The two Florida kids played high school football not 25 miles from each other
Five short weeks ago you could scarcely have conjured or delivered a more preposterous notion than that Sean Spence would be starting at inside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the postseason, in lieu of Ryan Shazier.
Five short weeks ago Shazier, as sensational as he was star-crossed, was the most electrifying linebacker in Mike Tomlin’s stable, and Spence was the most electrifying linebacker on the couch he was occupying somewhere in Florida.
The intricate narrative of how’s and why’s that comingled to put Spence on the field when the Steelers re-enter the Stairway to Seven next Sunday is both hopeful and tragic, both inspirational and heart-breaking; it’s the way-too-compelling story of two Florida kids who played high school football not 25 miles from each other and whose tortured pro football odysseys simply cannot be extricated.