Playing The Sport That Uses You

There was a fellow named Dexter. Dexter Manley. Dexter was a rather large youth, and very athletic. When he attained his full adult size, Dexter was about 6'5", maybe 265 or 270 pounds. He was unbelievably fast for his size, he was every bit as strong as that size would suggest, and he didn't mind taking or giving hits. He was kept moving through school because he was unbelievably fast for his size, he was every bit as strong as that size would suggest, and he didn't mind taking or giving hits. He had a lot of football savvy.

Dexter went to Oklahoma State University for four years on a football scholarship. His grades were just OK, but they were always OK, because he was unbelievably fast for his size, he was every bit as strong as that size would suggest, and he didn't mind taking or giving hits. Besides, the Oklahoma States and Ohio States and the Southern Cals and (insert any SEC team here) really don't much care about whether their student-athletes learn anything, as long as they learn the playbook.

Dexter went on to the Washington Redskins. His career netted him 106 quarterback sacks, a few Pro Bowl appearances, and a couple of Super Bowl rings. He would have had three, but about a month before what would have been that third Super Bowl he was suspended from the NFL. For life. He'd failed a drug test. For the fourth time.

How could someone so gifted athletically, who had so much handed to him, toss it all away? How?

An interesting tidbit about Dexter Manley came out after he was out of football. Dexter Manley, who went to Oklahoma State for four years, was illiterate. I don't mean functionally illiterate - I know a sadly large number of college grads who fit that description - but "I-can't-read-a-word" illiterate.

Where was that person, in junior high, in high school, or at OSU, who would take Dexter aside and say, "You need to make some other choices in your life. At some point, it's not all fun and games.You'll need these skills you're neglecting." Whoever that person was, he didn't encounter Dexter, or he was encouraged  to keep quiet. Because Dexter was unbelievably fast for his size, he was every bit as strong as that size would suggest, and he didn't mind taking or giving hits. He had a lot of football savvy. Too bad he missed out on the life savvy.

To his credit, Dexter Manley no longer is illiterate. And he showed great courage in admitting his problem (in a public hearing, no less), facing his problem, and doing something about it. It's not all clear sailing for him - he's in debt up to his neck - but he faces life honestly.

Would that he were the only horror story about athletes being used up, then discarded by their sports. The NFL is notorious for it. John Mackey was a tight end for the Baltimore Colts. He has a Super Bowl ring also; in fact, he caught a touchdown pass in that Super Bowl. John Mackey was, arguably, the greatest tight end in history. But, if you happen to be around him, he'll put that ring in your face and tell you all about it. And tell you. And tell you. That is, if you catch him in one of his more lucid moments. John Mackey suffers from dementia. He spends his life, when he goes anywhere at all, being led by the hand. Likewise Larry Morris, former linebacker from the Bears. For both, and a number of others, family finances are precarious. There's no health care coverage for former NFLers, unless they can prove that their dementia is a direct result of concussions suffered while playing. Good luck with that.

I still watch football. At the college level I'm a fan of Notre Dame  - one of the schools that brings a kid on board with the full expectation that he'll graduate and actually take some classes not taught by an assistant football coach. I also watch the Bears, although that's become a bit of a guilty pleasure. I'm sure the marketing juggernaut that is the NFL won't notice if I stop watching, and I just might.

I prefer baseball anyway. Cubs on. Cheerio!