The final straw that defines the change in the game was in the BCS National Championship game as Colt McCoy injured his shoulder minutes into the title game and never returned.
During a regular season NFL football game while with the Packers Brett Favre threw a touchdown pass than was not allowed to return to the field of play as it was determined he suffered a concussion two plays prior to his scoring pass.
David "Deacon" Jones a star for the "Fearsome Foursome" that spread terror on the gridiron in the 60's explained how he dealt with concussions........smelling salts, a nasal clearing super lemon scent that could wake a bear from hibernation. None of these ancient remedies anymore, not a chance as pimple faced trainers now determine the toughness of a player. Ronnie Lott would never have listened to a trainer on how to play football nor would Jack Youngblood.
Lott busted up his finger so bad prior to a playoff game had doctors cut his finger off rather than miss out on the experience of another run to the Super Bowl and Lott's bust now sits in the Hall of Fame. A steep price for the Lombardi trophy but when you want something so bad you pay the price of a bodily extremity that is how the great ones are made.
It's a shame, Colt McCoy the four year starter with more wins than any other quarterback in the century old history of college football couldn't throw the ball but a simple Willis Reed running of a few plays could have inspired his teammates to get tough in their 2nd quarter lapse that saw Alabama not only take the lead but blow it up based on Longhorn panic. Instead Colt will have to live with the fact he listened to guys that live to be cautious debating on whether to cut through the red tape rather than achieve greatness.
Sports icons play through the pain. Even Tiger Woods with a broken leg and torn ACL played through a 90 holes of walking the links and hitting hundreds of golf balls to win the US Open. Tiger was advised not to play and now he has further cemented his legend as arguably the greatest and certainly the toughest athlete to ever play the PGA. It's an accomplishment just to be considered an athlete while playing golf.
Luckily Tiger was able to just play golf with a broken leg and torn ACL. Jack Youngblood never thought of listening to the trainers when they suggested he sit out the 1979 NFC Championship game after breaking his leg a week earlier against the Dallas Cowboys. No Way! Youngblood told the trainers, "tape up the leg, tape it tight, we'll worry about it later!". Jack went on to play a stellar game inspiring his teammates to pull off a road upset against the favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers sending the then Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl.
Youngblood would go on and play a second game with a taped up fractured tibula on the exact same field where Colt submitted to his trainers in the Rose Bowl. How he played amazed his Ram teammates who understood his toughness, character and desire. Youngblood was quoted on why he played the two games with such an excruciating injury, ""The reason you do those kinds of things, or attempt to do those kinds of things, it wasn't just another football game," Youngblood said. "It's significant. Those opportunities to play in championship games are few and far between."
What must Jack Youngblood be thinking after watching Colt take the game off with a hurt shoulder? It's not that Colt is soft but he is a product of the red tape that has softened society and made the world all about caution, red tape, and fear of living on the edge for the sheltered life. It was one chance Colt, you have to live with not knowing if you could have helped your teammates, the trainers will remember this moment as the precedence for the future as they are empowered to tell ball players if they can play or not. All the work that Jack Youngblood and Ronnie Lott put into letting trainers in on the brink of extinction when Colt gave up his moment in history to prove he was a winner when he bowed to the wishes of the pimple faced trainers.
Just off the California coastline as his gym just off of Huntington Harbor Jack Youngblood must be rolling his eyes at today's players ruled by red tape rather than toughness, guts, heart and the desire to be a champion!
Desire:
"You learnt that, whatever you are doing in life, obstacles don't matter very much. Pain or other circumstances can be there, but if you want to do a job bad enough, you'll find a way to get it done.".....................Jack Youngblood
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