Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile

by Nate Jackson

My story is not unique. Every other football-playing man deals with the same cycle of injury and rehab, separated by periods of relative health. Some bodies are better suited for the demands of the game than others. They stay healthy longer, play more, smash skulls more, die younger. I should see my inability to stay healthy as a blessing in the long run, because it’s sparing my brain the extra punishment. The fact is, no one will remember any NFL game I’ll ever play in but me.

The NFL is not your friend. Your job is not guaranteed. Your life is under scrutiny. You play until they replace you.

Here I am telling him all the reasons why I hate her, in between sets of an exercise specifically designed to lead me back into her arms. I am sick.