TOUCHDOWN!! I heard as soon as I got to the end zone, 23-12. We were winning until the ball was thrown to me. I jumped up to catch it, then got tackled from behind when the ball was in my hands all I heard was, “CRACK!!” When I woke I was in the hospital, my mother beside me looking directly at me.
My mama asked me,” You okay baby?”
“Yes mama.” I replied.
Then came the doctor threw the door. He told me to turn to my belly to check my back.
He told me,” Mr. DeShawn Smith you got tackled pretty hard at your game the day before yesterday, after being tackled from behind you fell and hit your head pretty hard against the ground which gave you a concussion.”
My head then started to hurt badly it felt like if something was pushing against my head. I started to scream it hurt badly. The doctor got nurses into the room to calm me down. When I woke up I was strapped to my bed, both my arms and legs to keep me from moving. My doctor came through the door again.
“Are you feeling alright Sean, your head hurt?” he asked.
“Yes it hurts just a little,” I replied.
He then said, “ you can go home now but you might head might start to hurt again just a little that is why I’m going to give you this medicine that will stop your head from hurting.”
I was glad I was going to be able to go home but I was also afraid if head would start hurting like it did 2 hours ago or worse. I grabbed my stuffed headed throughout the door and got in the car. When we got home I went to sleep right away because my head started to hurt little so I thought I would just go immediately to bed and I also got school tomorrow. The next day after school I was heading to the locker room to change for our game but then I thought coach might come up to me where was I or what happened that kept from coming to practice for the past two day but I’m also pretty sure he was there at the game when I got injured I don’t remember.
As soon I was about to open the door to the locker room my coach called me out.
“Sean come here!” he demanded.
He looked mad but I don’t know why if I’m pretty sure he knows about my major concussion.
He then asked me,” are you sure you want to come to game today?”
I said,” Yeah coach is there a problem?”
“No, but you you’re deciding to play today when you haven’t came to practice for the past two days due to your concussion, “ he said.
I then asked,” so can I play today?”
“No!” he yelled.
He said,” Since I thought you were going to be in hospital for a long time I brought Julian off of the bench as your replacement.”
I answered,” ok coach whatever I’ll just sit on the bench for today’s game.”
I was ok with sitting on bench for today, so I did. Before game started everyone was stretching while I was on bench looking at them, I’ve never sat out for a game before.
“That should be me,” I mumbled.
By third quarter we were winning 21-0. Then Julian got injured all you heard when two of the other players tackled Julian was,” BANG!!” He landed badly but then he wasn’t moving. The whole team rushed onto the field to see what was wrong. Coach then got mad.
I then went up to him and said, “I could go in as his replacement.”
He then said,” alright but on your jersey and get on the field.”
“But I got no jersey coach just my equipment,” I said.
He said,” Here wear Julian’s.”
I put it on. I get on the field and game starts. I was passed the ball twice, made two touchdowns and the other team hasn’t made one touchdown since Julian got hurt. I then was passed the ball again for the third time. I jumped up to catch but it went past my head so I decided to catch it one-handed. I then caught it in the end zone.
“Touchdown,” I said to myself.
By the time the game ended coach came up to me and said,” good job son!”
He then gives me a big hug. I then ran into locker room put on my clothes and then got a bus to Central City Hospital. On the way to the hospital I started to get a headache. So I dug in my bag looking for my medicine. I found it and then grabbed a water bottle I had left after the game and took my medicine that the doctor gave me.
Then I got off the bus at Central City Hospital.
Then I came across a nurse and asked,” Ma’am do you happen to know where Julian Brady is?”

She then replied,” Are you friends with the young man who just got here from a serious back injury during a football game today?”
“Yes Ma’am but do you know where he is,” I asked.
She said,” keep going straight, then turn right to Floor B, then stop when you see a room in front of a restroom, I’m sure the room number is B126.”
So then I started to walk until I got to Julian’s room. Right outside his room there was his dad, Tim Brady and his mom Thea Brady. They were crying.
