When I tell people my brother is a kicker for a competitive high school football team, they look at me like its not that special. "It's just kicking a football," but it is way more than that. He is an athletic and very capable kicker, not the greatest, but pretty good. He is dedicated to his team. As the kicker, he spends a lot of practice time alone, separate from the "football players", while working on his kicking technique. When called, he is expected to be perfect and not miss. I know with every kick he is hoping to prove himself and earn the respect of his teammates, you know, the "actual football players."

My brother wasn't always a football player, though. My brother played travel soccer and was the main defensive player, just like his big sister. Dad always said, "Defense wins championships." Anyway, throughout his soccer career, my brother demonstrated speed, smarts and most importantly, toughness. How can you be tough in soccer? He was one of the best and toughest players on the soccer field, commanding respect by the other teams by willing to get down and dirty. If the other team had a break away, you aways knew my brother would be in the backfield to kick it to the other side of the field. For some reason that my family still doesn't understand, after a year of playing football and soccer, by brother decided to dedicate himself as the kicker on a football team.

Now, my brother continues to work hard and in years, from pre season camp, through today, has never missed a football practice. He has kicked with injuries and never complained because no one wants to hear that the kicker's back hurts. Real injuries only happen to "football players", not kickers. He has been successful, but also has missed, and has absorbed a coach's wrath that only a kicker knows. He accepts the pressure that comes with the position. Football games are won and lost by missed tackles, interceptions, fumbles and penalties. However, these mistakes are made by "football players" and are forgivable. A kicker missing a kick that people think should be made, is not forgivable. I am amazing with my brother with taking on this type of pressure, and when it comes down to the line, he always succeeds. My family and I anxiously watch his games and hope for the best. He does say that he wants and hopes for the moment when the game is in his hands (or his feet, I guess), so he can prove to everyone just how much of a "football player" he is.

The season has started and he is doing his job well, quietly in shadows. When good things happen, which is always the expectation, he shares the credit with teammates. When bad things happen, and expectations are not met, he accepts the burden alone. It's just the life of a kicker. No one knows he has to work just as hard to compete for the job, that it comes with pain, and even more pressure. Being the kicker involves hard work, athleticism, competitiveness, toughness and fearlessness. Doesn't that sound like a football player to you?