A late September day. Play after play after play. Football practice was winding down and the last few plays were being installed.

I was playing Tight end at the time. The night before it was a rainy, cold storm. The ground was muddy and damp when we went out to practice that next afternoon.

During the last few plays I went for my block as usual and the defensive player I was blocking slipped in the mud and my thumb went into his facemask and in a moment of panic, I yanked it out making  the result worse off.

It would turn out after a series of events from going to the trainer, the doctor, and several other doctors that I had torn ligaments. Considering I’m a lefty and my left thumb was now damaged I was unable to hand write anything in school.

I would get my surgery and havey thumb opened up along with my wrist because my ligaments were so torn that as the doctor described “I need a spare part which is the palmaris tendon in your wrist, some have it and some people don’t”.

So I had to wear a club like brace on my hand for a couple of weeks and then I had to go to therapy after.

I had 12 stitches in my hand all together and a pin to hold the ligaments in place which they would later yank out with what doc called “Home Depot style players”.