BY AUSTIN WEISS ’27
Football has always been a huge part of my life. After spending my whole life playing the sport, building relationships with teammates, and creating memories, I never expected my senior season to come to an end the way it did. During the first football game of the season, I suffered a torn ACL, an injury that completely changed the course of my season and my senior year, as a whole.
At first, it was difficult to process that my football season–and career–was over before it had even started. Football was something I had dedicated so much of my time and energy to, and suddenly I was forced to watch from the sidelines instead of being out on the field with my teammates. As a player and leader, it was especially challenging knowing I couldn’t contribute to the team in the way I had planned for my senior year. I struggled to mentally wrap my head around the fact that I would never again play the sport I loved so much.
However, this experience of overcoming my injury has taught me that being part of a team means so much more than what happens between the lines. Even though I couldn’t play due to being injured, I still dug deep and supported my teammates, staying involved, and being there for the program that had given me so much over the years. It wasn’t just about playing, I realized, but also about being a good sport.
While this wasn’t how I imagined my final football season to shake out, my injury has given me a new perspective on the game, leadership, and perseverance. Football has shaped who I am as a person, teaching me fortitude, resilience, and care. While I will now have to work and grind for 6 to 9 months to get back to being me, I’ve learned that I won’t just be a spectator in my life, watching my senior year slip away from the sidelines. Instead, I’ll continue to join in any way I can, continuing to value each and every day of the game.
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