Injuries have always been a part of the game. For someone to go throughout their four years of college football without an injury would be the equivalent to someone picking all four teams in last year’s NCAA basketball final four. It just doesn’t happen.

Some injuries may cause an athlete to miss a play, series, game, season, or career. I’ve seen plenty of them and have had my fair share (knocking on wood). It’s funny how you don’t realize how much you appreciate the simple act of walking or running until you pull a hamstring; or being able to dress yourself once you tear a muscle in your shoulder.

It is true, football is just a game. There is much more to life than what is played between those thin white lines. However, it is funny how much you can take from such a violent game.

For instance, on Friday, September 22, Travis Hearn, a Rock Island High School junior running back suffered a serious spinal cord injury. He is now paralyzed from the shoulders down. Travis may never be able to walk or use his arms again, which makes a pulled hamstring seem like a paper cut.

Many rival high school teams throughout the area have collected thousands of dollars to be put towards his recovery. The Rock Island Rocks have come together as a team and more importantly, as a family. Vic Boblett, the head coach of the Rock Island High School football team stated, “It’s one of the neat things about football; it’s truly a family. You don’t realize how much of a family it is until you go through something like this.” in the wake of the injury.

This game means so much to so many people. Football has its many ups and downs, but throughout those trials and tribulations you really get to know the people surrounding you who share the same passion for the game. It’s a bond you don’t find too often. Then again, when something like this happens you realize how many things you take for granted.

Here at Augustana College we have started a fundraiser for Travis Hearn and the football team alone has raised nearly $1,200. If anyone would like to contribute we would greatly appreciate it, and so would Travis.

Contributions may be sent to any branch of THE National Bank, with checks made payable to: “Travis Hearn Fund”. One hundred percent of all funds collected will go toward the payment of medical care and related expenses incurred by Travis Hearn arising from this tragic accident.

The National Bank
1800 5th Avenue
Rock Island, IL 61201

Phone: (309) 752-9251

As I take a proverbial “victory lap” as a fifth year senior at Augustana College, sitting down to write as an insider for a third year I recall that it has never been easy to sit down and write a blog after a loss. After every sentence, word, and letter I punch into the keyboard I beat myself up over what I could have done better to have enhanced my teams’ chance of walking off the field with a victory.

Could I have broken a few more tackles or have made better blocks Saturday? Could I have worked harder in practice last week? Could I have pushed myself harder this summer? It is easy to question yourself when things aren’t going well and easier after a loss. However, what good comes from staying below the level you feel you have sunk to?

I can’t go back and change the outcome of our 17-7 defeat against Baldwin-Wallace this past Saturday, and no one in America could go back a day on 9/11/01 and prevent what happened to the World Trade Center twin or to the Pentagon. Though our experience is miniscule in comparison, tragedies and setbacks do happen. It’s a part of life. There is no good that comes from feeling sorry about yourself or your situation, but there is no greater feeling than rising to the light that is above the darkness inevitably set before us.

As an American and football fan, if you don’t get the chills while watching highlights of NFL players screaming out of a tunnel waving the American flag sky high to hundreds and thousands of ecstatic fans post 9/11 you better check your pulse. That was a time where it would have been easy for us to feel sorry for ourselves. We could have questioned our national security. We could have questioned this country’s morale.

We did the exact opposite. We rose above the darkness the fallen World Trade Center shed across our country and the light ahead was brighter than ever. We all saw this country come together like never before and it is something I will never forget. Now in no way is a loss in a football game comparable to 9/11, but the only good that can come from last Saturday is to push yourself to get better.

That said, sorry to cut it short, but I have a practice to get to……