On the Monday after everything changed in an instant, Andrew Whitworth calls once more. This fall he started several of his work weeks the same way, dialing on his commute to the Rams’ temporary football headquarters in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The idea: to explain aspects of his long career, his secrets to longevity, his endless survival techniques and how all that pointed him toward this season, one he believed would be special—at least until a million-to-one collision on Sunday afternoon cast doubt on a million-to-one career.
On this Monday, he phones during his drive home, the contrast indicative and stark.