Jordan players know football teaches lessons, sometimes the hard way

Now that we’re all stuffed and tired from turkey dinners and Black Friday shopping, let’s get back to two all important aspects of American life – education and football. Or maybe I should rephrase, learning valuable lessons from football.

From my Lazy Boy strategically placed in front of the big screen, I had a realization while watching the Mississippi State-Ole Miss game. There is seldom a time when I am not observing, surveying or watching in order to learn something. And the football field is a great place to learn a lesson or two. Not counting two glorious games of Powder Puff football during my high school years and one phenomenal all-star appearance as an “old” faculty member against sprightly underclassmen, I have never donned shoulder pads or crammed my noggin into a helmet, but I have always been a very avid observer of football, and the sport is quite a valuable teacher.

Several weeks ago, two games into the high school football season, I wrote a little story about a David-like team defeating a Goliath-like foe. The focus was on the captain of Team David, who proudly proclaimed how good it felt to win. The point of the story was about perspective — the feel of a win to a player, a team, a school that, well…let’s just say it…doesn’t win very much. Victory tastes much sweeter to the palate of one who doesn’t taste it often.

The Red Jacket football team is a lot like the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. Losing is familiar, and losses are abundant. And yet, players still show up. They hit and get hit every week. But why?

I admit; I might jump off the bandwagon and find a more fruitful endeavor if I wore Carmen and Gray or Orange and Brown. I don’t think I have the fortitude for it. Losing has its teachable moments, no doubt. But to continuously play such a physically demanding sport with little reward in the WINS column seems too difficult for the weak of spirit.

I’ve watched the Jordan boys celebrate touchdowns as if they just won a championship, then deflate at the ending, lopsided score. I’ve watched them rejoice in their moments of winning, then hang their heads when the winning was lost.

Maybe it is fatal attraction or the same paradoxical draw that causes us to rubberneck. All I know is that the question has been burning inside me for the five years I have been an observer of Jordan football. So, I asked a Red Jacket why he keeps coming back for the same punishment.

I wasn’t ready for his reply.

“Everybody’s gotta start somewhere,” the senior replied. For a kid who just finished up a four-year losing streak, I was taken aback by how he replied. This is not the kind of losing streak where the team almost squeaks out even wins and losses, but fell a little short. I’m talking about the kind of losing streak that only musters 1 or 2, or sometimes 0 wins an entire season. He continued, “We’re not always gonna be a losing team. Besides, we’re a lot better than we were last year.”

That got me thinking. I want his resolve, because to him, losing wasn’t a punishment at all.

What if we approached life, love, family, community with that same attitude? What if we showed up every day and played hard, despite the wins or losses? What if we took a lickin’ and kept on tickin’ like resilient Red Jackets?

Give me a helmet and some shoulder pads, and put me in, Coach.

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 9:25 PM with the headline "Jordan players know football teaches lessons, sometimes the hard way."