Post by HALE BLACK SATIN on Mar 20, 2015 9:34:08 GMT -6
[April, 2011]
[San Diego, California]
[Apartment of Naiser King]
[Draft Day]
The past three days have been crazy...I’ve watched players get taken ahead of me left and right, guys I’ve played with...guys I’ve played against.
Guys better than me.
Guy I know I’m better than.
But it didn’t where I went, I just wanted to go and I wanted the opportunity, I just wanted the chance to show that I belonged.
I was told that I was on the radar for several teams, the Seahawks of Seattle, the Ravens of Baltimore...and even the New England Patriots.
I couldn’t really care who I played for, I just wanted to play.
And with the final picks of the NFL Draft winding down, I felt this tug on my heart strings that maybe...just maybe my name wouldn’t be called.
“And in the for the 53rd pick in the Seventh Round...the Houston Texans select...Cheta Ozougwu, Defensive Lineman from Rice…”
Fuck.
-click-
Turning off the Television, I set the remote control down next to me on the leather sofa as I leaned over, burying my face into my hands. For the past 15 years, I’ve worked and worked to get this far. Becoming a standout in High School in Southern California...to becoming a starter to a Second team Pac-12 Defensive player, making sure that I got all the right grade, did all the right things, said all the right things, keeping my nose clean and even graduating earlier to prove and to show my character.
And on Draft day...my phone remained silent.
I didn’t want some big party, I didn’t even want my own father around after the sixth round, I just wanted to be alone.
My small apartment in San Diego was quiet as I left with my own thoughts before the faint sound of my cell phone vibrating in my pocket, sent a shiver down my large thigh. Fishing it out of my pocket, I accepted the call without so much of looking at the caller ID before placing the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”, I said dejected.
“Hey Naiser, how are you holding up, big man?”
“How you do you think?”
“Look, I know this seems like it’s a setback but...
“But nothing...you told me I would get drafted!”, I could feel the emotion in my voice rising as I pulled my hand from my face, wanting to keep a cool head but feeling the urge to rage brewing inside of me.
“I know I did, big man...you were on a lot of teams draft board, but in the end you gotta realize that this is the National Football League, man. This is a business, the draft was really heavy on Defensive Lineman this year. But listen this is a blessing in disguise.”
“I’m failing to see the coloration between not getting drafted and a blessing in disguise.”, I said through clenched teeth.
“Well, just hear me out. This is makes you a Free Agent now, you free to sign with any team. You get your pick of litter, Naiser. I’ll get on the phones as soon as I’m off of the phone with you. I heard the Seattle is really looking to bolster their front 7, just keep the faith man. I’ll talk to you later tonight, alright?”
I left that hang in the air for moment as a tense silence fall between us, even being separated by a phone call, it was still quite palpable.
“Naiser? You there, buddy?”
“Okay, Randy. Make it happen.”
I hung up the phone, placing on the arm of the leather sofa as I sat back with a dejected look on my face.
This isn’t how this was supposed to go.
I was supposed to play in the NFL, it’s what I’ve been working for my entire life.
The sacrifices.
The long summers.
The longer winters.
The countless hours in the weightroom...in the film room.
Doing all of the right things knowing that in the long run that the phone would ring and it would THE call.
But the phone never rang.
It. Never. Rang.
“What do I do now?”
[San Diego, California]
[Apartment of Naiser King]
[Draft Day]
The past three days have been crazy...I’ve watched players get taken ahead of me left and right, guys I’ve played with...guys I’ve played against.
Guys better than me.
Guy I know I’m better than.
But it didn’t where I went, I just wanted to go and I wanted the opportunity, I just wanted the chance to show that I belonged.
I was told that I was on the radar for several teams, the Seahawks of Seattle, the Ravens of Baltimore...and even the New England Patriots.
I couldn’t really care who I played for, I just wanted to play.
And with the final picks of the NFL Draft winding down, I felt this tug on my heart strings that maybe...just maybe my name wouldn’t be called.
“And in the for the 53rd pick in the Seventh Round...the Houston Texans select...Cheta Ozougwu, Defensive Lineman from Rice…”
Fuck.
-click-
Turning off the Television, I set the remote control down next to me on the leather sofa as I leaned over, burying my face into my hands. For the past 15 years, I’ve worked and worked to get this far. Becoming a standout in High School in Southern California...to becoming a starter to a Second team Pac-12 Defensive player, making sure that I got all the right grade, did all the right things, said all the right things, keeping my nose clean and even graduating earlier to prove and to show my character.
And on Draft day...my phone remained silent.
I didn’t want some big party, I didn’t even want my own father around after the sixth round, I just wanted to be alone.
My small apartment in San Diego was quiet as I left with my own thoughts before the faint sound of my cell phone vibrating in my pocket, sent a shiver down my large thigh. Fishing it out of my pocket, I accepted the call without so much of looking at the caller ID before placing the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”, I said dejected.
“Hey Naiser, how are you holding up, big man?”
“How you do you think?”
“Look, I know this seems like it’s a setback but...
“But nothing...you told me I would get drafted!”, I could feel the emotion in my voice rising as I pulled my hand from my face, wanting to keep a cool head but feeling the urge to rage brewing inside of me.
“I know I did, big man...you were on a lot of teams draft board, but in the end you gotta realize that this is the National Football League, man. This is a business, the draft was really heavy on Defensive Lineman this year. But listen this is a blessing in disguise.”
“I’m failing to see the coloration between not getting drafted and a blessing in disguise.”, I said through clenched teeth.
“Well, just hear me out. This is makes you a Free Agent now, you free to sign with any team. You get your pick of litter, Naiser. I’ll get on the phones as soon as I’m off of the phone with you. I heard the Seattle is really looking to bolster their front 7, just keep the faith man. I’ll talk to you later tonight, alright?”
I left that hang in the air for moment as a tense silence fall between us, even being separated by a phone call, it was still quite palpable.
“Naiser? You there, buddy?”
“Okay, Randy. Make it happen.”
I hung up the phone, placing on the arm of the leather sofa as I sat back with a dejected look on my face.
This isn’t how this was supposed to go.
I was supposed to play in the NFL, it’s what I’ve been working for my entire life.
The sacrifices.
The long summers.
The longer winters.
The countless hours in the weightroom...in the film room.
Doing all of the right things knowing that in the long run that the phone would ring and it would THE call.
But the phone never rang.
It. Never. Rang.
“What do I do now?”
