The Two Loves Of The Football Coach

His name was JB. I knew him well. He loved football. He had been playing since his childhood years. He was a star running back in high school and college. He wanted to play in the NFL, this had been his dream for many years. He didn't really care what team he played for. He just wanted to play pro football. He tried out for several teams. Once he survived until the final cut. This was glorious for him. He rubbed elbows with greatness on the gridiron. It whetted his appetite for the NFL. He was told he was not big enough. He never forgot the environment of the NFL. He met many players and coaches. But he never became a professional football player. He became an assistant football coach in college. Later, he became a high school teacher and football coach. During this time; he wrote letters to different NFL teams for the purpose of becoming part of the coaching staff of any team that would accept him. JB knew football. He loved football. He sacrificed for football. A particular team showed some interest in him. However, they did not make him an offer. He kept on teaching and coaching at the high school level. I had the privilege of coaching with him. I learned a great deal from him. He never lost hope that someday an NFL team would hire him. Then something happened to him that had never happened to him before. He fell in love. Her name was Anne. She was tall, slender and beautiful. She was an elementary school teacher. It didn't matter that he was shorter than her. He impressed her too. They dated for 6 months. He wanted to marry her. Now he had 2 great loves. Anne and football. JB had a dillemma: How was he going to propose to her?