U of M's Comeback Against MSU in 2004? I'll Top That.

This Wednesday, I played some coed intramural flag football with my friend’s team from our church, Southwest Toot Toot. It has something to do with a train, I think, but I’m not exactly sure why that’s the name. ☺ Now, let’s just say, I’m not a very athletic person. I’m not very coordinated…if any kind of ball is thrown at me, it usually hits me in the face. Seriously. When we were playing catch before the game, I went to catch a football while holding my bag and hit myself in the face with my water bottle, which was inside my bag. I have a nasty bruise on my cheek from it.

Once we were playing, though, it was great. I felt like I was part of an actual football team – like middle school flag football, but way more intense. I mean, I’m no Sam McGuffie (or I guess, Jake Long, since I was blocking most of the time ☺), but I got to block by using my shoulders (no shoving allowed, sadly) and get my team pumped up. I didn’t really understand what was being said inside the huddle, but I know that I was having fun trying to be hardcore and pretending I was a player on the U of M team.

All of a sudden, in the huddle, I was told to go be a wide receiver. I just laughed…of course, Brad, our QB, wasn’t going to throw it to me. I just ran after the snap like a crazy person, and I wasn’t covered or anything. After a few seconds of running, I realized I should probably turn around…I was WAAY downfield from the rest of the team. Laughing, I cut in and noticed, surprisingly, that Brad hadn’t thrown the ball yet. I jumped up and down and waved to get his attention, and he launched the ball.

I don’t think I realized that I actually was signaling to Brad to throw the football to me, implying that I would catch it, until it was spiraling towards me. Memories of softballs hitting me in the forehead flashed through my mind, but I kept my eyes on the ball, reached my hands up, panicked for a second, and then felt the ball slide into my hands.

I’m pretty sure I stood there for a solid second in shock. Then, realizing I was holding a live ball and an entire team mostly made up of men was hurtling down the field at me, I kept up my squeal of shock as I turned and sprinted toward the goal line. I think I only made it a yard before my flag was pulled, but the aftermath was epic.

It was like one of those scenes from a movie where the music starts to play and everything goes in slow motion…my teammates came down the field yelling and giving me high-fives, slapping me on the shoulder, giving me hugs…I was still holding the football like a trophy, and someone kept trying to hand me back my flag, but I just wasn’t paying any attention. I’m pretty sure I was laughing hysterically in a high-pitched voice the whole time, still in shock.

My team went on to win 6-0 (although, sadly, the touchdown was not caused by my sweet 30-yard catch), and since we’re 2-0, we’re heading to the playoffs next week. I don’t think I’m ever going to handle the football again during one of our games, but I’m pretty sure I’ll remember the most epic catch of my life and my teammates faces and yells as I incredulously held that football in my hands.