By Brandon Boone

Editor's note: Brandon Boone, who runs as fast as an Italian sportscar, will intern for NASA soon.

As the NFL Draft approaches in three weeks, many dreams and realities will be accomplished and realized. As a recent "ex" student-athlete at USU, I, as do most college athletes, have much in common with some of the athletes entering the draft.

Many will not be drafted, leaving an indescribable emptiness. Most will not and cannot comprehend and accept the fact that their careers are over. I say comprehend because it is something which many top-level athletes in Division I never fully prepare for.

The feeling of loss and failure. The overshadowing memories of accomplishments and triumphs. The reality that life will never seem to be as complete as it was during our times as student-athletes. These things don't go away overnight or even over long periods of time for some "ex" student-athletes.

It's why old men still cry 40 years after they missed a basket in their last college basketball game. It's why athletes go through numerous surgeries to repair something just to prolong the pain they'll feel when it's all over. It's why football player still play even with the knowledge their life expectancy will be considerably less the average. It's the chase of a dream.

As I struggle with these very things, it has been difficult to adjust to a world without the competitive nature as sport. Life is eerily different and sometimes is seems there is nothing I can do to replace what once was so much a part of "me" as my own face or name.

I'm not going to lie or try make you think "poor me,", because I am very lucky. I have received an education that I am proud of. I have meet and learned from people who are different than me in every way. I've had experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything. All this probably would not have been possible without my involvement with sports.

Still, I cannot bring myself to watch a track and field meet. I tell myself that I can't watch because I hate watching things I think I should be apart of. But in all honesty, it is because my track and field career is over as a collegian and no surgery or help from a teacher is going to change that.

Now I find myself becoming the best "couch quarterback" or "living room coach" that I know. To become these things to me is depressing itself, because like most other athletes I promised myself I would never be like that. But, just like in sport, I learned to never say never, it seems to be true in real life as well.

Sport isn't just a game, it's been life up to this point and without it I wouldn't be the same. Bottom-line is that moving on is something that must be done.

To people who call sports "just a game," I say this: Sports are as much "just a game" as your life is just one of 6 billion on this earth. If you believe that, maybe you aren't unique or special.

MS
MS

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