“Gone from painful cries, away from saddened eyes. Along with him I'll bide. Because they won't go when I'll go..”
Lyric from: They Won't Go When I Go from the album Fullfillingness Furst Finale
Written By: Stevie Wonder and Yvonne Wright
Performed by: Stevie Wonder
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| Junior Seau inducted in the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame in November 2011, Photo Courtesy of AP |
Last Thursday marked the opening of the National Football League’s spectacular Spring Extravaganza, better known as the 2012 NFL Draft. The draft’s first round did not disappoint, boasting trades a plenty as teams knew who they wanted and did what they needed to do to get their guy. Smiles, hugs and jerseys all around…it’s hard to believe that the joy and validation of being selected in the first round could ever be less than that. But today our beloved sport gave us three stories that, for three very different reasons, prove otherwise.
The Buffalo Bills were hoping to get a quarterback in last week’s draft to back up starter Ryan Fitzpatrick. When that didn’t happen, the team decided to turn to free agency. Today, Vince Young is set to work out for the Bills. If he earns a spot on the roster it will be Vince’s third team since being selected by the Tennessee Titans, bursting onto the NFL scene with much fanfare after leading the University of Texas to a National Championship.
Vince was awe inspiring in his victories with the Titans and unrecognizable in defeat. His reaction to criticism, in-game mistakes and losses left many questioning whether he had the mental toughness required to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Philadelphia was his second stop. The Eagles saw Young as a capable backup to Michael Vick but he was not re-signed after a one-year contract which is why he is available for this Bills workout today. Vince Young was the 3rd pick of the first round in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Vince was awe inspiring in his victories with the Titans and unrecognizable in defeat. His reaction to criticism, in-game mistakes and losses left many questioning whether he had the mental toughness required to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Philadelphia was his second stop. The Eagles saw Young as a capable backup to Michael Vick but he was not re-signed after a one-year contract which is why he is available for this Bills workout today. Vince Young was the 3rd pick of the first round in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Today, William Joseph and Michael Bennett were arrested by the FBI on charges that they schemed to steal people’s identities and subsequently collect thousands of dollars after using those identities to file false tax returns. Joseph was a former star defensive tackle for the University of Miami’s national championship team drafted by the New York Giants. He retired after 8 seasons, his last with the Raiders.
Bennett was a Pro Bowl running back with the Minnesota Vikings who drafted him after a standout career at the University of Wisconsin. He made the Pro Bowl for the Vikings in the 2002 season after rushing for 1,296 yards. He finished his career in Oakland as well last season. The arrests were made as the final nail in the coffin of an FBI sting that included an informant, a fake check cashing store and hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus tax return checks. William Joseph was the 25th pick of the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Michael Bennett was the 27th pick of the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft.
Bennett was a Pro Bowl running back with the Minnesota Vikings who drafted him after a standout career at the University of Wisconsin. He made the Pro Bowl for the Vikings in the 2002 season after rushing for 1,296 yards. He finished his career in Oakland as well last season. The arrests were made as the final nail in the coffin of an FBI sting that included an informant, a fake check cashing store and hundreds of thousands of dollars in bogus tax return checks. William Joseph was the 25th pick of the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Michael Bennett was the 27th pick of the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft.
For 20 seasons in the NFL Junior Seau was revered as much for his work ethic as he was for his passion and ferocity on defense. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers and had 12 Pro Bowl seasons with the team. He has been a beloved member of the San Diego community. Today family, friends and fans there are mourning his loss along with his NFL family. Seau, 43, was found dead in his home this morning of an apparent suicide.
The sentiment from those who knew him best is that Seau was not someone who would do this. Those of us who watched him play would agree. We will likely never know exactly what pushed him to this breaking point and we will not be able to make sense of it. Today we are in disbelief. We are sad, and we are confused. After a brief retirement in 2005, Seau came back and played for the Dolphins and finished his career with the New England Patriots in 2009. His stat line includes 1,849 tackles and 56 ½ sacks. He was the 5th pick in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft.
The sentiment from those who knew him best is that Seau was not someone who would do this. Those of us who watched him play would agree. We will likely never know exactly what pushed him to this breaking point and we will not be able to make sense of it. Today we are in disbelief. We are sad, and we are confused. After a brief retirement in 2005, Seau came back and played for the Dolphins and finished his career with the New England Patriots in 2009. His stat line includes 1,849 tackles and 56 ½ sacks. He was the 5th pick in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft.
A short time ago I was having dinner with my friend Chem. She asked me if I had seen an episode of E! True Hollywood Stories, The Curse of the Lottery. She commented on how she watched the show in horror as it profiled winner after winner who had hit rock bottom after abbreviated stints as millionaires. Most of us equate money and fame with an easy, happy life. We dream of winning the lottery and living happily ever after. We would assume that the reason 1 in 3 lottery winners goes broke is because they mismanaged their money, buying too much too quickly and on foolish things nevertheless. We are convinced that we would not meet that fate ourselves.
The answer to why it happens is more likely associated with the fact that money doesn’t change who we are. It doesn’t change our pathologies, our morals or our deep seated fears. Neither does making it to the league.
The answer to why it happens is more likely associated with the fact that money doesn’t change who we are. It doesn’t change our pathologies, our morals or our deep seated fears. Neither does making it to the league.
During the draft, we watch intently as young men in their 20s hit their version of the lottery, with those drafted in the first round forever basking in the sunshine of being the best of the best. They are student-athletes one day who buy Bentleys and diamonds the next. We envy their seemingly meteoric rise to fame and success and wonder aloud why we hadn’t been so lucky. We simply can’t imagine that the joy and validation of being drafted in the first round will ever be less than that.
But it can be.
It can be just the beginning of a life met with unfulfilled dreams, harsh consequences and painfully, tragic endings.
But it can be.
It can be just the beginning of a life met with unfulfilled dreams, harsh consequences and painfully, tragic endings.
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