Tell Us About Your Playing Days

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

Oh wow... Like this thread.

I had a pretty sweet opportunity given to me when I was in high school. I went to St. John's @ Prospect Hall in Frederick (now known as St. John's Catholic Prep....gross) and we actually did not have a football program at all. My freshman and sophomore years were spent, gasp, on the golf team. I did not mind golf, just always felt football was in my blood.

At any rate, We all filled out these surveys on who would play football and suddenly by my junior year we had a team. Once two-a-days started I had no idea what position I would play. They bounced me around 7 different positions and finally settled on linebacker and tight end. Our first season we went 9-1 and got a lot of publicity. It was so much fun winning pretty meaningless games, and getting more press time than the local teams that have been doing it for years and years. I can still remember getting interviewed by the local sports news team and saying something dumb like "I love the smell of football" while all my friends were laughing behind the camera. Good times.

My senior year was just as good, if not better. We didn't win as many games, but the games finally had meaning. We were in a league, and the games mattered. We finished 7-3 I believe, and broke 13 Maryland state passing/receiving records (look them up... I'm sure some of them still hold).

The last game I played out of my mind. I was so pumped up for the crowd, and it was senior night, my last night under those lights... I don't know. Everything just clicked. That game I caught 10 passes for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns and led the team in tackles. It was silly. I ended up playing one year of football at Catholic University, and then transferred out to never play again. Although... I think I'll probably try our for the Skins this season....

Nice story RobH...especially the part about your last game.

My football days were the epitome of disappointment LOL. Basically I "looked" like the super athletic type and got a lot of my strength young. Played RB/FB and MLB through grade school. Started to get a lot of attention from high school coaches. Freshmen year was same story. Sophomore year I started pulling muscles like crazy...hammy, groin, quad and missed weeks and weeks. That lasted all the way through HS...I mean every freakin season. Never got enough reps to really become a student of the game and basically was just good for a big hit here and there. HS coaches were obviously irritated/pissed that I couldn't contribute while I benched more than all but one of our lineman (about 260 then), squatted way more than that when healthy and overall just had a ton of strength. It got to the point I was bitter and started taking it out on some the smart-asses during practice...just pummeled guys who I thought had it coming.

A few years after HS graduation one of my classmates dad's made the comment I was well known as the hardest hitter on the team...during practice LOL. On gameday I was a dud.