Week 7 Story: Kyler's Comeback
It was a rough first half.
Kyler and the OU football team were down 35 points in the Red River Rivalry, and the locker room was a sullen place to be. Kyler did his best to put some energy back in his teammates, but as the break ended, things were not looking good. Kyler kept his head down and ran past the booing fans - fans of both teams. Taunts from the Longhorns were expected, but hearing disappointment from OU fans was a slap to the face.
About to take the first snap of the half, Kyler stared directly into the eyes of UT's biggest defensive lineman. The Longhorn made a signal: he pointed discreetly at himself, pounded his meaty fist into his baseball mitt of a hand, and made a menacing jab directly at Kyler. The message was clear: I'm gonna get you. Kyler gave the signal, the center snapped the ball, and the play began.
Kyler dropped back in the pocket, scanning the field for his options. On the far right, he saw CeeDee break free, and at the same time, the Longhorn defender broke through Kyler's offensive line. Kyler hesitated: it was a touchdown waiting to happen, but he needed to give CeeDee more time to get downfield. He made a decision. Kyler scrambled to his left, buying a few precious seconds, and then launched the ball downfield, seconds before being flattened by the Longhorn defender.
OOF. Kyler felt a powerful knee smash into his right thigh. It went numb immediately, and then a searing pain flared through. He felt the Longhorn's breath in his face, and he heard a whisper of a taunt before the referee could get within earshot: There's more where that came from. Kyler ignored him and struggled to roll onto his side. He strained to look downfield, and he saw CeeDee holding the pigskin, directly in the endzone. TOUCHDOWN! Kyler felt a quiver of optimism spark in his team's hearts, and he rose off the ground...only to fall back down, clutching his thigh, writhing in agony.
The trainers did not have great news. Kyler's thigh was bruised badly, and it was possible the femur bone had been fractured. He could recover, but it would take time, and it would certainly sideline him for the rest of the game. Kyler would not accept this answer. He requested a painkiller shot, ice packs, and athletic tape. The trainers did what they could, and Kyler hobbled back onto the field. He would take on the pack of Longhorn defenders, and he would fight through the pain.
Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. TOUCHDOWN! Play after play, catch after catch, the OU football team rallied around their quarterback, and they emerged victorious after the playclock reached zero.
Author's Note: For this story, I used the end of the Mahabharata as my inspiration. In stories 164-167, the defeated Duroydhana challenges a Pandava brother, Bhima, to a fight. Bhima injures his thigh so badly that Duroydhana will eventually die from it. I thought this sounded a lot like a football injury that could be adapted as a comeback, so I changed Duroydhana to Kyler Murray of the OU football team from 2018. I changed Bhima to an unnamed UT defender, and I changed the plot to show Kyler overcoming his injury and leading the team to a win over UT (just like usual, haha)!
Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Mahabharata by Laura Gibbs, Part D, stories 164-167
Hi Robert! This was a really fun and interesting take on these few stories. I really enjoyed the creativity and you really made me feel like I was reading some sports highlights or watching a game. I will say while I enjoy watching the game I do not know much in terms of football terms and I think you did well being descriptive while also not muddling the writing with complicated terms. It was very easy to read.
ReplyDeleteHi Robert!
ReplyDeleteI was actually at this football game in 2018. Unfortunately, we barely lost. I remember in the fourth quarter how much Kyler was doing and how fast he was (no one could catch him because he is so fast!). Unfortunately, the clock beat us out. Luckily we won the next year though! I actually really enjoyed reading this. I think making it something that we can all relate to since we all go to OU made it easier to read. I also agree that pushing through the pain is definitely something that an athlete would do. Good Job!