I played high school football for four long years and I do not regret a single thing about it. Unfortunately, I stopped playing after high school, although the game has not left me. I can never forget the friends I have made and the memories I have had of playing the game of football. Additionally, the lessons I learned along the way and how I changed as an individual. I left the game behind, but the game has never left me.

Of course, people would never have thought I would join the football team or be able to stay on the team. A lot of people thought I would quit within a week or so because I would not be able to handle the workload. People were sadly disappointed and wrong. One of the reasons people thought I could not play football was because of how fat I used to be. I was unhealthy and needed to lose weight effectively. Football did just that for me. It gave me a new beginning. Over time although I began to fall in love with the game little by little. A hobby was turning into a passion. I did not like how I looked in the mirror, I wanted to transform my body. I hated people making fun of my weight, I hated being overweight. Between running and lifting, I was able to reach my goals, but it did not happen without lots of hard work. Through time I was healthy and more importantly happy with my new body. I learned that you need to work hard to get what you want in life. I learned about perseverance and pride. I learned to be on time and to admit to my own mistakes and pay the price for it.

Any sport comes with its own share of injuries although. I broke my wrist years ago at a summer football practice. Although, I do not regret or single out my injury because others have had so many worst injuries than that while playing this game or any other sport. What I do regret is that my injury caused me to miss a lot of time away from practices and being out on the field. Ever since I was young I always had a passion for the game of football. I would watch football on television every Sunday since I was six years old. In my opinion, I see it as one of the greatest sports in the world.

I would be lying if I said I did not miss football at all. I greatly miss my time of playing high school football. From practices, games, coach speeches, to football team dinners. To the big bright Friday night lights in front of a huge crowd chanting for your team. Now without football, I struggle to be able to stay healthy and not gain unwanted weight. I try to exercise whenever I can get the free time. I miss running the gassers or suicides trying not to finish last, giving my all and breathing hard. I miss hitting the sleds and the shields. I miss practicing tackling and greeting teammates with handshakes. I formed bonds with teammates I never thought I would have. With an abundance of thinking, I would love to relive my past days of playing football to just get one more practice in or just one more game. To just put my pads on for one more hit or one more tackle or to go back to my old locker. I took football for granted a bit during my time. But, I know that I tried my hardest and gave my all at every game and almost every practice.

Even though I do not play on a team anymore for football, I still play with friends throwing and catching the football around at college. I still watch football every Sunday watching my favorite team play, the New York Giants. I might not play the game of football anymore, but I still breathe it and admire it. I still study it. I gave so much heart, blood, and sweat to this game. It was hard for me to leave a sport that I loved so much, but it was for the better as I focus on other important things in my life. The old days might be behind me, but I will never forget the game of football and I will never stop breathing this game. The game has certainly not left me.