Then I went up to them and asked them, “Are you guys alright, how’s Julian?”
His dad then replied,” Julian…”
I said,” Julian what?”
He said,” The doctor said he might be permanently paralyzed from waist down.”
I then said,” Oh…”
Then I turned and opened the door. He turned, facing me.
Then he said,” Hi Sean!”
I didn’t say anything looking at him then I said,” Hi Julian how are you feeling?”
“No, I’m paralyzed, I’m useless,” he claimed.
I then said,” No you’re not just because you’re paralyzed doesn’t mean you are useless and doctor still doesn’t know if you’re going to stay like this.”
“I know but you see I’ve always wanted to be like my father, Tim Brady, Number 12, New England 96ers, but I can’t anymore.”
I didn’t say anything I just felt bad for him just lying in his hospital bed. I didn’t want him talking about himself like this.
I told him,” if you don’t end up being paralyzed you might be able to come back to school and the football team then you might even be a legend like your father.”
“Yeah but my parents won’t let me play football anymore due to the major injury I just had,” he said.
Then I said,” I have to leave now by mom is probably waiting for me at my house, bye Julian.”
“Bye,” he said while I was walking out the door.
When I came out his room I rushed out the hospital to get a bus home because I knew my mom would be mad as soon as I get home because I was out all night without permission to be out in the streets at night time. When I got home I opened the door as quietly as I could, my mom was in the couch sleeping I didn’t want to wake her up so I walked up the stairs and when to sleep immediately. The next day I woke up in a hurry, late again, I got dressed and ran out my front door and waited for the bus.
When I got to school and man came up to me and said,” may I talk to you son, privately?”
I then replied,” sure about what?”
He said,” Sit down son, ok I’ve gone to every single one of games and you’re very impressive so I have an offer, would you like to play for me, the Miami Sharks?”
I said,” what?”
He said,” Do you young man?”
He handed me a paper it was the contract, I didn’t know what to do or say. He then handed me a pen, I grabbed it, still thinking, I got college left and what about ma and my brothers and sisters.
I asked,” Mr. ummm…”
“Mr. Johnson,” he said.
“Do I have to sign it right now, I tell my mother about this,” I asked.
“NO!!” He yelled.
“If you don’t sign you’ll lose it all,” he said.
I grabbed the pen, my hands started to sweat, what will happen to ma,” I said to myself.
Will they be able to come along with me? I was scared, so I just signed the contract, relieved I felt.
He then said,” Well thank you, Shark.”
We then shook hands, and then he left. I then left, while walking down the street I was still thinking about that contact and my family. How will my mother react or feel when I leave? I went to go see Julian, when I got to his room right away I told him about Mr. Johnson and how my dreams came true, getting into NFL.
He said, “Nice what your mom say about this?”
I said,” Haven’t told her I’m kind of confused.”
I told him that I wanted to go to NFL but I don’t want to leave my family.
He said,” Then take her with you.”
I then started to think maybe I should take her with me so I can play in the NFL.  I then left and said bye to Julian and ran out of his room. When I got home I opened the door and my mom was on the couch watching her show, Empire.
I went up to her and said, “Hi mom.”
She replied, ”Hi baby.”
I then started to tell her,” mom ok so today a man came up to me and talked to me about playing for him in the NFL.”
She said, “Oh baby that alright you can go but I can’t come with because I got a job here as a reporter.”
I then went upstairs to pack up. By 10 P.M. I was done I walked down stairs, the cab was there waiting for me and my brothers and sisters by the door along with mom. They all hugged me and finally my mom gave me a hug.
She told me,” now you be careful son come visit some time.”
I then said,” Thanks mom, bye got to leave now.”
I then left got into the cab. When I got to the airport I bought a ticket to Miami, Florida. I got on the plane and took a nap when I go there. When I woke up I had already arrived to Miami. When I got off the whole team was at the airport waiting for me. They all welcomed me.
“Welcome, Shark!” The team said to me.