and coached football most of my life from about age 8 to about age 50. I've played catch with a hundred different QBs at different levels. My high school QB was Tim Groves who went on to play 4 years at Florida. He was the first QB I ever played with whose passes hurt to catch. You could hear the ball whistling in the air as it approached. Dude had a cannon.

Fast forward about 15 years I had moved to California and would run sprints on the track of San Jose City College.. which any track aficionado will know as the place where Bruce Jenner got his start as did current analyst and ATL Olympic bronze medalist in the 100m and 200m Ato Bolden. I have pictures of Bruce with his little ones climbing all over him from the time I met him at the track meet he used to host there. He asked if I wanted a better picture I laughed and told them there could be no better picture than that one.

Anyway.. one day I was working out and this gigantic kid and two smaller 20 somethings come out to the track and start putting cleats on and throwing the ball around. Eventually the smaller guys transition into running routs and catching passes from the bigger one. It looked like fun and I always carried my cleats and my gloves in my gym bag so I asked to join in. I ran a few routes but it immediately struck me that this kid ALSO made the ball whistle when he threw it and it hurt to catch even with gloves on.

It was my lunch break and I had to get back to work but as I was leaving I asked what the kid was training for and who he was. He answered "Scott Mitchell, I'm getting ready for the draft..." I didn't know who he was at that point.. but I remembered when I saw him playing on Sundays.

great story and remembrance. Same for me. That ball felt like it had a rocket behind it.

I asked to run a 15 yard in. As soon as I turned my head this missle was 3 feet away. I stuck
My left hand up and somehow snagged it

I said wow that was fast the QB said since you aren’t a FB player I took something off it

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Played a little throughout School but got tired of being knocked around by guys that looked like they were 5 years older and had 50lbs on me. Later in adult life got into playing in the NFFL/Flag Football and played for a solid 15-20 years. Played with/against some familiar names from Oklahoma, Wes Welker, Charles Thompson, Jamelle Holieway, Corey Ivy and Kelly Greg to name a few.