The Locker Room

14I Want the Ball

Davey was known on the football field, and in recruiting circles, for his “poise,” that intangible, difficult-to-coach quality that allows a player to remain balanced and calm in the most stressful situations.

Today, however, Davey was anything but poised. His nervousness facing the team was visible, his anxiety high. For the past two hours, he had listened to his teammates and heard how much pain, negativity, and distraction his words had caused. Had he known the power of his words, he would have never said something so insensitive and ignorant.

Ignorant.

That's exactly what he felt like, too. Until today, he had no clue what his words truly meant. Nevertheless, he knew ignorance was no excuse for making poor choices. And, poor choices have consequences.

He held the football tight, mostly out of nervousness. As he scanned the room, he thought about how different the lives of so many of his teammates were from his own. It was as if he lived in a bubble that protected him from so much in the world. Until today, he had never understood what the big deal was regarding the topic of race because he had never stopped to think about things from someone else's perspective.

Davey knew his actions had let everyone down and that he had hurt the people in this room he cared about most. He was not sure he could make it right, but he felt he could certainly try. With all the determination he brought to a two-minute drill, Davey addressed his teammates.

“I'm so sorry, guys. ...