The First Game Of The Rest Of Our Lives
Eighteen years ago this morning I awoke to shouts from the hall of my dorm. “We’re going to war! We’re going to war!” The origin of the shouting was my neighbor Brian, known for his histrionics, so I went back to sleep. But soon after, I received a call from my high school quarterback, Justin, livin...
The Game No One Cares About Is The Biggest Game Of Their Lives
“Don’t count your reps, make your reps count.”...
Football Doesn't Let You Leave
Empathy isn’t one of football’s commanding virtues. You don’t play because you care about the other guy’s pain. You play because you want to crush him. Same goes for watching—either you disconnect from the consequences, or you can’t really enjoy it....
Why Antonio Brown Needs His Helmet
Antonio Brown is the most prolific wide receiver in football over the last eight seasons (or so), even while being a smaller and less imposing physical specimen than nearly every “No. 1” receiver in the NFL. How does he do it?...
What It Was Like To Be Covered By Champ Bailey
I was playing in NFL Europe in the spring of 2004, eating schnitzel in Düsseldorf for the Rhein Fire, when I learned that we had traded for Champ Bailey. I had just spent the year on the Broncos practice squad and Clinton Portis was my teammate. Now Clinton was gone and we had Champ coming to town....
I Got The Last Laugh At Broncos Training Camp
For the past year, I’ve been dipping a mangled toe into the stand-up comedy waters around L.A. It’s hard, but not nearly so nerve-wracking as my very first gig: making fun of Mike Shanahan....
How Playing In The NFL Ruined Me For Life On The Outside
Some NFL players will tell you the league is like prison—prison with paychecks. Each well-paid inmate has a reputation for violence, and every day on the yard, someone gets shanked. Every week, a few guys get released and a few guppies show up. The guys who leave feel a sense of relief, but they soo...
What Weed And The NFL Can Do For Each Other
In the quest for homeostasis, pain is your friend. Pain tells you when you’re wrong. When you need to change your behavior. For an athlete, pain is your coach. Pushing your body to its limits causes Coach Pain to speak up. Are you hurting or are you hurt? Is this a no-pain/no-gain situation or are y...
The Promise Of The AAF Has Been Made And Broken Before
Football is a lie unto the body. The better you tell it, the better you play. Whether running routes, disguising coverage, juking a defender, or pretending you aren’t hurt: Football is about deception. The Alliance of American Football began its inaugural season last weekend, when eight new football...
Let's All Calm Down About Tony Romo
Mike Tyson was a predictable boxer. Michael Jordan was a predictable basketball player. Tom Brady is a predictable football player. It doesn’t matter how hard you study. If you’re not good enough, you will lose. That’s the predictable part....
Merril Hoge's Book Is As Desperate As The People Who Need Him To Be Right
Brainwashed: One man’s defiance of the science that threatens his legacy....
The NFL Broke Former Players Like Me. Here's One Way To Fix Us.
Roger Goodell is a benevolent man. Last season, while negotiating his own new salary, he demanded lifetime health insurance for himself and his family—with a wink....
Can Matt Patricia Break The Belichick Curse?<em></em>
Many of the modern NFL’s legendary coaches have impressive coaching trees. Hefty branches that bore much fruit. Assistants that became successful head coaches and who then mentored younger coaches to do the same. Bill Walsh coached Dennis Green, who coached Brian Billick, who coached Jack Del Rio, w...
Odell Beckham Jr.'s Catch Was A Culmination: A Former WR Explains
A few days ago, in the Cowboys-Giants game, Odell Beckham Jr. made a very difficult catch. How? He just did it....
How I Let Go Of My NFL Career
Excerpted from the new epilogue to Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile, now available in paperback. We published an adaptation from the book last year....
My Injury File: How I Shot, Smoked, And Screwed My Way Through The NFL
Adapted from Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile (Harper)....