If you think it’s not worth it then listen to yourself, not others. I learned that the hard way. Under the bright lights of a thursday night game. The smell of the freshly cut grass, the determination in both team's face. The sound of cow bells going off, fans cheering on each side of football field. The huddle broke and everyone is in there ready positions. I am ready every single play just waiting for the quarterback to pass the receiver or run my way. The ball is snapped and reading the play seeing that it is a run, I Immediately rush for the running back. Before I get there a teammate of mine gets the tackle and the instant I hear the screaming of the ref blowing the whistle I stop, at that moment it felt like I got hit by a truck out of nowhere. Got blindsided by the receiver I was guarding the whole game and I instantly hear a huge pop in my knee like a compressed bottle exploding. The first thing that went through my head was “my football season is over”. I was so scared when I hopped off because I couldn’t put no pressure what so ever and it was nothing but sharp pains going through my knee. Asoon as I got the the bench I looked at my knee and it didn’t look like anything changed but I looked up for 1 minute, checked again and my knee swelled up like a balloon.

The athletic trainer gave a false statement on my knee saying I just pulled my hamstring which made it seem like it wasn’t as bad as it seemed to others but in reality I had a torn meniscus and a deteriorating ACL . The coaches saying “Jayce we are really going to need you next week against Lumen on defence”. I was very hesitant about it because of the knee looking a 350 pound lineman.  I couldn’t maneuver the way I usually would and defiantly wasn’t as fast. I went in anyways and sure enough in 2 drives I went in for the rush and saw the running back as we both locked eyes then he took a quick cut  so as I rushed to do the samething, I planted on my bad knee and boom! Same horrific sound as before happened and again found myself in sharp, throbbing pain. If I sat out that game I would’ve been okay but instead, I just hurt my knee way more than it was before.

Walking in the hospital and could just smell the distinct fragrance of a hospital. Watching them put the IV in my arm and slowly watching the liquids flow in my body. I was very nervous about it but it was a quick procedure for my meniscus but I’ve never had a injury like I did. Having them pull the bed in a room with a big machine which made me feel like I was in a movie. I woke up with complete confusion and having a heavily bundled wrap on my whole leg. Now i’m thinking about the future and thinking about me .

I sat out 2 seasons of football because of it. I’d do anything to take back that decision so I could be playing the few seasons I have left of my life. I had months of working on my knee in rehab to strengthen the muscles I needed to replace my ACL. I had to learn to run with a big knee brace and lost speed due to the injury and made me have to adapt to using that knee brace in my other sport, lacrosse. All this happened because I listened to others and not my gut.