You never forget the first time someone blindsides you on a football field. It is weirdly quiet, like sitting in a mangled car after a crash.
That’s when the pain sets in. The embarrassment, too. At least for me. Because I’d fumbled the ball after a first-down catch upon getting walloped on a crossing route back in high school.
After gathering myself and jogging to the sideline, all I could think about were the teammates I’d let down.
Well, that and the pain.
On the next series, I was back in the game.
Even though I didn’t want to be.