The sun is beating down on me with its intense heat as I push my body to run faster. I can hear a coach yell at me,
“Come on, This should be easy Jack!”
as I struggle to keep up with the other players running beside me. I collapse as I finish the drill last, unable to handle the heat and exhaustion. The coaches continue to yell,
“Get up rookie, you’re pathetic! You give no effort, do you even want to be out here?”
It is day one of NFL training camp, and I’m not sure if I’m prepared for such a high level of football. I played great football in highschool, but was in and out of college at Michigan State because of bad grades. Somehow the Dolphins invited me to their training camp, which is taking place in my hometown of Seattle Washington this year. I was undrafted and am unfit for the NFL. I am only 190 pounds, tiny for a linebacker. On top of that I performed poorly in the combine, so there is no reason for a team to pick me up. I was ready to look for other jobs, but I found them to be scarce. Just when I was ready to give up hope looking for a job, the Dolphins called me and offered me a spot in training camp. I was in awe, and happily took the offer. At the time it did not hit me that each team is allow 90 players for training camp, but only 53 by the time the season starts.
As I drive back to my apartment, I think about what a disaster my first day of camp was. I am out of shape and not quite prepared to play at the high level of the NFL. My experiences playing in college did not even prepare me for it. At this point I am ready to quit and look for a normal job elsewhere, but then I remember that this is my only choice. I have dedicated my life up until this point to football, and can’t see myself doing anything else. I have tried having a normal job, but I have never kept one for more than a few months. Making this team would be my big break, and I could finally have a job I enjoy. I know that even just being on a NFL team would be a dream, but it will take all that I have just to make the roster. There are 47 people just like me, who want to make the team, but won’t. As I drive home on that first day, I promise to myself, that I will not be one of those 47. That I will work as hard as I can to make the team, and finally do something with my life. I go home and rest, preparing myself to do better on my second day.
As I arrive to to camp for the second day, I can’t stop thinking about how much I want to be on the team. Practice starts, and our first drill is tackling. I jump to the front of the line, eager to start, and look across from myself to see that I will be going against Nadomican Suh. He is a mountain of a man. The largest, meanest player on the team. I take it as a challenge, rather than stepping down and letting myself get beat. The whistle blows, and I run full speed into the giant, picking him up, and throwing him into the ground. Before I realize what I have done, Suh is on top of me pounding me into the ground. Someone pushes him off, and I squirm away to see that the whole practice field has erupted into a brawl, which I have started. I am horrified, and make my way out of the carnage, hoping that Suh will not find my again. I learned to never mess with a good player's ego, or you will pay.
It takes almost an hour before the fighting completely stops, and practice has to be cut short. I am upset because of the fight that I inadvertently caused, but confident because now I know that I can compete at the level of the NFL. If I can run over Suh, then I can run over almost anyone. The rest of the week continues well, and the coaches start to pay more attention to me.
Saturday is the last day of camp for the week, and we just have a short practice. We are running a scrimmage, and I finally worked my way up to be with the first team defence. The whistle sounds for the first snap, I burst through the line and sack the quarterback. I am elated, and know that the coaches will like that. The whistle sounds again, and as I step up to make a play, I get blindsided. A sharp pain runs up my right forearm, and I scream with pain. I know that my my arm is broken, and run off the field to find the trainer.
I sit in the training room, almost in tears as I realize that my chances of making the team are all but gone. The trainer tells me that I need to go to the hospital immediately. As I drive to the hospital I think about all of the players in the past that have played through terrible injuries. At the moment my arm is exploding with pain, but I know that players have played with a broken arm before.
I arrive at the hospital and see a doctor immediately. They give me a x-ray and a big cast. I ask the doctor,
“Will I be able to still play football with a broken arm?”
He replies cheerfully,
“Of course! I have seen many athletes play through broken arms. Your big cast should limit the pain.”
I was delighted to hear this and thank him as I left the hospital.
I went home to rest, and began thinking about if I could still make the team. I paced back and forth through my apartment, and finally came to the conclusion that I would not let a broken arm stop me. It may be painful, but I know that I can play through the pain.
When I arrived at practice the next day everybody was surprised to see me. Everybody was staring at my cast, and the huge cover I put over it to prevent further damage. The coaches were just as surprised when they saw me too. At first I was very nervous that I would hurt my arm every time I hit, but as practice goes on I learn that the cast fully protects my arm! I have nothing to worry about and practice goes back to normal for me.
The last day of training camp comes, and it is time for cuts. I am nervous, but I am confident that I will make the team. Coach brings us all into a room, and begins listing off all the people that made the team. He goes on and on listing people, and I don't hear my name. I grow more and more nervous until finally he comes to the last name and utters,
“Jack Allen”.
I am elated, and finally have achieved my goal! Although I have reached my goal, things are just getting started for me, I have a whole season ahead of me!