Corey Grant
CFL.ca
The throwing of your body at another human being at full speed with no regard for your own safety, the clicking of your chinstrap as it snaps to your helmet and the caressing of the ball as it touches your hands; this is the game we know and love…FOOTBALL! We have the best job in the world and nobody can tell me otherwise.
Being a professional football player in the CFL has its perks: 4-½ hour days, winters off (for at least a month or two before training starts up again), the ability to pursue an “after football” career while you’re playing (4 years of Teacher’s College during my off season), the fans (the only person that’s going to be asking for my autograph in 10 years is the bill man), traveling to different cities across Canada, and the fact that we get to play a kid’s game. There are more perks but that’s for us players to know (can’t give away all our secrets…okay getting to the front of the line at the club…and making a living doing what we love). What more could a guy ask for?
Now, don’t get me wrong it’s not all caviar and champagne. There are things that get to us players, such as: practice…let’s talk about “PRACTICE” (as Allen Iverson would say) and more importantly OUR warm up before “PRACTICE”. I would like you to picture this, 50 football players lying on their backs, hands behind their heads and feet off the ground and told to start swimming (I know, we were thinking the same thing). Oh, wait I’m not finished. The next set of instructions is to turn onto your stomach, then your side, and do the same thing… “SWIM!” (A few guys ended up drowning but that’s okay because they’ll get more practice in the weeks to come) Sounds crazy? Well, it is, and the man running it is a freak of nature (“THEY” say he’s in his 60’s…I don’t believe it…he looks to be in his 40’s) so I’m not surprised he came up with this, but my abs, or as Coach Womack would say, “CORE” (said with a southern accent) is getting stronger (the man knows what he’s talking about…I guess…but it’s still practice)…can’t we just line up every week and play. Next there are meetings…they are the longest part of the day as we meet just to meet about meeting (well, they’ve become a good time to catch up on some much needed sleep that I missed from the night before). I’m sure there are more negatives but I can’t think of them…like I said before, it’s the best job around!
Football is not like any other sport because when it’s over it’s over. You can always get a good game of pick-up basketball at the local gym, some shinny (that would be hockey) with some friends, or hit the batting cages to see if you can still smack that 90mph fastball. But there is no replacement for football…and flag football isn’t even close in comparison…The adrenaline of being hit (and getting up and saying “that’s all you got?”) or giving that big hit and watching the man you just knocked off his feet stumble knowing that only his pride has him attempting to stand again (nobody wants to be part of someone else’s highlight tape). There’s no replacing those feelings.
Sometimes we as football players take this sport for granted and forget how privileged we are to play such a great game (believe me it’s a privilege and not a right). This game can be taken away from any one of us at any time, just ask Saskatchewan Roughriders DJ Flick, Leron Mitchell and Calgary Stampeder Julian Jenkins. Each of them suffered a broken leg last week. I’m sure they would say the same thing, “play each play as if it’s your last, because you never know.” As a brother in the fraternity of football I would like to wish each of them a speedy and full recovery. I would also like to take this time to say “THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US WHO GET TO PLAY THIS GREAT SPORT OF “FOOTBALL”! WE APPRIECATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY THE SPORT WE LOVE!”
As I was writing this blog the news of Mr. Bob Ackles was announced. I would like to send my prayers and condolences to the Ackles Family and the B.C. Lions Organization. This unfortunate incident not only reminds us of how fortunate we are to be a part of the CFL but how precious LIFE is and that it’s just a game we play. THANK YOU MR. ACKLES FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE CFL.
Corey Grant is a 10 year CFL veteran who has played with the
Ti-Cats, Alouettes and, for the last 7 seasons, the Roughriders. A
Stoney Creek, Ont. native, Corey has won Grey Cups in 1999 and 2007.
He was
named the East Division Outstanding Rookie in 1999.
