Drew Meerveld
Special to CFL.ca
My apologies for a brief absence.
The “student” portion of the term “student-athlete” has a way of being forgotten about early in a semester, however midterm tests are a friendly reminder (or perhaps not so friendly) for those who have forgotten about their academic responsibilities.
It’s a less glamorous side to the life of a university football player. Another aspect of a football player’s life that lacks the allure of portrayed in Hollywood montages is the day after a game.
In a season full of ups and downs where I promised to share all, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that waking up the morning after a game generally brings on a less than pleasant feeling.
I say wake up because one cannot take for granted the next step of rolling out of bed.
Football is often praised for its intensity and it is indeed a beautiful game, but that same wonderful intensity that all 24 men on the field are exerting can take its toll on your body.
Sometimes you can pinpoint a specific hit you took that will lead to an ache or a bruise but more often than not, as I head to bed the night of a game, it will be anyone’s guess where it will hurt in the morning.
If Saturday brought out a good personal performance, or a win, then every painful step is a pleasant reminder of accomplishment and as such is embraced.
It’s week eight and bodies are beat up. It’s not overly dramatic to say that some mornings you feel nothing short of terrible but like so many other things in this great sport, I am sure I will look back years from now and say: I wouldn’t want it any other way.
For more information on the Varsity Blues football team you can visit their website at VarsityBlues.ca.
