Football has always been a big part of my life. For a time, I thought football would be my future. In high school, a gridiron injury sidelined my career indefinitely. I was devastated, but I picked myself back up, redoubled my academic efforts, and focused on a career in leadership and entrepreneurism. That accident provided a career defining course correction.
Football has remained a passion of mine. It can be a pathway to the American Dream for many athletes. For those skilled enough to make it to the NFL, there is no end to the success they can achieve personally or professionally. Even college athletes get presented with wonderful opportunities for betterment. So many of our athletes have started in football and gone on to become successful business owners. Football gave them opportunities they would never have had.
The military is another institution that does the same. So many of our young people go into the military to get out of desperate economic situations and emerge stronger, better educated, and more capable. A career in the military ranks among the top professions in our country, and the opportunities even a short stint as a service member provides are tremendous.
This week I will be watching the Army-Navy game on TV. It brings together two things I love — football and the military. It will be an epic contest between the academies of two of America’s great branches of service. What is at stake is bragging rights and the coveted Commander-in-Chief Trophy.
The Army-Navy game is a long-standing tradition and one of football’s great rivalries. The game is a proud moment for our country, and it is incredibly patriotic. Football and the military are coming together — two great American traditions in one event. My football-loving heart swells with pride at the thought.
I will be watching the game on Saturday, and no matter who wins the contest, America will win the day.